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Feng B, Nakkula MJ, Jiang F. Toward building a better scaffold: how types of mentor support inform mentor-mentee match relationship quality. Front Psychol 2024; 14:1259040. [PMID: 38235283 PMCID: PMC10791768 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1259040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
In the field of youth mentoring, mentor support, as an important scaffold for youth development, is linked to match relationship quality between mentors and mentees. This study examined associations between the support provided by different categories of mentors and internal match quality among 240 mentors in youth mentoring programs. Four clusters of mentors emerged, representing different combinations of purposes for mentor-mentee interactions. Mentors who focused less on the character development of their mentees showed reduced benefits in other forms of interactions, such as fun, sharing, future outlook, or academics in promoting high overall mentor-mentee internal match quality, including relational quality and instrumental quality. While mentors who focused less on future outlook in their mentoring interactions showed reduced benefits for other purposes in promoting internal instrumental quality. These findings were not influenced by mentors' demographic differences such as gender, age, race, and educational background. The significance of the findings for future research and practice is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Feng
- Center for Ideological and Political Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
| | - Michael J. Nakkula
- Human Development and Quantitative Methods Division, University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Fei Jiang
- Center for Ideological and Political Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
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2
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Karcher MJ, Sass DA, Herrera C, DuBois DL, Heubach J, Grossman JB. Pathways by which case managers' match support influences youth mentoring outcomes: Testing the systemic model of youth mentoring. JOURNAL OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY 2023; 51:3243-3264. [PMID: 36867024 DOI: 10.1002/jcop.23010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Revised: 12/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
Keller's systemic model of youth mentoring posits there are multiple pathways through which all stakeholders in the youth mentoring process, including the program staff who support the match (or case managers), influence youth outcomes. This study examines case managers' direct and indirect contributions to match outcomes and tests how transitive interactions facilitate a theorized sequence of mentoring interactions to effect greater closeness and length, specifically in nontargeted mentoring programs. A structural equations model of case manager contributions to match outcomes was tested using data from 758 mentor-mentee matches, supported by 73 case managers across seven mentoring agencies. Results reveal direct effects of mentor-reported match support quality on match length and indirect influences on match length through increasing youth-centeredness, goal-focused orientation, and closeness. The findings confirm the presence of multiple pathways of influence, including indirect effects on outcomes via transitive interactions in match support that scaffold youth-centeredness and goal-focused interactions in the match. Findings also suggest supervisors' evaluations of case managers may provide little information about how match support influences the nature of mentor-mentee interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Karcher
- Department of Educational Psychology, College of Education and Human Development, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Daniel A Sass
- Department of Management Science and Statistics, Alvarez College of Business, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | | | - David L DuBois
- Institute of Health Research and Policy (M/C 275), University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | | | - Jean B Grossman
- Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University, New York City, New York, USA
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3
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Alwani NA, Lyons MD, Edwards KD. Examining heterogeneity in mentoring: Associations between mentoring discussion topics and youth outcomes. JOURNAL OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY 2023; 51:1233-1254. [PMID: 36170145 DOI: 10.1002/jcop.22938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 08/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The current study aims to apply a staged approach to document heterogeneity in discussions in mentoring relationships, chiefly, discussion topics from weekly mentoring sessions with undergraduate women mentors (n = 40), then link each of the eight topics (relationships with friends, family, teachers, and romantic relationships, as well as goals, academic skills, academic problems, and hopes for the future) to developmental outcomes for middle school girls (n = 41) who participated in a school-based mentoring program. In doing so, the authors hope to better understand the mechanisms that influence variability in mentoring treatment effects. Mentoring dyads engaged in unstructured one-on-one sessions and structured group meetings across the 2018-2019 academic year. The primary predictors for this study are weekly mentor-reported discussion topics and activities addressed during unstructured one-on-one mentoring sessions, with 11 social-emotional, academic, and behavioral outcomes measured via pre- and postsurveys administered by research assistants to mentees during the fall and spring. A series of 11 path analyses indicate small to moderate associations, both beneficial and negative, between key discussion topics, such as hopes for the future, family relationships, and goals, and several mentee-reported outcomes of interest at the end of the intervention, including extrinsic motivation, life satisfaction, and self-esteem. Study findings provide information about heterogeneity in mentoring practices to inform how various mechanisms of mentoring (e.g., discussions focused on relationships, goals and skills, and strengths) influence developmentally-relevant effects for youth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noor A Alwani
