growing boys - implementing a boys’ empowerment group in an afterschool program

Oct 15, 2026

A case study examines an afterschool boys’ empowerment group for middle school students, focusing on how the program supports the development of healthier male identities and safer decision-making. The study follows five observations and interviews with youth and staff, analyzing field notes and transcripts. Findings describe how group discussions, cooperative activities, and guided leadership help participants reflect on school relationships, authority, and personal integrity, while reducing risky responses to conflict.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages3

Reading Time8 min

AccessFree to download

Setting and Methods

Changing Participants’ Mindsets

NEW FROM NIOST growing boys implementing a boys’ empowerment group in an afterschool program by Georgia Hall and Linda Charmaraman The process of establishing a healthy male identity can be difficult for many boys. The limited definitions of masculinity available to boys and men are generally characterized by competition, repression of fear and emotion, and physical and emotional strength. Boys of color and those of lower economic status tend to encounter even fewer healthy alternatives for defining their maleness than do their white and better-off counterparts (Mid-Atlantic Equity Consortium, 2010) . In Real Boys, William Pollack (1998) says that our schools are failing to meet the needs of male students by paying too little attention to boys’ issues and the challenges boys face in school. Adolescent boys whose communities are characterized by violence can be particularly vulnerable to aggressive and risky behaviors. According to Latzman and Swisher (2005),“Community violence destroys the notion that homes, schools and communities are safe places, and youths exposed to community violence have higher rates of emotional, behavioral, and cognitive problems”(p. 357) . Boys who need support in choosing positive and healthy pathways could benefit from an intervention that gives them space and time to share information, to work and play cooperatively, and to grow healthy identities. While inclusive grouping is an important part of building community in a youth development program, common- interest groups such as girls’ or boys’ empowerment groups can help members grow and support one another. We conducted a case study of one such group, an afterschool empowerment group for middle school boys. Using elements of ethnographic study, we examined participants’ reactions to the work they did together in the empowerment group and explored the characteristics that made the group leaders effective in facilitating that work. Our goal was to discover how a boys’ empowerment group could help participants avoid risky behaviors such as joining a gang or engaging in interpersonal violence, while instead making healthier choices that could lead to positive growth. Setting and Methods During the 2009–2010 school year, we documented the experiences and interactions of a boys’ empowerment group in an afterschool program located in a middle school in a large Northeastern city. This group began as GeORGiA HALL, Ph. D., and LiNDA CHARMARAMAN, Ph. D., are research scientists at the National Institute on Out-of-School Time, Wellesley Centers for Women, Wellesley College. Yi Zhang, NIOST research intern for 2009–2010, also made contributions to this study. Funding was provided by the Anne E. Borghesani Community Foundation. part of an in-school healthy behaviors initiative sponsored by the city school district and later became part of an existing afterschool program in the same school building. At the time of our study, the empowerment group had been in existence for three years. It included about 15 boys ages 12–15 who, like the school population as a whole, were mostly African American. Facilitated by two young men whose positions were funded by the school district initiative, the group met weekly, providing group learning experiences, team-building activities, and special outings. Former members who had graduated were encouraged to return in order to mentor current members and to build on their relationships with the facilitators. Between November 2009 and May 2010, we conducted five observations of group meetings and events, taking field notes that we later analyzed for emerging themes. We also interviewed two youth members and both staff members as well as conducted two focus groups with participants. We analyzed the transcripts of these meetings as we did the field notes. We obtained consent from both the youth and their parents for their participation, and we rewarded youth for their participation with a gift card to a local

FAQs

What problem does the empowerment group aim to address?

It addresses difficulties many boys face in developing healthy male identities and making safer choices at school and in the community.

How was the study conducted?

Researchers documented the group during the 2009–2010 school year using five observations, field notes, interviews, and focus groups, then analyzed transcripts and notes for emerging themes.

What kinds of impacts did boys report from participating?

Boys described improved ways of thinking about their reputation and behavior, better handling of negative interactions, and stronger respect for authority figures and personal integrity.

Oct 15, 2026

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