CHICAGO, March 2 (UPI) -- A study by the University of Illinois at Chicago says natural mentoring relationships benefit teens, but do not meet all the needs of at-risk youth.
"Unlike mentors who are assigned by a program, natural mentors come from different areas of the young person's own life, such as their extended family, neighbors, teachers, coaches, religious leaders and employers," said David DuBois, lead author of the study.
Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, he and his colleagues found more than 70 percent of those in the study reported a mentoring relationship with an adult. Such relationships lasted an average of nine years.
Mentors, such as teachers, were often important figures in the day-to-day lives of youth, which may be a factor in promoting positive outcomes. However, there was no evidence that natural mentors have an impact on other outcomes, including binge drinking, drug use and smoking.
The researchers said mentors may not have the ability to provide a high level of monitoring -- an important factor in preventing substance abuse -- when they have only periodic contact with teens.
The study appears in the March issue of the American Journal of Public Health.
