Behavioral disturbances can be caused by many different factors. A lack of connection to anyone at school, a cry for attention, difficulty with impulsivity, a feeling that class and school work don’t matter or conflicts with teachers are just some of the many causes. Having a mentor can address these root problems by giving acting-out students someone who gives them attention, makes them feel cared for, holds them accountable to high expectations and serves as an advocate, mediator and role model.

In one of Dr. Kranzler’s school based mentoring programs, faculty served as mentors for both high school and middle school students. This school had a comprehensive system for tracking behavioral disturbances in and out of the classroom. After only three months of mentoring, behavioral disturbances were reduced by 57% in mentored middle school students and by 67% in mentored high school students.

After only three months of mentoring, behavioral disturbances were reduced by 57% in mentored middle school students and by 67% in mentored high school students.

According to one participant in a 2015-2016 school based mentoring program “Being part of mentoring helped me not get in so many fights.”

In fact, according to their own reports, the mentoring program we ran even improved the behavior of the mentors themselves. One reported “I realize how little kids look up to me so much and I am now more aware of my behavior,” and another reported that he had “…learned to be more caring.”

The research backs this finding. One study of disadvantaged youth found that having a mentor decreased the youth’ problematic behavior and helped them feel better about themselves. Further, it was found that youth who had mentors engaged in less destructive behaviors to others and themselves. And according to teachers’ reports, problem behaviors in school were lower by one standard deviation³.

Another study conducted by the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s School of Social Work, found that mentoring significantly decreased aggressivity in youth from high crime and violent neighborhoods¹. Most relevant to Leaf Mentoring, a recent study found that a school based mentoring program had been successful in reducing behavioral disturbance referrals².

¹ Barron-McKeagney, T., Woody, J. D. & D’Souza, H. J. (2001). Mentoring at-risk Latino children and their parents: Impact on social skills and problem behaviors. Child & Adolescent Social Work Journal, 18(2), p. 119-136.

² Gordon, J., Downey J., & Bangert, A. (2013). Effects of a School-Based Mentoring Program on School Behavior and Measures of Adolescent Connectedness. School Community Journal (23)2, 227-249.

³ Keating, L.M., Toshima, M.A., Foster, S. & Alessandri, M. (2002). The effects of a mentoring program on at-risk youth. Adolescence, 37(148), p. 717-734.

A sense of accountability, the feeling that someone cares and positive expectations are often enough to improve grades drastically. Mentors can also help catch academic struggles when they do exist and connect students to the right resources. And no one is more poised to recognize and identify areas of need of a student than someone who they trust and who monitors their ongoing performance inside of the school setting.

In a mentoring program Dr. Kranzler ran in one South Florida school, it was found that found that students who had been mentored by faculty mentors improved their academic performance by an average of one full letter grade. The most incredible part of this finding was that the mentors did not engage in any tutoring. They simply served as role models who cared about education and who held their mentees accountable.

It was found that found that students who had been mentored by faculty mentors improved their academic performance by an average of one full letter grade. The most incredible part of this finding was that the mentors did not engage in any tutoring.

Our findings are not unique. Mentoring has been shown to improve academic performance, regardless of whether mentors are involved in tutoring or not. A large 2009 study of school based mentoring conducted by the Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America found that students who received in-school mentoring had higher academic performance for the length of the mentoring².

Researchers in Hong Kong found that mentoring improved not only academic performance but also attitudes towards academics as well¹. In addition, an analysis of studies of thousands of students receiving school based mentoring found that students’ perceptions of their own academic performance increased³. Another study ⁴ compared mentored and non-mentored students with low grades and found that mentored students had significantly improved grades.

¹ Chan, C. C. & Ho, W.C. (2008). An ecological framework for evaluating relationship-functional aspects of youth mentoring. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 38(4) p.837-867

² Herrera, C., Baldwin Grossman, J., Kuah, T.J., & McMaken, J. (2009). Mentoring in Schools: An Impact Study of Big Brothers, Big Sisters School-Based Mentoring Public⁄Private Ventures, BBBS 2009

³ Campbell, T.A. & Campbell D.E. (1997) Faculty/Student Mentor Program: Effects on Academic Performance and Retention. Research in Higher Education, 38(6), p.727-742. Herrera, C. & Karcher, M.J. (2005). School-Based Mentoring. In D.L. Dubois & M.J. Karcher (Eds.). Handbook of youth mentoring. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications Ltd.

