• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Troubled Teens

  • Home
  • Submit Questions
  • Contact Us
  • Sitemap
    • Disclaimer
    • Privacy Policy

Mentoring Teens, Part 1

Last updated on July 8, 2016 by TT Staff Leave a Comment

In addition to the commendable love for learning and plans for the far-reaching future, there’s something significant that stands out in this brief biographical sketch of Anthony Clendenen, a teen who was recently selected to receive the Cogito Research Award from Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth. Honored for his initiative, creativity, and promise, this remarkable teen mentions the place that several mentors have had in shaping his early success.

Even teens who aren’t budding engineers can benefit from mentorship. Perhaps they’ll never invent a life-saving masterpiece of robotics, but mentorship can literally save their lives.

Who Needs Mentors

All teens can benefit from mentorship, but at-risk teens or teens with disabilities can be especially helped through such relationships. Youth who have gone through hardships or have otherwise disadvantaged backgrounds particularly benefit from mentorship, but fewer than half of teens can name an adult mentor.

However, those with positive mentoring relationships with adults other than their parents have proven to be less likely to engage in substance abuse or break the law in any way. The relational support provided by such mentorship is particularly key in helping teens with difficult backgrounds overcome the odds and leverage their skills to persevere. A major plus is that teens from disadvantaged backgrounds who are mentored are twice as likely to attend college as their non-mentored peers.

Who Can Be a Mentor

Everyone is a potential mentor! The difference between someone who is a mentor and someone who isn’t typically boils down to a single characteristic: willingness. You don’t have to have it all together or be perfect or have a certain skill set in order to influence others; you just have to be willing to get involved in someone else’s life. That takes self-sacrifice and communication skills, both of which can be learned.

Maybe you could be a spiritual mentor and go through a Bible study book together. If that’s not your comfort zone, perhaps you could mentor a teen in your profession or even a hobby. (If a teen doesn’t have a parent who hunts or sews, for instance, honing such a skill can be quite difficult.)

Alternatively, you could mentor a teen in life skills such as cooking a balanced meal, balancing a check book, or setting personal goals and working toward them. Often, though, mentorship simply involves spending time with a teen and providing direction and assistance through example and the wisdom that comes from personal experience.

As long as you are older than a teen and have more experience in at least one area, you can be a mentor. The big question is: Are you willing? (Peer mentorship can also be helpful but simply won’t offer the same depth as adult mentors are able to offer.)

In Part 2, we’ll look at some particular benefits of mentorship as well as different types.

Filed Under: For Parents of Teens, Promoted

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Struggling with Your Teen?

Have a question about something you're facing with your teenage son or daughter? Ask us! Just click here and share your question.

Boarding School Reviews

Get your boarding school or youth residential treatment program reviewed here. Looking for a marketing agency? Contact us.

Popular Posts

  • Causes of Sexual Promiscuity in Teens
  • Controversy Surrounds "Bully" Movie
  • The Risks of Sexual Promiscuity in Teens
  • Signs and Symptoms of Huffing
  • Teens and Rape Victim Blame

Recent Articles

  • Teen Shoplifting
  • Is Scripture Irrelevant to Contemporary Teens?
  • Fostering Academic Success at Home: Structuring Study Schedules and Spaces, Part 2
  • Underage Drinking: More of a Problem Than You May Think
  • Communication Overload
  • Combating Teen Obesity
  • What Technology Reveals About Today’s Teens, Part 2
  • What’s Your Excuse? Don’t Pretend, Be Real
  • Why “Fifty Shades” Is Dangerous (For You and Your Teen)
  • Parents: Look to Hollywood Movies for Parenting Tips

Reader Feedback

  • Tara on Causes of Sexual Promiscuity in Teens
  • TNH on Causes of Sexual Promiscuity in Teens
  • Sharaaz Khan on Causes of Sexual Promiscuity in Teens
  • Dionne Duarte on Causes of Sexual Promiscuity in Teens
  • Clarice A. on Teen Bedwetting
  • Margaret Campbell on Causes of Sexual Promiscuity in Teens
  • Elizabeth on The Sexting Problem
  • Lisa Arquette on Handling Hard Questions: Having Empathy for the Ache
  • L. C. H. on 3 Reminders for Dealing with Rebellious Teens
  • Peter D'Angelo on Which Kids Stay in the Church?

Copyright © 2023 TroubledTeens.biz · All Rights Reserved