The Test of Time: Predictors and Effects of Duration in Youth Mentoring Relationships

Abstract

The effects and predictors of duration in youth mentor relationships were examined. The study included 1,138 young, urban adolescents (Mean age 12.25), all of whom applied to Big Brothers Big Sisters programs. The adolescents were randomly assigned to either the treatment or control group, and administered questions at baseline and 18 months later Adolescents in relationships that lasted a year or longer reported the largest number of improvements, with progressively fewer effects emerging among youth who were in relationships that terminated earlier. Adolescents who were in relationships that terminated within a very short period of time reported decrements in several indicators of functioning. Older adolescents, as well as those who had been referred for services or had sustained emotional, sexual or physical abuse, were most likely to be in early terminating relationships, as were married volunteers aged 26-30 and those with lower incomes. Several dyadic factors were also found to be related to earlier terminations, including race, gender, and relationship quality.

From Swan to Ugly Duckling? Mentoring Dynamics and Preservice Teachers’ Readiness to Teach

“…Anna's feeling more like a teacher at the end of the first placement, developing confidence and a sense of authority suggested a successful mentoring relationship. However, the relationships that are not close have little effect (DuBois & Neville, 1997;Grossman & Rhodes, 2002). This was observed in Anna where she felt she did not improve much and her confidence declined as she experienced a "distant" relationship with her second mentor.…”

Health Sciences (HSS) Buddy Program: Evaluation of its First Year

“…In similar youth mentoring programs, it has been shown that greater benefits are gained from programs that last a year or longer (Grossman & Rhodes, 2002). This weakness was unavoidable in the program's inaugural year given the one-time administrative issues that delayed the launch of the program until well into the second semester.…”

“…In addition, the more frequent the mentor and participant interaction, the greater the perceived benefit of the relationship (DuBois et al, 2002); similarly, the longer the duration of the relationship, the greater the perceived benefit (Grossman & Rhodes, 2002). Conversely, poorly designed and implemented programs may have a negative effect on participant well-being and anxiety levels (DuBois et al, 2002).…”

The CROPS Curriculum Experiment: Evaluating the Farm Safety Knowledge Gained Among Secondary Appalachia Youth

“…Teacherstudent relationships offer the chance to see one another as individuals, with growth in respect and trust (Frymier & Houser, 2000). Teachers have the potential to serve students in the capacity as a positive mentor (Bergin & Bergin, 2011) and students need mentors that provide emotional support and positive feedback through modeling (Grossman & Rhodes, 2002). Thus, when children become more knowledgeable about injury prevention, they are better equipped to share that knowledge with the trusted adult, namely, their parents (Reed et al, 2008).…”