Mentoring for preventing and reducing delinquent behavior among youth.

Summary:

This review examines research as it relates to mentoring as a prevention strategy for delinquent behavior. The appeal of mentoring as a delinquent behavior prevention strategy is understandable given its relatively low cost and ability to capitalize on the resources of local communities and caring individuals. The review is organized around four topics:

1. The overall contributions of mentoring to reducing or preventing delinquent behavior.

2. Factors that may condition or shape the extent to which mentoring has effects on delinquent behavior.

3. Processes that may be involved in accounting for the effects of mentoring on delinquent behavior.

4. The extent to which approaches to mentoring focused on preventing or reducing delinquent behavior have reached intended youth, been implemented with high quality, and been adopted and sustained by settings.

Research on the effectiveness of mentoring for preventing or reducing delinquent behavior found mentoring relationships, both those that are provided through programs and those that are naturally occurring, appear more likely than not to contribute, on net, to lower levels of delinquent behavior