- School of Education & Human Development, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Michael D Lyons
- School of Education & Human Development, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Kelly D Edwards
- School of Education & Human Development, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
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4
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Browne R, Jarjoura GR, Keller TE, Tanyu M, Herrera C, Schwartz SEO. Mentoring and depressive symptoms of youth: Examining prospective and interactive associations with mentoring relationship quality. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY 2022; 70:291-304. [PMID: 35703571 DOI: 10.1002/ajcp.12608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Revised: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
A significant body of research has demonstrated that mentoring relationships support positive youth development. The quality of the mentoring relationship has been identified as a predictor of positive youth outcomes. However, limited research has examined how engagement in a mentoring program may be related to youth depressive symptoms specifically. The current study utilized a sample of 2003 youth participating in mentoring programs across the country (Mage = 12.32, SD = 1.42, 55.1% female) from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds (39.1% Black, 23.6% White, 22.1% Hispanic, 3.3% Native American or Alaskan Native, .4% Asian or Pacific Islander, 1.8% other, and 9.7% Multi-Ethnic) to investigate associations between youth depressive symptoms and mentoring relationship quality. Results revealed that: (1) mean depressive symptoms decreased after participation in a mentoring program; (2) several, but not all, relationship quality indicators predicted change in depressive symptoms; (3) baseline levels of depressive symptoms negatively predicted indicators of relationship quality; and (4) associations between several relationship quality indicators and follow-up depressive symptoms differed by baseline levels of depressive symptoms. These findings highlight the potential benefits of mentoring programs to youth and the need to provide mentors with support around building relationships with youth, especially those experiencing depressive symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Browne
- Department of Psychology, Suffolk University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - Thomas E Keller
- School of Social Work, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Manolya Tanyu
- American Institute for Research, San Mateo, California, USA
| | - Carla Herrera
- Herrera Consulting Group, LLC, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Sarah E O Schwartz
- Department of Psychology, Suffolk University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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5
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Modeling the relationship between mentoring and depression symptoms among adolescent North Korean refugees. J Sch Psychol 2022; 92:121-135. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jsp.2022.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2019] [Revised: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Peaslee L, Teye AC, Baker JS. Promising Practices for Improving the Match Outcomes of Young Children: An Evaluation of the School-Based Literacy-Enhanced Mentoring (LEM) Program. CHILD & YOUTH CARE FORUM 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10566-022-09675-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Mader M, Stoeger H, Veas A, Ziegler A. How Mentors Think About the Attainability of Mentoring Goals: The Impact of Mentoring Type and Mentoring Context on the Anticipated Regulatory Network and Regulatory Resources of Potential Mentors for School Mentoring Programs. Front Psychol 2021; 12:737014. [PMID: 34803818 PMCID: PMC8595264 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.737014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Research shows that trained mentors achieve better results than untrained ones. Their training should particularly address their expectations for their future mentoring. Our study involved 190 preservice teachers, potential mentors of ongoing school mentoring for primary and secondary school students of all grades. They were randomly assigned to one of four conditions in a 2-x-2 between-subjects design of mentoring type (traditional mentoring versus e-mentoring) and mentoring context (non-pandemic versus COVID-19 pandemic). Participants assessed mentoring conducted under these four conditions in terms of its appropriateness for achieving four mentoring program targets: learning, key skills, social targets, and problem coping. Participants were also asked to assess the resources available to achieve each program target. Overall, the potential mentors considered the various conditions to be suitable for achieving the four program targets. They were particularly favorable in their assessment of the possibility for the realization of learning targets. Likewise, they assumed that sufficient resources were available to achieve the targets. However, a repeated-measures MANOVA showed that the potential mentors considered more ambitious targets to be possible in traditional mentoring than in e-mentoring and normal (i.e., pre-pandemic) contextual conditions than during the COVID-19 pandemic. In contrast, they estimated the resources available to achieve the targets to be about the same in the four conditions. This indicates a decoupling of mentoring targets from the consideration of the resources needed to achieve them. This assumption was confirmed in correlation analyses and has implications for mentor training.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Mader
- Department of School Research, School Development, and Evaluation, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Heidrun Stoeger
- Department of School Research, School Development, and Evaluation, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Alejandro Veas
- Department of Development Psychology and Teaching, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Albert Ziegler
- Department of Psychology, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany
