Community-based Mentoring Program Research Articles

Safe Spaces and Critical Places: Youth Programming and Community Support

In this article we explore the work of two after-school programs in Toronto, Ontario. Our Youth Success (OYS) is a community-based mentoring program dedicated to lowering the push-out rates of students of Spanish and/or Portuguese-speaking descent. In the Youth Speak Program (YSP), community activists use spoken word poetry and rapping as a vehicle for Black students to express their emotional lives. The data we present come from two separate studies which both used ethnographic approaches, focusing on observation and interviews with participants (Hammersley & Atkinson, 2019). Using Critical Race Theory (CRT), we examine interview data on how the pedagogical relationships developed in these spaces promote the wellbeing of Latinx and Black youth beyond academic outcomes. We argue that these spaces provide insight into the transformative possibilities of critical pedagogies for the wellbeing and healing of communities who have long been marginalized from mainstream institutions.

Ethnic-Racial (Mis)Match between Mentors and Mentees on Perceived Strength of Relationship

Mentoring programs are popular mechanisms for promoting positive youth development due to developmental research suggesting that youth with strong relationships with a special adult have a lower likelihood of a range of negative outcomes. Community-based mentoring programs are mechanisms for promoting access to mental health support and positive youth outcomes. Youth mentorship programs reveal mixed and modest outcomes, yet youth outcomes are more robust for high-quality relationships. Ethnic-racial identity is hypothesized to affect the relationship quality because shared identities are thought to facilitate trust and empower youth to succeed. However, studies have found that ethnic-racial match does not affect the strength of the dyadic relationship. This study attempts to address these disparate findings by explicitly examining ethnic-racial matching and relationship quality at two-time points. We conducted a two-step hierarchical regression to determine whether ethnic-racial match affected mentee reports of the relationship at follow-up. The results show ethnic-racial match did not significantly predict positive dimensions of the relationship at follow-up. Moreover, same-ethnic-racial matches reported a lower rate of change and slightly less relationship dissatisfaction at time 2 compared to cross-ethnic-racial matches. Results contribute to existing literature showing mixed results in ethnic-racial matching in youth mentorship programs.

Associations of youth mentoring with parent emotional well-being and family functioning: Longitudinal findings from a study of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada

This study explores the association between child’s participation in a community-based mentoring program and parents' emotional well-being and perceived family functioning. 553 parents and their children were recruited through 20 Big Brothers Big Sisters Canada agencies. Assessments were completed at the time of program referral and 6-, 12-, 18-, 24-, and 30-month post-baseline. Controlling for parent and child demographic characteristics, child’s behavioral difficulties and physical health problems, and baseline scores of parents’ mental health, family functioning, and social support, growth curve modelling was conducted to compare parents with mentored (n = 352) and non-mentored children (n = 201) in their reports of depression, social anxiety, hostility, and family functioning across the six time points. Findings indicated a greater rate of improvement over time in family functioning of parents with mentored children as compared to parents with non-mentored children. Parents with mentored children reported lower levels of depression, social anxiety, and hostility/aggression than parents with non-mentored children, but the group differences were marginally non-significant at p <.10. Effect sizes (Cohen’s d) were small in magnitude. Sensitivity analyses with growth curve models suggested that the findings were robust for family functioning and parental social anxiety. Findings provide preliminary evidence for the potential of one-on-one mentoring relationships between children and community volunteers that are established through formal programs to benefit the parents and families of participating children.

Prosocial attributes relate to lower recidivism in justice-involved youth: preliminary evidence using a novel measure of prosocial functioning

PurposeThough prosocial attributes are linked to positive outcomes among justice-involved adolescents and are a mainstay of numerous interventions, few measures have been specifically designed to evaluate prosocial functioning within this population. Although multiple instruments measuring aspects of prosocial behavior exist, these instruments were not designed to measure prosocial behaviors among youth in juvenile justice settings. This study aims to provide a preliminary validation of a new measure of prosocial attributes (the Prosocial Status Inventory – PSI), which was designed to comprehensively evaluate in greater depth the prosocial functioning of urban, justice-involved youth.Design/methodology/approachYouth (n = 51) were recruited as part of a larger study and were participants in a community-based mentoring program in a large, urban county in the Southern USA. Youth completed the PSI at baseline prior to their participation in the community-based mentoring program. The authors obtained follow-up data on recidivism from the county juvenile justice department.FindingsPSI scores were positively related to a lower rate of recidivism and a decrease in offending frequency over a 12-month follow-up period.Originality/valueThe current findings complement previous work, suggesting that prosocial attributes are measurable and related to important outcomes among justice-involved youth and support the utility of strengths-based treatment approaches. Moreover, it provides preliminary evidence of the utility of a new self-report measure to assess these traits within a juvenile justice population.

