Casual sex culture, also known as hook-up culture, is an experience adversely affecting teens in America. The intent of this study was to test the association between sports participation and sexual risk behaviors among high school males. For the purpose of this study, sports participation, the independent variable, was defined by having played on a sports team in the last 12 months. The sexual risk behaviors, dependent variables, were defined by sexual engagement with multiple partners, drug and alcohol use before intercourse, and sex without condoms. The ecological model provided the theoretical foundation for the study. Secondary analysis of the 2015 Youth Risk Behavioral Surveillance System using logistic regression was employed to test if there was an association between sports participation and sexual risk behaviors in 7,749 high school males. Using regression analysis, a significant association was found between sports participation and abstinence status, number of sexual partners, and drug and alcohol use at last sexual intercourse. As the number of sports teams increased, the number of abstinent participants increased, the number of sexual partners decreased, and the number of participants who used drugs and alcohol at last sexual intercourse decreased. However, there was no association between sports participation and condom use at last sexual intercourse. Recommendations for next steps include using sports programs as a vehicle to influence behavior change. This study aimed to promote social change by improving the understanding of how sports programs benefit individuals, families, and communities from reducing sexual risk behaviors in teen males.

Research studies have indicated that Black male collegians have the lowest retention rates in the higher education setting in predominately White institutional (PWI) settings. Several factors, such as spirituality, involvement on campus, and other positive experiences are cited as contributing to a lower retention rate for Black males in the PWI higher education setting; however, research in the PWI religiously affiliated setting has been limited. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the campus engagement experiences of religiously involved Black males who attended religiously affiliated PWIs. Astin's student involvement theory and Astin, Astin, and Lindholm's findings on spiritual development in the higher education setting are used as a conceptual framework. The research questions explored how religiously involved Black males who were at religiously affiliated PWIs during college described their campus engagement experiences, how their religious belief influenced their campus engagement, and how other factors influenced their campus engagement and contributed to their graduation. Interviews with 8 Black male participants were analyzed for codes and themes using Merriam and Tisdell's coding method. The themes that emerged suggested that although participants perceived initial negative experiences, overall, they had positive campus experiences due to involvement experiences. The participants recalled that their religious engagement fostered more participation in religious involvement, developed their spiritual identity, and that family and community fostered engagement. This study may contribute to positive social change by providing administrators of religiously affiliated PWIs with approaches to increase the engagement and retention of Black male students.

Within the last 25 years, Black males have experienced systematically devastating results in social, educational, and economic outcomes at a higher rate than any other racial or ethnic group; devastation that has led to Black males experiencing failure on educational, economic, and freedom levels. The purpose of this study was to identify and examine the leadership strategies used in a selected mentoring program in the southeastern United States to determine why these strategies have been effective in improving Black males' ability to navigate life's challenges. The conceptual framework for the study was House's path-goal theory of leadership. The research questions focused on the identification and characterization of successful leadership strategies in mentoring, the essential characteristics of successful mentor/mentee relationships, and the exploration of the factors critical for the implementation of successful leadership strategies for mentoring Black males. Interviews of purposeful samples of 12 mentors and 10 mentees provided the research data. Data were analyzed using a constant comparative method. In this qualitative case study, understanding the mentee population, honesty, and developing trust were strategies that participating mentors believed to be important to helping Black males navigate life's challenges. These strategies enlightened program participants to their possibility of success; an enlightenment that created an unyielding desire to improve themselves and their communities. The results of this study may contribute to social change by motivating society and scholars alike to move beyond simply identifying the existence and persistence of the problem to implementing strategies based on the study findings to correct the historical inequality Black males face in higher education, economic gains, and freedom retention in America.

African American male students have a high risk of not completing high school and not going to college. Students receive some college preparation as early as middle school, yet it is not enough to increase the number of African American male high school or college graduates. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe what 18-24-year-old African American male college students recalled from middle school and high school about college preparation, college planning, and college attendance. Critical race theory was used to reveal how outside factors such as oppression, racism, or socioeconomic status prevent African American male students from attending college. The research questions sought to understand (a) college preparation experiences in high school, (b) influential decisions they made to attend college, and (c) the characteristics of a successful pathway to college for African American males. Data were collected from 7 participants who answered in-depth questions via in-person or phone interviews, which resulted in 4 major themes. Results showed that African American male students experienced inequalities and barriers during their school years, and they were aware of segregation between schools. Predominately White Schools had better opportunities for students' success; opposed to predominately Black schools, which had less opportunities for student success. Participants described the inequalities they saw or felt regarding the differences in schools, their teachers' behaviors, and perceptions from society. This study has the potential to make a positive social change in society with specific focus on educational institutes. Therefore, if educational institutes at the district and state levels advocate for African American male students, they can become college graduates.

