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## Other Youth Topics

## Breadcrumb

            -  Youth Topics 
            -  Mentoring 
            -           Challenges and Lessons Learned from Mentoring      

# Challenges and Lessons Learned from Mentoring

Research suggests that many formal mentoring relationships last less than a few months (Rhodes, 2002), and for the most at-risk youth, that time is even less (Grossman & Rhodes, 2002). Mentoring can be a positive experience for both mentors and mentees, but it can also be challenging; often those challenges lead to the early dissolution of mentoring relationships.

A 2005 survey (MENTOR, 2006) found that adults who mentored youth reported the following challenges:
                      - Fourteen percent reported that the mentor expected more from the relationship.
                      - Eleven percent reported that the mentee expected too much from the relationship.
                      - Eleven percent reported that the mentor and mentee could not build a positive relationship.
                      - Seven percent reported a poor match between mentor and mentee.
                      - Seven percent reported that the boundaries of the relationship were not clear.
                      - Seven percent reported a lack of staff support.
                      - Four percent reported ethical issues.
                      - Six percent reported disagreements with program staff regarding program rules.
                      - Three percent reported that the mentee was resistant.
                      - Four percent reported that there were problems with the parents and family.

To address the challenges they faced during mentoring, mentors responded that their experiences could have been improved and challenges overcome in a number of ways including
                      - spending more time with the young person (41 percent),
                      - having more materials/resources available (35 percent),
                      - being better informed/more knowledgeable (31 percent), and
                      - receiving better training (30 percent) (MENTOR, 2006).

Providing clear expectations to mentors and describing both the challenges and rewards that are inherent in mentoring relationships can help to sustain involvement. In interviews with mentors, Spencer (2007) found that unfulfilled expectations were contributing factors mentioned for matches ending early. Additional factors that Spencer found led to ending mentoring relationships early included inadequate agency support and deficient relationship skills from mentors. Additional training and support could help to ensure that mentors have the knowledge and resources to overcome the challenge they face.

While it is possible to carefully select mentors, provide support and training, and provide clear expectations, unavoidable situations and life circumstances may occur which challenge the mentor-mentee relationship. Providing clear information from the start about ending relationships appropriately can help to mitigate negative effects and limit abandonment of relationships when they become difficult (Spencer, 2007).

## References

Grossman, J. B., & Rhodes, J. E. (2002). The test of time: Predictors and effects of duration in youth mentoring programs. *American Journal of Community Psychology,**30,* 199-219.

MENTOR. (2006). *Mentoring in America 2005: A snapshot of the current state of mentoring.* Retrieved from http://www.mentoring.org/downloads/mentoring_333.pdf (PDF, 20 pages)

Rhodes, J. E. (2002). *Stand by me: The risks and rewards of mentoring today's youth*. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Spencer, R. (2007). “It’s not what I expected”: A qualitative study of youth mentoring relationship failures. *Journal of Adolescent Research,**22,*331-354.

Spencer, R. (2007). Why youth mentoring relationships end. *Research in Action*, *5.* Retrieved from http://www.mentoring.org/downloads/mentoring_386.pdf (PDF, 20 pages)

## Other Resources on this Topic

### Announcements 

                          - 2014 National Mentoring Summit
                          - Building Staff Co-Regulation to Support Healthy Relationships in Youth: A Guide for Practitioners
                          - Department of Justice Awards More Than $136 Million to Support Youth and Reform the Juvenile Justice System
                          - Measuring Co-Regulation: A Draft Tool for Observing Educators in Youth-Serving Programs
                          - National Adoption Month 2022
                          - Nationwide Pre-Apprenticeship Initiative
                          - Report: Building Co-Regulation Capacity to Support Positive Development for Youth with Foster Care Experience
                          - Report: Mentoring in Juvenile Treatment Drug Courts
                          - Report: Promoting Healthy Futures: Afterschool Provides the Supports Parents Want for Children’s Well-Being
                          - Resource: $63 Million to Expand Community Schools and Increase Social, Emotional, Mental Health, and Academic Support for Students, Educators, and Families
                          - Resource: Building Educator Pipelines Through Service 
                          - Resource: Co-Regulation in Practice Series -- Strategies for Practitioners Who Serve Youth Aged 14-24
                          - Resource: Co-regulation: What It Is and Why it Matters Video
                          - Resource: Financial Aid Toolkit for Counselors
                          - Resource: How to Help Children and Teens Manage Their Stress
                          - Resource: John H. Chafee Foster Care for Successful Transition to Adulthood Program Resource List
                          - Resource: Mentoring as a Component of Reentry
                          - Resource: Mentoring for Enhancing Career Interests and Exploration
                          - Resource: Mentoring for Enhancing School Attendance, Academic Performance, and Educational Attainment
                          - Resource: Mentoring for Preventing and Reducing Substance Use and Associated Risks among Youth
                          - Resource: National Partnership for Student Success (NPSS) Aligned Programs in all 50 States
                          - Resource: NCFY
                          - Resource: Practitioner’s Toolbox
                          - Resource: Resilience, Opportunity, Safety, Education, Strength (ROSES) Program
                          - Resource: School Resource Officers, 2019–2020
                          - Resource: The Mentoring Toolkit 2.0: Resources for Developing Programs for Incarcerated Youth
                          - Resource: The National Partnership for Student Success
                          - Resource: Toolkit for Implementing Authentic Youth Engagement Strategies Within State Advisory Groups
                          - Resource: Tools for Mentoring Organizations to Strengthen Match Support and Closure
                          - Resource: We Meet Them Where They Are: The Importance of Mentoring as a Component of Youth Gang Violence Intervention
                          - Resource: Youth Advisory Councils
                          - Resources for Professionals and Others Supporting Young People During Times of Uncertainty
                          - Review: Mentoring for Children of Incarcerated Parents
                          - Share with Youth: Next Legends
                          - Webinar Series: Building Your Program: Empowering Grassroots Mentoring
                          - Youth Voices Have Moved to YE4C

