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## Other Youth Topics

## Breadcrumb

            -  Youth Topics 
            -  Mentoring 
            -           Characteristics of Mentoring Relationships      

# Characteristics of Mentoring Relationships

Because of the individualized level of the mentor-mentee relationship, two youth participating in the same program may have drastically different experiences (Deutsch & Spencer, 2009). While individual relationships differ depending on the needs of the mentee, research has identified key characteristics of successful mentoring relationships including
                      - enduring relationships between mentor and mentee;
                      - consistent, reliable contact between mentor and mentee;
                      - strong emotional connections and feelings of closeness between mentor and mentee;
                      - a developmental, or youth-driven, approach to mentoring; and
                      - mentors who are genuine, understanding, affectionate, and supportive, and who challenge their mentees (Deutsch & Spencer, 2009).

**Time Commitment**

The time commitment of mentors and mentees varies along with the frequency and type of interaction. For instance, some mentoring relationships are designed for interaction to take place once or twice weekly, with telephone calls or online interaction in between meetings. Other mentoring relationships take place on occasion on an “as needed” basis. While the time commitment may vary, research suggests that long-term relationships are more beneficial than short-term mentoring relationships. In fact, relationships that end prematurely may be detrimental to the mentee (Deutsch & Spencer, 2009). For example, Grossman and Rhodes (2002) found that mentoring relationships lasting at least 12 months produced more positive benefits for youth than those lasting less than 12 months.

**Schedule**

Meetings between mentors and mentees can be scheduled in different ways. Many mentoring programs have set schedules for mentor and mentee meetings; however, some allow flexibility so that mentors and mentees can identify dates and times that work well for their schedules. Regardless of the flexibility of the schedule, research has found greater benefits for relationships where there is frequent, consistent, and reliable contact between mentor and mentee, especially for youth who have not had reliable adult figures in their lives. These relationships help foster trust and ensure more active involvement (Deutsch & Spencer, 2009).

**Activities**

Though mentoring relationships vary greatly, they can be a win-win situation for mentors and mentees alike. They require both parties to be actively engaged and take responsibility for making progress. Research indicates greater benefits, including increased satisfaction and closeness, when the mentor focuses on developmentally appropriate and youth-driven approaches and practices rather than a prescriptive approach. Mentors establish developmentally appropriate and youth-driven approaches by focusing on creating a strong connection with the mentee, learning about him or her, and understanding the youth’s interests. In a prescriptive approach, the mentor focuses on his or her personal goals for the youth which may not be realistic or developmentally appropriate for his or her mentee (Deutsch & Spencer, 2009). In addition to using developmentally appropriate approaches, research indicates that when mentors engage in social activities with youth, youth feel closer and more satisfied with the mentoring relationship (Deutsch & Spencer, 2009). While mentoring relationships can include a wide range of activities, some examples of activities typically undertaken in mentoring relationships include the following:
                        - Spending time learning about each other and building a personal relationship
                        - Talking about interests, family, and other topics that support relationship building
                        - Sharing life experiences, including successes and challenges experienced along the way
                        - Discussing the mentee's personal vision
                        - Discussing the mentee’s strengths and how to enhance his or her growth
                        - Identifying objectives for the mentoring relationship, preferably areas of focus related to shared interests as well as the mentee’s growth
                        - Conducting informal networking in which the mentee has opportunities to meet others who can contribute to his or her growth or serve as an inspiration to the mentee
                        - Reviewing and discussing the mentee’s resume
                        - Reviewing and discussing letters, proposals, or other documents written by the mentee
                        - Discussing cultural values that impact both mentor and mentee’s everyday experiences, including specific examples of how they play out
                        - Discussing "unwritten rules" for success
                        - Discussing career interests
                        - Sharing/lending books, tapes, CDs
                        - Discussing role models that have been influential in their lives
                        - Discussing concerns and worries at school, work, or at home, and ways to address those concerns (National Institutes of Health, n.d.)

Learn more about activities that can help youth (including those with disabilities) reach developmental milestones in school, prepare for careers, engage in youth development and leadership, and develop social-emotional skills.

**Family Involvement**

Some mentoring relationships involve not only a relationship between a mentor and mentee but also a relationship between the mentor and the mentee’s family or key people in his or her social network. DuBois, Holloway, Valentine, and Cooper (2002) found relationships between mentors and mentees were enhanced by relationships between mentors and the mentees’ parents; Hirsh (2005) found similar effects for relationships between mentors and the mentees’ peers. In addition, mentoring has been shown to improve relationships between youth and their families, peers, and other adults (Tierney, Grossman, & Resch, 1995)

## References

Deutsch, N. L., & Spencer, R. (2009). Capturing the magic: Assessing the quality of youth mentoring relationships. *New Directions for Youth Development, 121*, 47-70.

DuBois, D. L., Holloway, B. E., Valentine, J. C., & Cooper, H. (2002). Effectiveness of mentoring programs for youth: A meta analytic review. *American Journal of Community Psychology, 30*, 157-197.

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

Hirsch, B. J. (2005). *A place to call home: After-school programs for urban youth.*Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, and New York: Teachers College Press.

National Institutes of Health. (n.d.). *Things to do together, Mentor-mentee meetings.* NIH-HHS Mentoring Program. Retrieved from http://trainingcenter.nih.gov/PDF/mentoring/Things_to_do_together.pdf

Tierney, J. P., Grossman, J. B., & Resch, N. L. (1995). *Making a difference. An impact study of Big Brothers Big Sisters.*Philadelphia: Public/Private Ventures.

## 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 

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                          - 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

## Youth Briefs

How Individualized Education Program (IEP) Transition Planning Makes a Difference for Youth with Disabilities
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

How Trained Service Professionals and Self-Advocacy Makes a Difference for Youth with Mental Health, Substance Abuse, or Co-occurring Issues
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
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- 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