Motivations, program support, and personal growth: Mentors perspectives on the reciprocal benefits of cross-racial mentoring relationships with black youth

Community-based mentoring (CBM) programs are popular interventions for promoting positive youth development outcomes for Black youth, however, many youth mentoring relationships in CBM programs (e.g., Big Brothers Big Sisters) are characterized by cross-racial matches. There is scarce research describing how mentors’ motivations and life experiences influence interactions with their mentee, the program components that supported them as mentors, and the perceived benefits they attribute to participating in cross-racial mentoring relationship. Using a constructivist grounded theory approach, 28 interviews were conducted with current and former mentors from six different Big Brothers Big Sisters community-based mentoring programs across the United States. The findings highlight specific factors that motivate individuals to volunteer their time as a mentor, mentoring program components mentors found helpful throughout the relationship, and the benefits they receive from engaging in a cross-racial mentoring relationship with Black youth.

Social Support During Reentry: Family, Mentor, Religious, Parole Officer, and Social Service Roles

Existing research on social support and reentry primarily focuses on a single dimension of support, such as family or community support. Informed by the social support perspective, this study assessed how combined support from family, mentors, religious groups, parole officers, and social service agencies influences reentry outcomes. Given that the social support one receives during reentry is time-variant rather than static, longitudinal multilevel modeling was employed to examine how temporal changes in social support were associated with temporal changes in recidivism and drug misuse among people on parole. Results indicated that simultaneous support from family, parole officers, and social service agencies exerted protective effects on reentry outcomes. However, community-based mentoring programs had no significant effect on recidivism, and religious and social service support increased substance misuse. Policy implications derived from this research are discussed to address the intersection of various sources of social support.

Effects of the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America Community-Based Mentoring Program on social-emotional, behavioral, and academic outcomes of participating youth: A randomized controlled trial

This research is a randomized controlled trial of effects of the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA) Community-Based Mentoring Program on the social-emotional, behavioral, and academic outcomes of participating youth over a 13-month period. Seven hundred sixty-four youth between 9 and 14 years old were enrolled in the study through two BBBSA agencies that served predominantly urban areas on the West Coast. Each participating youth was randomly assigned either to be immediately eligible for being matched with a mentor (treatment group; n = 379) or to remain on the program waitlist for 13 months (control group; n = 385). Analyses for the present study are based on 654 youth for whom outcome data were able to be obtained at a 13-month follow-up (87.0% of the treatment group and 84.2% of the control group). Outcome measures were completed by youth (depressive symptoms, prosocial behavior, social acceptance, parent–child relationship quality, misconduct, self-perception of academic ability, skipping school, and academic performance) and primary caregivers (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire [SDQ]) at baseline and at the 13-month follow-up. Composite indices reflecting the average of youth- and/or parent-reported outcome measures were also examined. Findings indicated effects of mentoring (i.e., being offered a mentor) that reached statistical significance, all favoring the treatment group, for youth-reported depressive symptoms, parent-reported emotional symptoms, peer problems, conduct problems and the total difficulties score on the SDQ, and the parent-report and combined youth- and parent-report composite indices at the 13-month assessment (Cohen’s d ranging from 0.138 to 0.253).

Growing Through the Cracks: Community-Engaged Education and Countering School Disengagement

In this paper, I lay out the possibilities for community-engaged education as a tool for countering school disengagement with marginalized youth in Toronto. Using interviews and observations with staff, youth, and parents who participate in a community-based tutoring and mentoring program, I explore how the program’s grassroots commitments work to minimize marginalization and the pushout of students within the Latinx and Portuguese communities in Toronto. By building relationships based on trust and responding to the community’s needs, parental engagement, and academic-community partnerships, the program creates a space of community engagement that involves the whole family in changing narratives about both communities and their place within the public education system. I posit that this type of community-engaged education is effective in increasing access to postsecondary education for traditionally marginalized students.

All Things Considered: Examining Mentoring Relationships Between White Mentors and Black Youth in Community-Based Youth Mentoring Programs.