### Feature Articles 

                          - A Match Made in Pittsburgh Cultivates a Young Girl's Strengths
                          - Engineering students mentor at middle school with STARBASE
                          - Girls Mentoring and Education Service
                          - Healthy Youth Development through Self-Regulation and Co-Regulation
                          - Just Launched! Redesigned YE4C
                          - Secretary Duncan Hosts First Meeting with National Council of Young Leaders
                          - Youth Speakers Share Their Hopes for the Future

### Programs 

                          - National Guard Youth Challenge Program
                          - Neighborhood Networks
                          - Reintegration of ExOffenders Program
                          - Seniorcorps - Foster Grandparent Program
                          - YouthBuild

### Publications 

                          - Adventures in Parenting
                          - Juvenile Mentoring Program: 1998 Report to Congress
                          - Juvenile Mentoring Program: A Progress Review
                          - Make a Friend-Be a Peer Mentor
                          - Mentoring Resources
                          - Mentoring-A Proven Delinquency Prevention Strategy
                          - My Brother’s Keeper Task Force Report to the President

### Resources 

                          - Report: Mentoring in Juvenile Treatment Drug Courts
                          - Report: My Brother’s Keeper 2016 Progress: Two Years of Expanding Opportunity and Creating Pathways to Success
                          - Resource: Mentoring as a Component of Reentry
                          - Resource: The Mentoring Toolkit 2.0: Resources for Developing Programs for Incarcerated Youth
                          - Resource: Tools for Mentoring Organizations to Strengthen Match Support and Closure
                          - The My Brother's Keeper Initiative

### Technical Assistance 

                          - AmeriCorps Resource Center

### Tools & Guides 

                          - 3 Bold Steps for School Community Change
                          - AmeriCorps: National Mentoring Month
                          - Best Practices Guide on Mentoring Youth with Disabilities
                          - Tip Sheet for Mentors: Supporting Children Who Have an Incarcerated Parent

### Videos & Podcasts 

                          - Become a Mentor - Etienne & Don'Trae 30 Second PSA 2014
                          - Watch: Youth Describe Their Most Meaningful Relationships

### Websites 

                          - National Mentoring Resource Center
                          - Resource: Mentor.gov
                          - The Mentoring Effect

### Youth Topics 

                          - Mentoring

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Youth who receive special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA 2004) and especially young adults of transition age, should be involved in planning for life after high school as early as possible and no later than age 16. Transition services should stem from the individual youth’s needs and strengths, ensuring that planning takes into account his or her interests, preferences, and desires for the future.

Youth Transitioning to Adulthood: How Holding Early Leadership Positions Can Make a Difference
Research links early leadership with increased self-efficacy and suggests that leadership can help youth to develop decision making and interpersonal skills that support successes in the workforce and adulthood. In addition, young leaders tend to be more involved in their communities, and have lower dropout rates than their peers. Youth leaders also show considerable benefits for their communities, providing valuable insight into the needs and interests of young people

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Statistics reflecting the number of youth suffering from mental health, substance abuse, and co-occurring disorders highlight the necessity for schools, families, support staff, and communities to work together to develop targeted, coordinated, and comprehensive transition plans for young people with a history of mental health needs and/or substance abuse.

Young Adults Formerly in Foster Care: Challenges and Solutions
Nearly 30,000 youth aged out of foster care in Fiscal Year 2009, which represents nine percent of the young people involved in the foster care system that year. This transition can be challenging for youth, especially youth who have grown up in the child welfare system.

Coordinating Systems to Support Transition Age Youth with Mental Health Needs
Research has demonstrated that as many as one in five children/youth have a diagnosable mental health disorder. Read about how coordination between public service agencies can improve treatment for these youth.

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Civic engagement has the potential to empower young adults, increase their self-determination, and give them the skills and self-confidence they need to enter the workforce. Read about one youth’s experience in AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC).

## Main navigation

- Mentoring
- Practice
- Adult Mentor Characteristics
- Relationship Types
- Relationship Characteristics
- Benefits for Young People
- Challenges & Lessons Learned
- Successful Relationships & Programs
- Starting a Program
- Federal Support
- References

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## Latest Resources

### Announcements

Resource: National Partnership for Student Success (NPSS) Aligned Programs in all 50 States

Webinar Series: Building Your Program: Empowering Grassroots Mentoring

Resource: School Resource Officers, 2019–2020

### Feature Articles

Healthy Youth Development through Self-Regulation and Co-Regulation

Just Launched! Redesigned YE4C

A Match Made in Pittsburgh Cultivates a Young Girl's Strengths

### Publications

Mentoring Resources

My Brother’s Keeper Task Force Report to the President

Mentoring-A Proven Delinquency Prevention Strategy

### Resources

Resource: Tools for Mentoring Organizations to Strengthen Match Support and Closure

Resource: The Mentoring Toolkit 2.0: Resources for Developing Programs for Incarcerated Youth

Resource: Mentoring as a Component of Reentry

### Youth Topics

Mentoring