Counseling African American Male Youth (From Handbook of Counseling Boys and Adolescent Males: A Practitioner's Guide, P 75-99, 1999, Arthur M. Horne and Mark S. Kiselica, eds. -- See NCJ-181846)

• NCJ Number: 181848
• Author(s): Shawn Leonard; Courtland Lee; Mark S. Kiselica
• Date Published: 1999
• Length: 25 pages
• Sale Source: Sage Publications, Inc
• Publication Format: Book (Softbound)
• Publication Type: Issue Overview
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This article describes the social and educational hardships facing African American male youth.

Abstract

The article documents that young African American men are an at-risk population who warrant interventions tailored to their particular needs. It discusses several issues related to understanding and establishing rapport with African American male youth, describes several model service programs designed to foster the positive development of this group and suggests future training and research on psychotherapeutic work with African American male youth. Young black males have shorter life spans than other population groups in America. In addition, they face a disproportionately high level of unemployment and have inadequate education. To help young black males meet these and other challenges, the article describes several counseling and mentoring programs: (1) Respected Elders training and mentoring program; (2) Simba Wachanga program, which includes culture-specific guidance with older African American men as role models; (3) Young Lions program, for youngsters in grades 3 through 6; (4) Black Manhood Training: “Body, Mind and Soul”; and (5) MAAT program, for youth from 11 through 19, with modules on manhood development, sexuality, drugs, the creative arts, math and science.