Session: The Intersection of Youth Risk and Adult-Youth Mentoring: Access and Opportunity (Society for Prevention Research 25th Annual Meeting)

The goal of this symposium session is to present a series of diverse studies on the intersection of youth risk and adult-youth mentoring. Prevention efforts grounded in risk and resilience frameworks emphasize the important role that adults play in child and adolescent development. Unfortunately, not all children have access to mentors or experience quality mentoring. This symposium brings together researchers from various institutions to highlight barriers to quality mentoring and to offer theoretically- and empirically-grounded solutions.

The first paper, “The Socioeconomic Context of Relationships with Caring Adults: The Effects of Poverty on Natural Mentoring,” used a nationally representative sample of adolescents to examine how environmental risk (i.e., poverty) influences access to natural mentors (i.e., adults from within the youth’s network). Results suggest that adolescents living in poverty have reduced access to these relationships during a critical period in development, especially at school and in the community. Though adolescents from low-income families may form close bonds with caring adults in their family or friend network, these relationships seem to focus on practical support, rather than developmental guidance that could lead to upward social mobility.

The second paper, “Youth Risk and Mentoring Relationship Quality: The Moderating Effect of Program Quality,” extends from the first to examine the role of risk after adolescents gain access to mentors within a formal mentoring program (i.e., an intervention that utilizes program-sponsored adult mentors). Results suggest that youth exposed to greater levels of individual and environmental risk are less likely to experience a quality mentoring relationship within the program. Quality program indicators (e.g., opportunities to belong and supportive structure), however, significantly moderated this relationship such that program quality buffered the negative impact of risk on relationship quality.

The third paper, “Using Motivational Interviewing in Brief School-Based Mentoring Programs,” builds on the first two by presenting select practices grounded in clinical psychological science that may better address issues relevant to at-risk youth. The results of four efficacy trials, which found effect sizes on academic and behavioral outcomes that were nearly three times as large as the average meta-analytic effect of youth mentoring, will be presented. Key practices include Motivational Interviewing, structured goal setting, differential reinforcement of prosocial behavior, and training in academic enabling skills.

At the conclusion of the presentations, the discussant will provide summary statements and moderate a discussion between the presenters and the symposium attendees. It is expected that the focus on risk and resilience, inclusion of formal and natural mentoring, and various stages of research will appeal to the symposium participants.