Community-based youth mentoring programs are popular interventions that serve a large number of Black youths throughout the country. Interestingly, the majority of mentors who volunteer their time for mentoring organizations identify as non-Hispanic White. This study examines how White mentors address topics acknowledging ethnic/racial identity and issues centered around social justice and recognize their own privileges when mentoring Black youth in community-based youth mentoring programs. The aims of the current study were to examine: (a) whether and how White volunteer mentors address ethnic/racial identity, racial socialization, and oppression in the mentoring relationship and (b) how White mentors' awareness of their own positionality and privilege impacted how they addressed ethnic/racial identity, racial socialization, and oppression in the mentoring relationship with Black youth. Utilizing a constructivist grounded theory approach, in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 26 current and former mentors from six different Big Brothers Big Sisters community-based mentoring programs across the United States. Findings reveal that some mentors felt uncomfortable discussing issues centered around race and others do not think it is relevant at all. Further, findings demonstrated that mentoring Black youth significantly impacts mentors' perceived awareness of social issues and acknowledgment of privileges they hold. Current findings highlight the need for youth mentoring programs to provide training and resources to help White mentors discuss implications of race and broader social justice issues with the Black youth they mentor.

Duration of Mentoring Relationship Predicts Child Well-Being: Evidence from a Danish Community-Based Mentoring Program.

While a substantial body of literature suggests that lasting community mentoring relationships can have a range of positive effects on youths, little is known about these effects in the Nordic welfare context, where community mentees may have lower risk profiles compared to many previous samples. This study explores how the duration (length) of child mentoring relationships predicts parental perceptions of child well-being among 197 children served by Denmark’s most extensive community-based youth mentoring program. We find that children who have had a mentor for at least one year are perceived to have significantly higher well-being. In contrast, we find no significant differences in well-being between children who had mentors for less than one year and children on a waiting list. Previous research, conducted in primarily North American contexts, finds that longer mentoring relationships substantially improve school behavior and reduce risk taking. Our results add to the literature by indicating that a minimum mentoring relationship duration of one year appears to be similarly important in promoting well-being for youths involved in community-based mentoring programs in a Nordic welfare context.

Photo journals with refugee youth: Methodological reflections of conducting research during the pandemic

The use of visual methods as a research tool has increased worldwide, along with the need to understand the nuanced and contextual benefits, challenges, and risks of their use. Based on participatory approaches, visual methods can offer an adaptable, interactive, and critical way of engaging with refugee young people, making research more accessible and representative. In Montreal, the COVID-19 pandemic forced programs, services and research involving refugee young people to adapt to meet the needs of this population while respecting physical distancing guidelines. Little is known about the strengths and challenges of using visual methods in the context of physical distancing, especially with refugee young people. In this paper, we describe some of the strengths and challenges of using photo journals, a form of visual methods, with refugee young people (11-17 years old) to document their experiences participating in Say Ça!, a Montreal community-based mentoring program, during the pandemic. Six young people participated in photo journals and individual interviews, and 11 volunteers participated in focus group discussions. The journals prompted young people to describe themselves, their favourite moments at Say Ça! and moments when things did not go as planned. In the findings, we describe opportunities and challenges of using photo journals to engage migrant young people in research during the pandemic. Photo journals facilitated building a rapport with young people, overcoming communication challenges, ensuring valid consent throughout the study, and addressing power dynamics between participants and researchers. Challenges included recruitment, confidentiality, and study logistics. In this paper, we present key lessons learned from using photo journals as a method to capture the perspectives of refugee young people. We argue that by including the views of service users, programs may gain a richer understanding of the elements that contribute to refugee young people wellbeing and, ultimately, help improve community-based support for this population in Montreal and other welcome programs.

Availability of Community-Based Mentoring Program for Children and Youth A Case of Karachi-Based Communities

This study aimed to explore the availability of community-based mentoring programs for children and youth within the various communities including Bohri, Ismaili, Memon, Parsi, Christian, and Hindu in Karachi, Pakistan. It also aimed to understand the impact of community and community-based mentoring programs on children and youth’s overall development to analyse the gaps in existing mentoring programs implemented by the communities. Using a qualitative research study approach, the data was gathered using a predesigned interview guide from the individuals who belonged to the chosen communities. The findings of the study revealed a severe lack of recognition and a lack of community-based mentoring programs among the targeted communities of Karachi. Furthermore, it was found that children and young adults were not satisfied with their careers and educational choices due to various external and internal factors and intensely desired guidance. It recommends the communities initiate community-based social, emotional and professional development and mentoring programs for children and youth.

