Effects of an Intergenerational Program on the Attitudes of Emotionally Disturbed Youth Toward the Elderly

Through intergenerational contact, studies show that youth and older adults can enjoy many mutual benefits. Little research is available, however, on the effects such programs have on the attitudes of emotionally disturbed youth toward the elderly. This article examines the effects of an intergenerational program on the attitudes of emotionally disturbed youth toward the elderly. The program involved 36 older individuals from three sites in the community and nine adolescent boys from a residential treatment center for troubled youth. The program included a classroom curriculum and corresponding visits with older people at the community sites. The students' attitudes about older people were measured at the onset and at the conclusion of the intergenerational program. The results indicate that the youths' attitudes toward older people were less positive after the intergenerational experience. However, their evaluations of the program were extremely favorable. These results suggest that overall the youth involved in the program had very positive attitudes about the experience and the older people they interacted with during the intergenerational experience. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.