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Overview:
The University of Chicago Crime Lab is collaborating with Youth Guidance, a Chicago-based nonprofit to conduct a rigorous multi-year evaluation of the efficacy of the Working on Womanhood (WOW) program, a cognitive behavioral mentoring program for young girls.
The current study builds on a growing body of research examining the promising impacts of structured mentoring programs on reducing violence and improving overall outcomes for disadvantaged youth. Previously, the University of Chicago conducted three experiments that examined cognitive behavioral mentoring programs geared toward adolescent males in Chicago. However, little research has been conducted on the same approach tailored to meet the needs of young females. This research can be used to expand understanding of cognitive behavioral mentoring program models and their potential impact on particular outcomes for adolescent females, including justice system-involvement and social-cognitive skills.
This project is funded through the OJJDP FY 2016 Practitioner-Researcher Partnership in Cognitive Behavioral Mentoring Program, which supported a partnership between a practitioner to develop and implement a mentoring program enhanced with cognitive behavioral mentoring and a researcher to conduct a rigorous impact evaluation.
Goals and Objectives:
Following an intensive planning process, the team is conducting a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the Working on Womanhood program. Specifically, the research team will address the following questions in the study:
The three primary objectives of the study include investigating:
- Can a structured cognitive behavioral mentoring program, designed specifically for young women, produce sustainable reductions in violent and delinquent behavior and victimization and improve other outcomes (e.g., education and health)?
- What is the cost effectiveness of this structured mentoring program in relationship to other crime-control strategies?
Milestones:
The research team has recruited 10 school sites and randomized more than 3,000 students into the study. The team continues to work on exploratory analysis, monitor the fidelity of how the program is being implemented, and plans to analyze the intermediate and long-term impacts of cognitive behavioral mentoring for young women. Once the team has completed all data collection and analyses, OJJDP expects to post a final technical report on the study's findings in 2021.
Contact Information:
Barbara Tatem Kelley, Social Science Analyst
Barbara.Kelley@usdoj.gov | 202-616-9517
Harold Pollack, Principal Investigator
haroldp@chicago.edu | 773-702-4414
Helen Ross, Professor, University of Chicago
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