Extended Family Members and Unrelated Adults in the Lives of Young Adolescents

Abstract

The presence of caring adults in the extended family and unrelated adults, such as neighbors, teachers, youth workers, and clergy, is thought to make a positive contribution to young adolescent development. Many reports mention the importance of those relationships, but there is a sparse empirical literature describing their nature and role in young adolescents' lives. The available literature is reviewed here with respect to (a) identifying the nonparental adults who positively affect adolescents; (b) characterizing the kinds and frequency of contact between adolescents and nonparental adults; and (c) articulating the functions that the relationship serves and specifying the personal characteristics of the nonparental adult. Specifically addressed in this article are the ways in which age and grade, gender ethnicity, and socioeconomic status of the adolescent, and the characteristics of the community, affect adolescents' relationships with nonparental adults.