Mentoring: Fun and Impact

Many of us remember an adult who made a difference in our lives. Someone who taught us something new, or made us laugh, or helped to give us the confidence to try new things.

Our Bigs do all of that. An hour a week with their Little is a perfect opportunity to share experiences, and to learn about each other. And these shared moments form the base for the proven, positive impact of BBBS mentoring.

The impact of BBBS mentoring has been documented by independent research. In the mid 1990s, Public/Private Ventures, a nationally known research firm based in Philadelphia, conducted a longitudinal research study to evaluate the impact of Big Brothers Big Sisters mentoring¹. Their landmark study showed that, when compared with their peers, Little Brothers and Little Sisters who met with their Bigs regularly were:

• 46% less likely to begin using illegal drugs

• 27% less likely to begin using alcohol

• 52% less likely to skip school

• 37% less likely to skip a class

• 33% less likely to hit someone

In addition, BBBS mentoring is classified as a "Blueprint" program by the University of Colorado: as such, it is one of 11 model intervention programs (out of 600 programs reviewed) that was shown to be effective in reducing adolescent violent crime, aggression, delinquency, and substance abuse.

The Big Brothers Big Sisters Match

According to the research, these one-to-one matches are such a powerful force for influencing children’s behavior because of Big Brothers Big Sisters’ signature approach to mentoring.

Big Brothers Big Sisters professionals are much more than just “matchmakers.” They provide ongoing support and supervision to the Big, the Little, and the Little’s family. They offer training and advice to help ensure that the match is satisfying and fulfilling for everyone involved.

It is this web of support that helps maximize the likelihood that a Big Brothers Big Sisters relationship will “take root” and flourish. The research found, for example, that Big Brothers Big Sisters’ matches consistently spend more time together, and continue as a match for longer periods, than do their peers in other mentoring programs Public/Private Ventures has studied.

“In mentoring programs without this infrastructure, we have found that relationships evaporate too soon for effects to be possible,” said Walker., President of Public/Private Ventures.

The Impact

The research found that Big Brothers Big Sisters offers a positive, broad-based program “that focuses less on specific problems after they occur, and more on meeting youths’ most basic developmental needs.”

What mattered to the children was not the activities, but the fact that they had a caring adult in their lives. Because they had someone to confide in and to look up to, they were, in turn, doing better in school and at home. The Littles were also avoiding violence and substance abuse at a pivotal time in their lives when even small changes in behavior, or choices made, can change the course of their future.