New study confirms benefits of mentoring

     A new study conducted by a nationally-recognized researcher of youth mentoring programs has confirmed that mentoring not only improves outcomes for young people, but they can also improve these outcomes at the same time.  The specific outcomes that showed improvement were in the areas of academic achievement, behavior and social/emotional health.

     This study was lead by David DuBois, Ph.D., who is a member of the Research and Policy Council for the National Mentoring Partnership as well as a professor of community health services at the University of Illinois at Chicago.  DuBois and his colleagues used more than 70 evaluations of mentoring programs from the past decade for their analysis.

     In addition to the improvements mentioned above, the study also found that establishing an effective mentoring relationship can happen for young people of any age.  In the report, DuBois notes that these findings “speak to the universal importance of caring relationships for us as social animals, whatever our age.” He also stated, “Mentoring is a strategic intervention that gives communities a way to multiply their support for young people.”

     The following are a few of the highlights from this study:

- Mentoring programs over the past decade have been most effective with young people who have pre-existing difficulties or are exposed to higher levels of environmental risk.  However, the study noted that most mentoring programs likely are not well-positioned to handle the demands of young people with severe problems.

- Programs matching mentors and mentees according to their interests have yielded greater benefits for participating youth.

- Mentees have benefited more in programs that are structured to have mentors offer guidance and act as advocates for their mentees. However, the authors of the report cautioned that it is important for programs to find ways for mentors to take on these roles without crossing boundaries and becoming over-involved in the youth's life.

- And finally, they found that more research is needed to determine how well mentoring benefits hold up over time.

     Dr. Larry Wright, who is the president and CEO of the National Mentoring Partnership, said this type of research continues to let us know what works in helping children achieve their potential, which is the ultimate goal for youth mentoring programs across the country.

     This is great news, because it gives scientific credibility to what we in the youth mentoring field are striving for—to have a positive impact on the life of a child.  While mentors may not always be able to see these results firsthand, I hope that you mentors take some comfort in knowing that what you’re doing can and does make a difference.