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Lyons MD, McQuillin SD. It’s Not a Bug, It’s a Feature: Evaluating Mentoring Programs with Heterogeneous Activities. CHILD & YOUTH CARE FORUM 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10566-021-09609-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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9
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Jones V, Becote-Jackson M, Parnham T, Lewis Q, Ryan LM. Violence Prevention Through Mentoring for Youth with Emergency Department Treated Peer Assault Injuries. THE JOURNAL OF PEDIATRICS: X 2021; 6:100064. [PMID: 37333430 PMCID: PMC10236538 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympdx.2021.100064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Revised: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Vanya Jones
- Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
| | | | - Taylor Parnham
- Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
| | - Quiana Lewis
- Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
| | - Leticia Manning Ryan
- Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
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Axford N, Bjornstad G, Matthews J, Whybra L, Berry V, Ukoumunne OC, Hobbs T, Wrigley Z, Brook L, Taylor R, Eames T, Kallitsoglou A, Blower S, Warner G. The Effectiveness of a Community-Based Mentoring Program for Children Aged 5-11 Years: Results from a Randomized Controlled Trial. PREVENTION SCIENCE : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR PREVENTION RESEARCH 2021; 22:100-112. [PMID: 32720189 PMCID: PMC7762747 DOI: 10.1007/s11121-020-01132-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nick Axford
- NIHR ARC South West Peninsula (PenARC), University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Tim Hobbs
- Dartington Service Design Lab, Dartington, UK
| | | | | | - Rod Taylor
- University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, UK
| | - Tim Eames
- University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, UK
| | | | - Sarah Blower
- NIHR ARC Yorkshire and Humber, University of York, York, UK
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Austin LJ, Parnes MF, Jarjoura GR, Keller TE, Herrera C, Tanyu M, Schwartz SEO. Connecting Youth: The Role of Mentoring Approach. J Youth Adolesc 2020; 49:2409-2428. [PMID: 32974870 DOI: 10.1007/s10964-020-01320-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura J Austin
- Department of Psychology, Suffolk University, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Thomas E Keller
- School of Social Work, Portland State University, Portland, OR, USA
| | | | - Manolya Tanyu
- American Institutes for Research, San Mateo, CA, USA
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Spencer R, Drew AL, Walsh J, Kanchewa SS. Girls (and Boys) Just Want to Have Fun: A Mixed-Methods Examination of the Role of Gender in Youth Mentoring Relationship Duration and Quality. J Prim Prev 2019; 39:17-35. [PMID: 29147932 DOI: 10.1007/s10935-017-0494-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
This prospective, mixed-methods study examined the role of gender in youth mentoring relationship duration and quality. Participants were 67 gender-matched pairs of adult mentors and youth participating in community-based mentoring programs as well as the youths' guardians. Mentors and youth completed surveys and qualitative interviews at multiple time points. At baseline, male youth reported stronger relationships with their guardians. Analysis of the survey data from the 3-month follow-up revealed that male mentors and youth reported stronger mentoring relationship quality. Male matches were more likely to last at least 1 year. Further, male youth whose matches lasted at least 1 year reported better relationships with their guardians at baseline and reported stronger mentoring relationships after 3 months, compared to both females whose matches lasted greater than a year, and females whose matches lasted less than 1 year. Examinations of the qualitative interviews from a sub-sample of matched pairs (n = 29) showed that male and female youth and male mentors held similar expectations for the relationship, mainly to engage in fun activities, while female mentors were more often looking for a close relationship to develop quickly, which resulted in a disconnect between female mentees' and female mentors' expectations. Findings highlight the importance of developmentally appropriate relationships for youth and suggest that mentoring programs may be able facilitate longer, more effective matches for girls by tempering female mentors' expectations for how close and quickly those relationships will develop.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renée Spencer
- School of Social Work, Boston University, 264 Bay State Rd., Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
| | - Alison L Drew
- School of Social Work, Boston University, 264 Bay State Rd., Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Jill Walsh
- School of Social Work, Boston University, 264 Bay State Rd., Boston, MA, 02215, USA
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Weiler LM, Chesmore A, Pryce J, Krafchick J, Haddock SA, Zimmerman TS, Rhodes T. Mentor response to youth academic support-seeking behavior: Does attunement matter? YOUTH & SOCIETY 2019; 51:548-569. [PMID: 32042210 PMCID: PMC7009788 DOI: 10.1177/0044118x17697235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Mentoring-based interventions for adolescent offenders are promising strategies for reducing the likelihood of academic underachievement, truancy, and school dropout. Program effectiveness, however, varies widely. Investigation into factors that strengthen the impact of mentoring on academic-related outcomes is warranted. One factor might be academic attunement, or the degree to which a mentor's emphasis on academics is consistent with youth's academic support-seeking behavior and desire for academic help. This within-group study examined the relationship between mentor attunement and academic outcomes among youth (N=204; ages 11-18; 54.5% male) who participated in a time-limited mentoring program. Latent profile analysis identified three distinct groups: attuned mentors, over-focused mentors, and under-focused mentors. In general, youth with attuned mentors reported better post-intervention scores as compared to youth with misattuned (i.e., over-focused or under-focused) mentors on perception of school usefulness and importance, academic self-efficacy, and truancy, but not grade point average. Findings suggest the importance of monitoring academic attunement.
