Project Summary

This project conducted a preliminary evaluation of the peer-mentoring group program at Boston College, Freshmen League. Approximately 300 freshmen undergraduate men join groups with seven other first-year men and two peer mentors (juniors and seniors) and meet weekly during spring semester. Mentors lead discussions based on weekly themes such as authenticity, friendship, masculinity, faith and spirituality, social culture and alcohol, and hookup culture. 16 first-year men who participated in Freshmen League as well as a comparison group of 10 men who did not participate were interviewed about authenticity, relationships, masculinity, and community.

Approach

Consensual Qualitative Research

Key Findings

Results from the interviews indicated similarities as well as meaningful differences between the reflections of program participants and the comparison group. The commonalities lend insight into shared developmental processes in the adjustment to college (e.g., authenticity, personal challenges and stress, making friends). Freshmen League participants reflected more on vulnerability and connecting on a deeper level with other college men than the comparison group. They were also more likely to reflect on changing social norms, as well as justice and inclusion. Lastly, they were more likely to identify the importance of upperclassmen mentors, speaking of how their peer mentors made men’s groups engaging and served as role models (e.g., validity of emotional vulnerability).

This study expands research on promoting men’s health and broader campus health as interwoven with the gendered nature of men’s lives, specifically by supporting a relationship-focused model of peer-led men’s mentoring groups. Furthermore, given how critical men’s participation is to addressing social problems on campus (e.g., binge-drinking, homophobia, sexual and physical violence, marginalization), this study highlights the importance of involving groups of men to help change campus culture.