Mentoring has been proven to have a number of positive benefits for boys, including:
•Better attendance. Boys participating in mentoring programs had fewer unexcused absences from school than did similar youth not participating in these programs.
•Better chance of going on to college. 53% of boys involved in mentoring programs enrolled in college after graduation, compared to 49% in the control group.
•Better attitudes toward school. Mentored youth self-report a higher value on school than other students.
•Fewer substance abuse issues. Students in mentoring programs are 46% less likely than other students to initiate drug use; for students of color, this statistic jumps to 70%.
•Fewer violent outbursts. Boys who are mentored are almost 1/3 less likely to hit someone than youth who are not.
•Decreased criminal offenses. Boys involved in mentoring programs commit fewer misdemeanors and felonies (offenses were reduced from 4% to 1%). Youth with a prior offense history were far less likely to commit another crime (38% compared with 64% of control group youth).
•Overall, boys who are the most disadvantaged or at-risk seem to benefit the most from mentoring. Mentored students with the lowest GPAs, from the poorest-performing schools, with the least family support, and with the lowest initial motivation improve their grades the most dramatically, and are ultimately more likely to attend college than those in the control group.
