Im. Evans et Kt. Ave, Mentoring children and youth: Principles, issues, and policy implications for community programmes in New Zealand, NZ J PSYCH, 29(1), 2000, pp. 41-49
Mentoring is becoming an increasingly popular strategy for addressing the n
eeds of young people who are considered at risk for failure in mainstream c
ontexts, and many schools and social set-vice agencies in New Zealand now c
onduct mentoring programmes. We suggest various psychological mechanisms fo
r understanding the possible processes involved in effective mentoring. The
literature evaluating mentoring programmes is selectively reviewed, and wh
ile the evidence is less convincing than might be expected from the confide
nce that some policy agencies place in mentoring, there is nevertheless ind
ication that mentoring can have valuable outcomes, depending on how it is d
one. In general, the benefits for children and youth will be seen in educat
ion and the acquisition of specific life skills, rather than being a preven
tative panacea for all social problems. We argue that natural environments
which are mentor rich are preferable to artificially designed programmes wi
th short-term or haphazard matches between mentor and young person. Thinkin
g carefully about the psychological processes and principles involved in me
ntoring should allow the development of innovative programmes that are suit
ed to the unique cultures of Aotearoa/New Zealand, rather than simply imita
ting overseas models.