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Weiler LM, Boat AA, Haddock SA. Youth Risk and Mentoring Relationship Quality: The Moderating Effect of Program Experiences. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY 2019; 63:73-87. [PMID: 30693938 DOI: 10.1002/ajcp.12304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Because program experiences are more amendable than mentor or mentee characteristics, they may be important factors to consider in buffering the negative impact of youth risk on the quality of the mentor-mentee bond. Data from 455 mentees (ages 11-18; 57% male) and their undergraduate student mentors (82.3% female) from the Campus Connections mentoring program were used to assess whether youth risk and mentors' program experiences (i.e., program structure, supportive relationships with staff, opportunities for skill building, support for efficacy and mattering, and opportunities to belong) were associated with mentoring relationship quality and whether mentors' experience within the program moderated the association between youth risk and mentoring relationship quality. Results indicated that environmental, but not individual, risk was negatively associated with relationship quality. Mentors' experiences with the program were positively associated with mentoring relationship quality, and in many cases, above and beyond youth level of risk. Finally, mentors' perception of program structure, supportive relationships, and opportunities for skill building attenuated the negative relationship between environmental, but not individual, risk and relationship quality. Mentors' experiences of program support for efficacy and mattering and opportunities to belong were not significant moderators in any model. Implications for programs and future research directions are presented.
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Chesmore AA, Weiler LM, Taussig HN. Mentoring Relationship Quality and Maltreated Children's Coping. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY 2017; 60:229-241. [PMID: 28792079 DOI: 10.1002/ajcp.12151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Coping strategies are believed to protect against the harmful effects of maltreatment on children's psychosocial outcomes. Caregivers are thought to be critical in helping children develop adaptive coping strategies, yet many maltreated children have poor and/or insecure relationships with their parents. A quality relationship with a caring, non-parental adult (e.g., a mentor), however, may be one strategy to promote healthy coping among maltreated children. Children (N = 154) in this study participated in a mentoring and skill-based program for maltreated preadolescents placed in foster care. Hierarchical regression was used to assess the association between children's reports of their relationship with their mentor at the end of the intervention and four coping strategies (i.e., Active, Support-seeking, Avoidance, and Distraction) 6 months following the intervention, while accounting for baseline coping strategies and other demographic factors. Above and beyond the covariates, better mentoring relationship quality was associated with children's greater use of Active and Distraction coping 6-month post-intervention. Mentoring relationship quality was not significantly associated with children's Avoidance or Support-seeking coping. The findings suggest that mentoring programs may be a fruitful approach to improving vulnerable children's coping skills. Healthy coping is hypothesized to protect against the harmful effects of maltreatment and to promote resilience in the face of multiple stressors (Banyard & Williams, ; Boxer & Sloan-Power, 2013; Cicchetti & Rogosch, 2009). It remains unclear, however, how best to promote positive coping among maltreated children, who are disproportionately exposed to numerous adverse childhood experiences (Raviv, Taussig, Culhane & Garrido, 2010). Theories of coping emphasize the importance of coping socialization through quality parent-child relationships (Kliewer et al., 2006; Skinner & Wellborn, ). Unfortunately, many maltreated children are exposed to poor quality and/or inadequate caregiving (Baer & Martinez, 2006), which may place them at risk for engaging in unhealthy or inappropriate forms of coping. It is reasonable to expect that positive relationships with other non-parental adults (e.g., mentors) would affect coping behaviors given the positive impact that quality relationships have on a myriad of emotional and behavioral child outcomes (DuBois, Portillo, Rhodes, Silverthorn & Valentine, 2011; Keller & Pryce, 2012; Thomson & Zand, ). Because children in foster care often transition in and out of schools and home environments, a quality relationship with a mentor (a consistent presence in the child's life) may be well suited to promote healthy coping strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley A Chesmore
- Department of Family Social Science, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, USA
| | - Lindsey M Weiler
- Department of Family Social Science, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, USA
| | - Heather N Taussig
- Graduate School of Social Work, University of Denver, Denver, CO, USA
- Kempe Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse and Neglect, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
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16
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DuBois DL, Keller TE. Investigation of the Integration of Supports for Youth Thriving Into a Community-Based Mentoring Program. Child Dev 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/cdev.12887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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17
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Goldner L, Scharf M. Attachment Security, the Quality of the Mentoring Relationship and Protégés’ Adjustment. J Prim Prev 2014; 35:267-79. [DOI: 10.1007/s10935-014-0349-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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