Topic: Alcohol/Drugs/Tobacco, Antisocial Behavior, Case Management, Mentorship
Target Population: Adolescents, Middle Childhood
Sector: Community-Based
This program is for youth who are 6 to 18 years old and may benefit from a supportive relationship with an adult.
Big Brothers Big Sisters Community-Based Mentoring (BBBS CBM) is a community-based program that is designed to provide participants with additional support through an active, consistent, one-to-one relationship with a caring adult. BBBS also provides School-Based* and Military Mentoring* programs.
*Separate fact sheets are available for these programs.
This program is considered Promising when implemented with mentor relationships lasting at least 1 year; however, negative results may occur when relationships terminate in less than 6 months. Results from a randomized trial indicated that youth who had a mentor for at least 6 reported increases in perceived scholastic competence and decreases in skipping school and hitting others. Youth who had a mentor for 12 months or more also reported increased perceived scholastic competence and decreased skipping school in addition to increased social acceptance, better relationships with parents, and decreased drug use. However, youth whose relationships ended in less than 6 months reported an increase in alcohol use. Negative outcomes have also been noted for boys, but not for girls, who have been re-matched with a new mentor. One study found that mentored youth with chronic health problems and activity limitations were significantly more likely to report improvements in social anxiety and have stronger feelings of peer self-esteem at an 18-month follow-up compared to non-mentored counterparts. Results from one study in which youth from BBBS CBM were compared to the school-based version of BBBS indicated that youth involved in CBM had higher confidence and caring scores compared to those in school-based programs. It should be noted that, in a sample of children with incarcerated parents, those involved with BBBS reported more deviant behaviors after 1 year compared to children in the Fragile Families and Child Well-being Study.
Agencies implementing the BBBS CBM program use a case-management approach and supervise every match from beginning to end. Program components include the following:
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America was established in 1904. There are now over 230 agencies in more than 5,000 communities in all 50 states. These agencies serve over 400,000 youth, their families, and mentors each year.
Training for BBBS administration and staff occurs at state, regional, and national conferences. Training for volunteer mentors occurs locally and includes presentations on the developmental stages of youth, relationship building, communication skills, values clarification, child abuse, sexuality, substance abuse, and problem-solving. Potential volunteers should contact their local agency, if applicable, which can be found by visiting www.bbbs.org/get-involved/
Considerations for implementing this program include gaining participant, parent, and volunteer mentor buy-in; recruiting committed volunteers; assessing the availability of a local BBBS agency; obtaining funding for program costs; understanding the importance of careful selection and proactive supervision of mentor-youth matches to maximize the potential for long-term mentorships; and recognizing that if matches terminate early (i.e., less than 6 months) this may be detrimental to youth.
The Clearinghouse can help address these considerations. Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu
If you are interested in implementing BBBS CBM, the Clearinghouse is interested in helping you!
Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu
Mentors are expected to meet with youth 3 to 5 hours per week for at least 12 months.
The marginal cost per treated program participant is approximately $3,300 for the average match length (20 months), or $2,500 per year. Implementation costs could include wages, rent, utilities, conferences, copier services, and administration fees.
To move BBBS CBM to the Effective category on the Clearinghouse Continuum of Evidence, positive results must be maintained two years from the beginning of the program, and results must be replicated by an independent research team. Additionally, the possibility of negative outcomes for youth whose mentorships terminate early, for those who are re-matched, or for other special populations should continue to be assessed.
The Clearinghouse can help you to develop an evaluation plan to ensure the program components are meeting your goals. Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu
Contact the Clearinghouse with any questions regarding this program.
Phone: 1-877-382-9185 Email: Clearinghouse@psu.edu
You may also contact Big Brothers Big Sisters of America by mail 2502 N. Rocky Point Drive, Suite 550, Tampa, FL 33607, phone 1-813-720-8778, fax 1-813-749-9446, or visit www.bbbs.org/contact-us/
https://www.bbbs.org/community-based/; Alfonso et al. (2019); Grossman and Rhodes (2002); Morris (2017); and Rhodes, Reddy, and Grossman (2005).
De Wit, D. J., DuBois, D., Erdem, G., Larose, S., & Lipman, E. L. (2016). The role of program-supported mentoring relationships in promoting youth mental health, behavioral and developmental outcomes. Prevention Science, 17(5), 646-657. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11121-016-0663-2
Grossman, J. B., & Rhodes, J. E. (2002). The test of time: Predictors and effects of duration in youth mentoring relationships. American Journal of Community Psychology, 30(2), 199-219. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1014680827552
Grossman, J. B., & Tierney, J. P. (1998). Does mentoring work?: An impact study of the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. Evaluation Review, 22(3), 403-426. https://doi.org/10.1177/0193841X9802200304
Lipman, E. L., De Wit, D., DuBois, D. L., Larose, S., & Erdem, G. (2018). Youth with chronic health problems: How do they fare in main-stream mentoring programs? BMC Public Health, 18(1), 102-102. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-017-5003-3
Morris, R. C. (2017). Mitigating the effects of parental incarceration through social intervention: A longitudinal and comparative analysis of the efficacy of Big Brothers Big Sisters. Journal of Applied Social Science, 11(1), 25-47. https://doi.org/10.1177/1936724417692671
Park, H., Liao, M., & Crosby, S. D. (2017). The impact of Big Brothers Big Sisters programs on youth development: An application of the model of homogeneity/diversity relationships. Children and Youth Services Review, 82, 60-68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2017.09.009
Rhodes, J. E., Reddy, R., & Grossman, J. B. (2005). The protective influence of mentoring on adolescents' substance use: Direct and indirect pathways. Applied Developmental Science, 9(1), 31-47. https://doi.org/10.1207/s1532480xads0901_4
Lindstrom Johnson, S., Jones, V., Ryan, L., DuBois, D. L., Fein, J. A., & Cheng, T. L. (2022). Investigating effects of mentoring for youth with assault injuries: Results of a randomized-controlled trial. Prevention Science, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11121-022-01406-z
Alfonso, Y. N., Lindstrom Johnson, S., Cheng, T., Jones, V., Ryan, L., Fein, J., & Bishai, D. (2019). A marginal cost analysis of a Big Brothers Big Sisters of America youth mentoring program: New evidence using statistical analysis. Children and Youth Services Review, 101, 23-32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2019.03.002
De Wit, D. J., Lipman, E. L., da Costa, J., Graham, K., Larose, S., Pepler, D., … Ferro, A. (2016). Predictors of early versus late match relationship beginnings in Big Brothers Big Sisters community programs. Children and Youth Services Review, 61, 281-287. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2016.01.004
De Wit, D. J., Wells, S., Elton-Marshall, T., & George, J. (2016). Mentoring relationships and the mental health of Aboriginal youth in Canada. The Journal of Primary Prevention, 38(1-2), 49-66. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10935-016-0441-8
Morris, R. C. (2016). Mentoring to improve a child's self-concept: Longitudinal effects of social intervention on identity and negative outcomes. Current Research in Social Psychology, 24(2), 13-30.
Park, H., Yoon, J., & Crosby, S. D. (2016). A pilot study of Big Brothers Big Sisters programs and youth development: An application of critical race theory. Children and Youth Services Review, 61, 83-89. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2015.12.010
