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It Takes a Village to Break Up a Match: A Systemic Analysis of Formal Youth Mentoring Relationship Endings

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Abstract

Background

Although early closure of formal youth mentoring relationships has recently begun to receive some attention, more information about factors that contribute to premature endings, and how those factors interact, is needed so that empirically-based program practices can be developed and disseminated to prevent such endings and to ensure that youth reap the benefits mentoring can provide.

Objective

This qualitative interview study applies a systemic model of youth mentoring relationships (Keller in J Prim Prev 26:169–188, 2005a) to the study of mentoring relationship endings in community-based mentoring matches to understand why these matches ended.

Method

Mentors, parents/guardians and program staff associated with 36 mentoring matches that had ended were interviewed about their experiences of these relationships and their understanding of why they had ended. Thematic analysis of the interview transcripts and mentoring program case notes for each match followed by systemic modeling of the relationships yielded three major findings.

Results

A strong mentor–youth relationship is necessary but not sufficient for match longevity. The mentor–youth relationship, even when relatively strong, is unlikely to withstand disruptions in other relationships in the system. Agency contextual factors, such as program practices and policies and staffing patterns, have a critical role to play in sustaining mentoring matches, as they directly influence all of the relationships in the mentoring system.

Conclusion

These findings highlight the importance of considering not just the mentoring dyad but also the parent/guardian and program context when trying to prevent match closures. They also point to several program practices that may support longer mentoring relationships.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to our partner program sites who opened their doors and allowed us to look at some more difficult topics in mentoring. Their generosity in this endeavor is a testament to their deep commitment to the work they do. We also offer our heartfelt thanks to the study participants who took the time to share their important experiences.

Funding

This project was supported by Grant #2012-MU-FX-0001 awarded to Thomas Keller and Renée Spencer by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Department of Justice.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Social Work, Boston University, 264 Bay State Rd, Boston, MA, 02215, USA

    Renée Spencer, Grace Gowdy & Alison L. Drew

  2. Portland State University, Portland, OR, USA

    Martha J. McCormack & Thomas E. Keller

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  1. Renée Spencer
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  2. Grace Gowdy
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  3. Alison L. Drew
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  4. Martha J. McCormack
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  5. Thomas E. Keller
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Correspondence to Renée Spencer.

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Spencer, R., Gowdy, G., Drew, A.L. et al. It Takes a Village to Break Up a Match: A Systemic Analysis of Formal Youth Mentoring Relationship Endings. Child Youth Care Forum 49, 97–120 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10566-019-09520-w

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