Although more researchers have focused on academic deficits of male African American students, it is also important to understand the social factors that contribute to those who perform at a proficient level. Drawing on social capital theory as forwarded by Coleman and Putnam, this qualitative case study of 3 African American male high school students examined how their parent(s), teacher, mentor, peer or sibling, and pastor or community leader influenced the creation of social capital surrounding the students' academic achievement. Interview protocols and research interview instruments were developed and used to collect data from a total of 16 research participants, including the 3 students. Collection of the data was done through one-on-one, face-to-face interviews that were audio-recorded. The researcher transcribed the data and coded for analysis using intuitively derived categories. The primary finding of this study indicated that social capital positively influenced the 3 students' academic achievement. Themes acknowledged within the data were: (a) relationships, including family and community; (b) culture, including core norms and future goals; and (c) student attributes, which related to students' interests and characteristics as described by themselves. These findings may be relevant for designing education policies and practices for improving the academic performance and outcomes of African American male high school students, providing professional development for teachers to build meaningful relationships with students, improving cultural sensitivity, and creating supportive classrooms. Implications for social change include the need for a strong social support system that engenders high expectations for the students and holds students accountable for their academic success.

In a territorial population of pronghorn from Antelope Island, UT, interaction between male dominance and territory defense was examined. High-ranking males were more likely to defend territories. Closely ranked animals engaged in more dominance interactions than distantly ranked individuals, and middle-ranked animals were involved in disproportionately more interactions than either high- or low-ranking animals. Large males possessed large horns and prongs as well as small cheek patches. Results from a factor analysis suggested that large males defended territories with a high density of sage. However, in this study, we did not observe pronghorn feed on sage during the territorial season. Though male pronghorn practiced resource defense polygyny, large, dominant males did not defend territories with a high density of green vegetation or green forbs. Large males appeared to defend territories with low visibility. In 1996, intruders entered areas that contained females throughout the territorial season. During the next year, highly visible, small territories received the most intrusions. Together, these observations suggest defense of tactical locations. Defending a tactical location may help females avoid harassment and males hide the presence of females. Different populations of pronghorn practice different mating systems. To understand this variation, we examined the behavior patterns/rates of individual territorial and bachelor males. The highest rates of activity and behavior patterns occurred in March/April and in September. Territorial males cheek rubbed at a higher rate than bachelors. Territorial males were more active and SPUD (sniff, paw, urinate, and defecate) marked at a higher rate than bachelor males in 1996. After the formation of a bachelor herd in 1997, bachelor males showed higher rates of male-male interactions than territorial males. Territorial males maintained the same activity and behavioral rates in the presence and absence of females. Dispersion pattern of scent marks was more clumped in the presence of females. These findings suggest cheek rubs function more as a space-claiming behavior while SPUD marking is more strongly associated with male-male interactions. Comparison to male behavior in nonterritorial populations indicates that the behavioral mechanisms are present in all populations to accommodate shifts in social systems.

For years, urban communities and specific ethnic groups within the US (mostly Blacks and Hispanics) have been targeted for racial profiling by our local police. Since the 1990’s, the outcry for justice by our Black and Hispanic communities increased the interests to find ways to address and fight against the act of racial profiling. This phenomenological study used a qualitative approach to collect information and gain the understanding and lived experiences of Black males between the ages of 20 – 49 who experienced racial profiling during routine traffic stops. Twelve Black Males between the ages of 20 to 49 were interviewed for the research study. Everyone was interviewed separately to gather experiences and meanings from their own points of view. In addition, 25 Black males within the same age group participated in a 1 hour focus group discussion. The information gathered from the interviews and focus group sessions were compiled into a Microsoft word transcript and reviewed and analyzed by the researcher to form seven themes. In order to come up with key findings, I isolated similar responses from the experiences shared by the research participants during the interviews and focus group session. In isolating some of the key responses revealed, I dissected racial profiling from a shared experience point of view based on common approaches practiced by law enforcement officers. The research study will contribute to field on conflict resolution through the voices of those who experienced racial profiling, and finding ways to encourage mediation through projecting the underlying concerns or issues to community leaders, government officials, concerned groups, and law enforcement agencies.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.