Decreasing Youth Hyperactivity and Inattention Problems Through Mentoring: Evaluation of the Mentor-UP Program

Few studies so far have analysed the potential role of mentoring in decreasing hyperactivity and inattention problems. The aim of the current study is to investigate the impact of the Italian Mentor-UP mentoring program on hyperactivity and inattention problems in a non-clinical sample of mentees. “Mentor-UP” is a weekly school- and community-based mentoring program implemented in northern Italy over a period of 8 months. The sample included 468 students, 65 from the experimental group (mentees) and 403 as comparison group. Participants’ age ranged between 8 and 14 years (M = 11.31, SD = 1.40), 46% were females and 20% were non-Italian youths. Students reported their levels of hyperactivity and inattention problems at the beginning and at the end of the program. A significant interaction between time and group revealed a significant effect of the program on hyperactivity and inattention problems (B = −0.10, t (450) = −2.00, p = 0.04), which decreased in mentees (Cohen’s d = −0.21) but not in the comparison group. Results supported the effectiveness of Mentor-UP in decreasing youths’ hyperactivity and inattention. This might be due to the structural characteristics of the mentoring relationships established in the context of Mentor-UP.

Reasons for Premature Closure of a Mentoring Relationship: A Qualitative Study of Mentoring Youth With a Visual Impairment

Preventing mentor-mentee relationships from ending prematurely is important because an early or unanticipated closure could lead to negative youth outcomes. In this study, the reasons for premature closure of a community-based mentoring program for youth with a visual impairment (VI) are studied. Data from 44 prematurely ended mentor-mentee pairs were analyzed; all mentees ( M age = 18.5, SD = 1.92) and 23 of the mentors had VI. Logbook data with two types of transcribed semi-structured interviews were thematically coded line-by-line. Frequencies of coded responses provided insight into the most frequently reported reasons and the most frequently reported problems. Chi-square analyses were conducted to study differences between matches in the two conditions (i.e., matches containing mentors with or without VI). Regardless of the condition, premature closure was primarily initiated by mentees, and the most common cause was reported to be due to deficiencies in mentors’ relationship skills. Matches with a mentor with VI experienced more problems within one domain of the International Classification of Functioning (ICF) model. These results show that additional pre-match mentor and supplementary mentee training are needed to increase relationship success in mentoring programs serving youth with VI.

Engagement in High-Impact Practices and Its Influence on Community College Transfers’ STEM Degree Attainment

ABSTRACT Guided by the student engagement frameworks, this study sought to identify high-impact practices that show significant relationship with the baccalaureate degree attainment in STEM among vertical transfer students. Our study employed data drawn from the Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002 (or ELS, 2002). The sample includes 681 students who intended to study STEM and began post-secondary education at a two-year public institution before subsequently enrolling in a four-year institution. We first employed descriptive statistics to provide an overall portrait of the sample. Then, a logistic regression model was used to identify factors associated with students’ completion of STEM credential at the bachelor’s level or above. The study findings highlight the importance of some high-impact practices in affecting transfer students’ successful attainment of STEM degree. Specifically, we found that participation in community-based project, mentoring and internship programs, and having culminating senior experience increased the odds that transfer students obtained a STEM degree at the baccalaureate level or above. Based on the results, this study offers meaningful implications for policy, practice, and future research to facilitate the success of transfer students in STEM disciplines.

Connecting Youth: The Role of Mentoring Approach.

While formal youth mentoring can positively influence youth connectedness, little research has studied the specific approaches mentors engage in that support mentee social development. This study examines how mentors' specific approaches are uniquely associated with youth connection outcomes in formal community-based mentoring. Participants were 766 youth, ranging in age from 11 to 14 (M = 12.29), 56.7% female, and racially/ethnically diverse (41.0% Black/African American, 21.4% Hispanic/Latinx, 20.0% White, 10.2% Multiracial/Multiethnic, 5.9% Native American, 1.2% other race, and 0.4% Asian/Pacific Islander). Person-centered analyses revealed three mentoring profiles which were differentially associated with youth outcomes: "Status Quo Mentors," who reported low-to-moderate levels of closeness within the mentor-mentee dyad, low levels of connecting their mentees with programs and people in their community, and low levels of mediating for their mentees; "Close Connectors," who reported moderate-to-high levels of closeness, moderate-to-high levels of connecting, and low levels of mediating; and "Connector-Mediators," who reported moderate levels of closeness, connecting, and mediating. Youth mentored by "Close Connectors" demonstrated the greatest benefit, with significant improvements in parent-child relationship quality, extracurricular activity involvement, and help-seeking. Results suggest that community-based mentoring programs that emphasize connecting youth within their communities may be more effective in enhancing youth support networks.

