Big Brothers: impact on Little Brothers' self-concepts and behaviors

The impact a Big Brother has on a Little Brother's self-concept and behavior was examined for 45 boys ages 7 to 15. The Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America is a United Way agency dedicated to supplying children from single-parent homes with an adult volunteer of the same sex. The adult serves as a friend and role model for the child. Boys who were matched (n = 23) with a Big Brother were compared to boys who were unmatched (n = 22) but were on a waiting list to receive a Big Brother. All boys completed a self-concept measure, and their mothers completed a checklist regarding the behavior of her child. Results indicated that boys who had a Big Brother reported significantly higher self-concepts than did those who were unmatched. Scores on the behavioral instrument did not yield significant differences between groups. Implications of the findings and suggestions for future research are discussed.