Date of Conferral

11-12-2025

Date of Award

November 2025

Degree

Doctor of Social Work (DSW)

School

Social Work

Advisor

Brittany Peters

Abstract

During the adolescent stage of development, identity is a foundational aspect of one’s development, and its absence leads to a negative outcome, characterized by role confusion. Positive interventions are necessary to develop a strong sense of self. The purpose of this generic qualitative project was to explore the perspectives of black males and the impact of mentorship on their identity during adolescence. The theoretical framework chosen for this study was Erikson’s identity versus role confusion, the fifth stage of his psychosocial development theory. Based on this concept, the research supported the idea that adolescent Black males should participate in culturally responsive mentoring programs and form supportive relationships to help them achieve at a higher standard. Semi-structured interviews with 10 former mentees who are now adults were used to collect data. The mentees were interviewed via Zoom to gather feedback on the research question. The data included information about how they defined mentoring, how the program influenced their sense of identity, and their perceptions of the program's structure. The data were analyzed using the first cycle and vivo coding, maintaining consistency with the interviewees' language and revealing their common, firsthand themes. These seven common themes were (a) provided academic support, discipline, and accountability, (b) identity, (c) father figures, (d) consistency, (e) representation matters, (f) brotherhood, and (g) providing life skills. Implications for positive social change may develop as social workers use the results of this study as a resource to engage, advocate, and empower at-risk Black male youth

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