An Evaluation of group differences in mentoring programs\u27 perceived outcomes

Mentoring programs, like Big Brothers/Big Sisters (BBBS), focus on targeting at-risk youth in a preventative effort to increase pro-social behaviors as well as improving one\u27s confidence, competence, and caring. These factors are important as they are indicative of the types of attachment bonds that insulate juveniles from delinquent behavior. Using data from a BBBS located in the Southeast part of the United States, the current study examined whether different groups of juveniles in mentoring programs are considered to be equally successful in promoting feelings of confidence, competence, and caring. Employing a series of one-way ANOVAs, no significant relationships were found between age, sex, race, match length and evaluator\u27s perceptions of successful mentoring outcomes. When examining the composite group of non-White males and confidence, a relationship was found suggesting that mentoring may not have the ability to decrease risk of delinquency among all groups. Limitations and future research suggestions are discussed