Mentoring Can Make a Difference for Youth Mentoring Matters Mentors are responsible adults who provide young people with support, advice, friendship, positive reinforcement, and constructive examples.
Several studies show that mentoring helps prevent youth from using drugs and alcohol.
Understanding Mentoring Mentors are people who care, people who listen, and people who want to help youth realize their own strengths. Such caring adults can help children set achievable goals for the future, both by serving as a positive example and by introducing them to realistic possibilities outside the lures of peer pressure and drug use. A mentor should realize that developing a strong relationship with a child can take time and move through different stages. In the first few weeks or even months, the mentor and young person must learn to trust each other. After trust is established, each learns to share feelings and offer insights.