⁴ Portwood, S.G., Ayers, P.M., Kinnison, K.E., Waris, R.G., & Wise, D.L. (2005) Youth Friends: Outcomes from a school-based mentoring program. Journal of primary prevention, 26, 129-145.

Students can only learn when they feel safe. Established bullying prevention and mentoring programs are two keys to creating a safe learning environment in schools.

Mentoring can strengthen an already established bullying prevention program by providing students with trusted adults and peers they can report bullying behavior to. Students are less likely to be bullied when they are perceived to have social support and students are also less likely to engage in bullying behavior when they have someone who is monitoring and holding them accountable for their behavior.

Students can only learn when they feel safe.

Although mentoring is a successful complement to a bullying prevention program it can not stand alone in place of one. If your school doesn’t have a formal bullying prevention program, Leaf Mentoring can provide one, using the most up to date, research based methods.

In our bullying prevention program, parents are taught how to react and help their children if they are involved as a bully or as a victim. Students are trained how to effectively act as bystanders and how to handle bullying if the students themselves are victims. Staff is provided with guidelines for detecting and reacting to bullying and administrators are given a comprehensive method of dealing with and stopping any bullying situations that do arise.

Leaf Mentoring provides psycho-education about bullying to all populations of the school including parents, students, staff and administration.

Mentoring has been shown again and again to boost self esteem in youth. A study of the New York chapter of Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America found that 83% of their mentees had great improvement in self esteem⁴. The SMILE (Study of Mentoring in the Learning Environment) study of over 512 mentored youth in San Antonio, found significant gains in self esteem in their respondents as well⁵.   Yet, another study found that expanding a youth’s network of social support by providing a mentor increased their self esteem¹. In fact, Mentoring has been theorized to be one of the most key factors in development of self esteem of high risk youth².

Children and adolescents develop true self esteem when given opportunities to thrive and succeed

In 2011, Dr. Kranzler ran a peer mentoring program where high schoolers mentored middle school students. Self reports on the part of the mentees found that 75% of the mentees experienced an increase in self esteem. In a middle school mentoring program run in the 2015-2016 school year, 87.5% of the mentees reported improved self esteem.

Parent reports confirmed the impact on the self esteem of their children. One parent reported “It has not only helped him adapt better to the changes involved in switching schools at (sic) a such difficult age, but also has improved his self-esteem and self-image.” Gains in self esteem were not limited to mentees. As one mentor commented “I’ve become more sure and happy with myself and just feel more solid.”

Mentoring has been shown again and again to boost self esteem in youth. A study of the New York chapter of Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America found that 83% of their mentees had great improvement in self esteem⁴. The SMILE (Study of Mentoring in the Learning Environment) study of the Communities in Schools of San Antonio Mentoring Program, a study of over 512 youth, found significant gains in self esteem in their respondents as well⁵. Another study found that by increasing a youth’s network of social support by providing a mentor, self esteem was increased as well¹. In fact, Mentoring has been theorized to be one of the most key factors in development of self esteem of high risk youth².

¹ Dubois, D.L., Neville, H.A., Parra, G.R., & Pugh-Lilly, A.O. (2002). Testing a new model of mentoring. New Directions for Youth Development, 93, 21-57.

² Yancey, A.K. (1998) Building positive self-image in adolescents in foster care: The use of role models in an interactive group approach. Adolescence, 33, 253-267.

³ CKing, K. A., Vidourek, R. A., Davis, B. and McClellan, W. (2002), Increasing Self-Esteem and School Connectedness Through a Multidimensional Mentoring Program. Journal of School Health, 72: 294–299.

⁴ Frecknall, P. & Luks, A. (1992). An evaluation of parental assessment of the Big Brothers/Big Sisters Program in New York City. Adolescence, 27(107), p. 715-718.

⁵ Herrera, C. & Karcher, M.J. (2005). School-Based Mentoring. In D.L. Dubois & M.J. Karcher (Eds.). Handbook of youth mentoring. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications Ltd.

Peer relationships improve when effective mentors are involved in a child’s life. Whether students struggle with basic social skills or whether they simply feel isolated, mentoring can help. Regular and focused one on one contact with a mentor who has good social skills organically builds a student’s social skill set. And while mentors can offer advice and techniques in how to approach, create and maintain friendship, the greatest gains come from social confidence that is built when someone simply gives a student attention and serves as a friend.

Not only is this logical, but studies have also shown this to be true as well. A study done in Hong Kong of over 120 students receiving mentoring services found gains in prosocial behavior, peer relationships and social skills² and another study of fourth grade mentoring recipients found significant gains in connections to peers³.

