Source
INDIGO – University of Illinois Chicago
Summary
A new report details four-year outcomes of the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America’s Community-Based Mentoring (BBSA CBM) program. The randomized, controlled trial involved 1,353 youth participating in the program and tracked the effects it had in the areas of juvenile justice (arrest), delinquent behavior, substance use and abuse, mental health, and a range of risk and protective factors for crime/delinquent behavior and positive youth development.
Each participating youth and their parent(s) completed surveys at study enrollment, at an 18-month follow-up and at a 4-year follow-up. Administrative records of juvenile justice involvement were also collected and used to assess arrests.
Statistically significant effects were shown to occur in three of the four primary hypothesized outcomes:
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- Youth and/or parent report of property-related delinquent behavior: 26.4% of youth in the treatment group vs. 34.1% of youth in the control group.
- Violence-related delinquent behavior (29.6% vs. 43.0%) during the 2.5-year period between the 18-month and 4-year follow-ups.
- Youth-reported recurring substance use in the past 6 months (18.2% vs. 31.4%).
- There was not a statistically significant effect on the primary hypothesized outcome of arrests at the 4-year follow-up (9.4% for the treatment group and 13.4% for the control group).
Overall, the statistically significant effects of the BBSA CBM program trial are modest but large enough to be important indicators of program success because of the intended scale of the program. Any small percentage improvement would result in large numbers of youth whose lives and futures have been improved. Additionally, any favorable outcome improvements will have an effect on multiple sectors from juvenile justice to child welfare and foster care, leading to cost savings that likely exceed relatively modest program costs.
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