Service learning is increasingly being used as a pedagogical strategy for promoting the development of civic-mindedness among university students. Despite the use of this strategy, little is known about the benefits derived from specific types of service-learning experiences. Additionally, few notable studies have examined the unique outcomes experienced by mentors of at-risk youth. Therefore, this study examines the civic-related benefits that college students derive from mentoring at-risk youth within a structured, service-learning course. A series of linear regression models were estimated to determine if there were significant post-intervention differences between the treatment and comparison condition for the variables of interest, after adjusting for key background factors and pre-intervention levels of all variables. The results indicated that, in comparison to college students who did not participate in the course (n = 258), college student in Campus Corps, a youth mentoring program, (n = 390) had significantly higher scores at post-intervention regarding mentors' civic attitudes, community service self-efficacy, self-esteem, interpersonal and problem solving skills, political awareness, and civic action. Findings hold important implications for youth mentoring programs and future research.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with health-risk behaviors in general samples of adults and adolescents. The current study examined the association between ACEs and these behaviors among a high-risk sample of early adolescents. Five hundred and fifteen 9-11-year-old children placed in foster care due to maltreatment were interviewed about their engagement in violence, substance use, and delinquency. A multi-informant ACEs score was derived based on exposure to six adverse experiences. Regression analyses examined the relationship between ACEs and risk behaviors and the potential moderating effects of age, sex, and minority status. ACE scores were predictive of risk behaviors after controlling for age, sex, and minority status. Although males and older youth were more likely to engage in risk behaviors, none of the demographic characteristics moderated the ACE-risk behavior association. This study extends previous research by demonstrating an association between ACEs and risk behaviors in extremely vulnerable early adolescents.

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Highlights• Youth environmental risk was negatively associated with mentoring relationship quality.• Youth individual risk was not associated with mentoring relationship quality.• Mentors' program experience was positively related to mentoring relationship quality.• Mentors' program experience buffered the link between environmental risk and relationship quality.Abstract Because program experiences are more amendable than mentor or mentee characteristics, they may be important factors to consider in buffering the negative impact of youth risk on the quality of the mentor-mentee bond. Data from 455 mentees (ages 11-18; 57% male) and their undergraduate student mentors (82.3% female) from the Campus Connections mentoring program were used to assess whether youth risk and mentors' program experiences (i.e., program structure, supportive relationships with staff, opportunities for skill building, support for efficacy and mattering, and opportunities to belong) were associated with mentoring relationship quality and whether mentors' experience within the program moderated the association between youth risk and mentoring relationship quality. Results indicated that environmental, but not individual, risk was negatively associated with relationship quality. Mentors' experiences with the program were positively associated with mentoring relationship quality, and in many cases, above and beyond youth level of risk. Finally, mentors' perception of program structure, supportive relationships, and opportunities for skill building attenuated the negative relationship between environmental, but not individual, risk and relationship quality. Mentors' experiences of program support for efficacy and mattering and opportunities to belong were not significant moderators in any model. Implications for programs and future research directions are presented.

Objective Suicide is a leading cause of death in adolescence. The mechanisms of adolescent suicidality, however, are not fully understood. Although the Interpersonal‐Psychological Theory of Suicide, as assessed by the Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire‐15 (INQ), may be a promising framework, systematic study of its utility during adolescence is lacking. Method To this end, we utilized factor analyses and hierarchical regression analyses to test the factor structure, correlates, and predictive validity of the INQ in a sample of clinically depressed and suicidal adolescents (N = 120, aged 12–18). The sample was mostly female (81.9%), ethnically diverse (68.2% non‐White) and with nearly a third identifying as a sexual minority (31.8%). Results Contrary to studies including adult samples in which a two‐factor solution is identified, results within this sample indicated three factors: perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belongingness, and perceived isolation. Perceived burdensomeness and the interaction between perceived burdensomeness and perceived isolation predicted suicide ideation above and beyond depression, but thwarted belongingness and perceived isolation did not. Conclusion Perceived burdensomeness appears to play a role in adolescent suicidality and may be a point of intervention, yet the notable deviation from previous findings and the relative weakness of two of the factors warrant further study.