A critical incidents study of mentoring relationships between youth workers and adolescents

This study looked at the initiation and facilitation of significant, mentoring relationships between adults and adolescents. Research in the areas of mentoring and social support systems has tended to focus on outcomes of those relationships. This study primarily focused on the process of these relationships, i.e.: what actually occurred in them. In-depth interviews were conducted with seventeen participant- observers, ranging in age from 16 to 31 who had experienced a significant, mentoring relationship. The critical incidents technique was used to identify the behaviors of the adults that facilitated and strengthened the relationships. A total of 373 incidents were collected and distilled into six main categories of behaviors through an emergent method of thematic analysis. The behaviors were then listed and described. The domains, in order of prominence, emerged as follows: Behaviors that enhanced self-esteem; Communication and interpersonal skills ; Initiating, contacting and maintenance behaviors; Teaching, advising and guiding behaviors; Behaviors that modeled values, attitudes and life skills. Implications for the development of skill-training programs, counselling practice and future research have been suggested.Education, Faculty ofEducational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department ofGraduat