Social confidence is created when someone consistently gives a student attention and serves as a friend.

One study found that the strength of the mentoring relationship was more responsible for increases in mentees’ social skills than the program curriculum designed to improve those same social skills¹. This study also found that when mentors did not fulfill their responsibilities, social skills actually got worse.

In one peer to peer mentoring program that Dr. Kranzler ran, he found that 60% of the elementary school mentees experienced an increase in social interactions.  And in another of Dr. Kranzler’s mentoring programs, 75% of the mentees reported improved social interactions. One participant commented that “I’m not so shy to talk to people anymore and interact with other kids.”

¹ Karcher, M.J. (2005). The effects of developmental mentoring and high school mentors’ attendance on their younger mentees’ self-esteem, social skills, and connectedness. Psychology in Schools, 42(1), p.65-77.

² Chan, C. C. & Ho, W.C. (2008). An ecological framework for evaluating relationship-functional aspects of youth mentoring. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 38(4) p.837-867

³ King, K. A., Vidourek, R. A., Davis, B. and McClellan, W. (2002), Increasing Self-Esteem and School Connectedness Through a Multidimensional Mentoring Program. Journal of School Health, 72: 294–299.

Difficulties that students face in schools are rarely limited to the academic setting; they often spill over into the home. A students who struggles academically, is bullied, struggles in the social setting or regularly gets into trouble in class will have a sense of frustration that can’t be left in a locker like a textbook.

And in a similar vein, issues at school often stem from difficulties with relationships in the home, frustration following students from the dining room into the classroom. Mentoring has been shown to have a positive impact on relationships at home by a variety of studies.

A students who struggles academically, is bullied, struggles in the social setting or regularly gets into trouble in class will have a sense of frustration that can’t be left in a locker like a textbook.

In a study conducted in participants of the Big Brother/Big Sister chapter of New York city, parents found a high level of improvement of functioning in the home, with 55% of parents reporting that mentees’ family relationships had greatly improved¹. In terms of honesty within the home, another study found that mentees lied 37% less in their homes than those subjects who had not received mentoring². Most importantly, a study with close to 300 participants found significant gains in family relationships in fourth graders who had received mentoring³.

¹ Frecknall, P. & Luks, A. (1992). An evaluation of parental assessment of the Big Brothers/Big Sisters Program in New York City. Adolescence, 27(107), p. 715-718.

² Tierney, J.P., Grossman, J.B. & Resch, W.L. (1995). Making a difference: An impact study of Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Philadelphia: Public/Private Ventures

³ King, K. A., Vidourek, R. A., Davis, B. and McClellan, W. (2002), Increasing Self-Esteem and School Connectedness Through a Multidimensional Mentoring Program. Journal of School Health, 72: 294–299.

When students don’t feel a connection to their schools, they are more likely to act out in class, get poorer grades, feel isolated, have poor attendance and fail to report instances when they are bullied. It only takes one person to make a difference.

If a student feels connected and cared for by their school, they are less likely to violate their rules, more willing to work hard to meet its standards and feel confident that they can address and overcome any issues they face.

When a student has someone who exhibits authentic caring towards them, it can influence their perception towards the school as a whole. If a student feels connected and cared for by their school, they are less likely to violate their rules, more willing to work hard to meet its standards and feel confident that they can address and overcome any issues they face.

The post-intervention surveys of one of our programs found that every one of the mentees reported that their attitudes towards school had improved. As one of those mentees wrote of the mentoring program “It showed me that [the name of his school] cares.”

The research supports this finding as well. One study found significant gains in feelings of school connectivity in fourth graders who had been mentored³. Another study² compared mentored and non-mentored students and found significantly greater sense of school connectivity, connection to community and goal setting in mentored youth than non mentored youth.

Most significantly, a study of a school based mentoring program found statistically significant gains in feelings of connection to school in students who received mentoring¹.

¹ Gordon, J., Downey J., & Bangert, A. (2013). Effects of a School-Based Mentoring Program on School Behavior and Measures of Adolescent Connectedness. School Community Journal (23)2, 227-249.

² Portwood, S.G., Ayers, P.M., Kinnison, K.E., Waris, R.G., & Wise, D.L. (2005) Youth Friends: Outcomes from a school-based mentoring program. Journal of primary prevention, 26, 129-145.

³ King, K. A., Vidourek, R. A., Davis, B. and McClellan, W. (2002), Increasing Self-Esteem and School Connectedness Through a Multidimensional Mentoring Program. Journal of School Health, 72: 294–299.