Understanding the Experiences of Ethnoculturally Diverse Boys

Abstract

While targeting boys early in adolescence with healthy relationships programs in educational settings has shown to be promising in promoting supportive and violence-free relationships, these programs have not meaningfully considered the impact of intersecting identities on program design and delivery. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the lived experiences of boys positioned at specific intersections of gender, race, and ethnicity and how this understanding can inform future healthy relationships program design in educational settings. The findings show that racially and ethnoculturally diverse boys navigate racial and ethnic stereotypes in their schools and communities, impacting the way they navigate relationships. Our recommendations include fully integrating content on diversity (rather than specialized diversity units) and having facilitators with similar lived experiences lead programming in order for healthy relationships programs to connect with and engage with a broader diversity of youth.