Самоконтроль и криминальные наклонности: лонгитюдное исследование мер общественного воздействия, направленных на повышение самоконтроля

The rationale inspiring treatment for anti-social behavior is rooted in a sociogenic understanding of behavior. Community based mentoring programs begin with this assumption. This study addresses the theoretical debate between psychogenic and sociogenic arguments of anti-social behavior. The psychogenic arguments defining self-control found in the general theory of crime get compared to the sociogenic assumptions of social control theory. This paper frames self- and social control as two sides of the same social psychological coin, suggesting that key value-identities represent the core of self-control. A year of panel data were gathered from 173 children participating in a community-based mentoring program. Of key interest, this study provides an analysis of children facing acute risk for anti-social outcomes, including a group of children impacted by parental incarceration. Results find that self-control varies along different trajectories for different children across a year of social intervention, questioning the relative stability assumption in self-control theory. Children unimpacted by parental incarceration experience increases in self-control across a year of mentoring while children impacted by parental incarceration experience declines in self-control. Results suggest that social intervention programs serving children at-risk for intergenerational crime need to take a cue from clinical treatment models targeting criminogenic needs.

The Effectiveness of a Community-Based Mentoring Program for Children Aged 5\u201311\xa0Years: Results from a Randomized Controlled Trial

The study, a two-arm, randomized controlled, parallel group, superiority trial, aimed to evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of a 12-month one-to-one volunteer mentoring program designed to improve behavioral and emotional outcomes in children aged 5 to 11 years who have teacher- and parent/carer-reported behavioral difficulties. Participants were 246 children (123 intervention, 123 control; mean age 8.4 years; 87% boys) in five sites in London, UK, scoring in the “abnormal” range on the teacher-rated Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) Total Difficulties measure and in the “borderline” or abnormal range on the parent-rated SDQ Total Difficulties measure. Randomization on a 1:1 ratio took place using a computer-generated sequence and stratifying by site. Data collectors and statisticians were blind to participant allocation status. Outcome measures focused on parent- and teacher-rated child behavior and emotions, and child-rated self-perception and hope. Intention-to-treat analysis on all 246 randomized participants (using imputed data where necessary) showed that at post-intervention (16 months after randomization), there were no statistically significant effects on the primary outcome—parent-rated SDQ Total Difficulties (adjusted standardized mean difference = − 0.12; 95% CI: −0.38 to 0.13; p = 0.33)—or any secondary outcomes. Results from complier average causal effect (CACE) analysis using the primary outcome indicated the intervention was not effective for children who received the recommended duration of mentoring. Exploratory analyses found no sub-group effects on the primary outcome. The article concludes that the mentoring program had no effect on children’s behavior or emotional well-being, and that program content needs revising to satisfactorily address key risk and protective factors.

Mentors' experiences of mentoring justice-involved adolescents: A narrative of developing cultural consciousness through connection.

Mentoring provides a relational intervention that can promote positive youth development among adolescents who are involved in the juvenile justice system. The perspectives of mentors engaging these youth, particularly insights considered through a cultural humility lens, have been largely absent from the literature to date. This study examined predominately White, middle- to upper-class adult mentors' experiences mentoring racially diverse, working-class youth. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were completed with 23 mentors participating in a community-based mentoring program. Themes were derived from inductive content analysis. Emergent themes illustrative of the mentoring process included (a) establishing a connection despite differences, (b) identifying mentees' personal and environmental challenges, and (c) raising consciousness around structural issues. Despite coming from different backgrounds and experiences, mentors who worked with justice-involved adolescents were motivated to connect with their mentees. Mentors developed a greater awareness of structural challenges influencing adolescents by learning about the multifaceted experiences and needs of their mentees.

Evaluation of a community-based mentoring program on psychosocial functioning of adolescents with a visual impairment: A randomized controlled trial

This study evaluated the efficacy of a mentoring program on improving psychosocial functioning of young people with a visual impairment (VI). Furthermore, the impact of experimentally matching mentees to mentors with or without VI on youth outcomes was examined. A total of 76 adolescents with VI (15–22 year; 46% boys) were randomized into a yearlong mentoring program ( n = 51) or care-as-usual ( n = 25). Mentoring involved one-on-one activities within community settings. Psychosocial functioning was improved in all participants during the study ( d = 0.35–1.06); however, mentoring outperformed care-as-usual only for autonomy (95% CI: 0.003, 0.31; d = 0.44) and competence satisfaction (95% CI: 0.02, 0.34; d = 0.55), and not for the other six psychosocial outcomes ( d &lt; 0.36). Matching similarity was not significantly related to the outcomes assessed. Mentoring was of limited benefit for psychosocial functioning of youth with VI. This trial is registered in the Netherlands Trial Register NTR4768.