New Evidence Spotlights Benefits and Barriers of Youth-Initiated Mentoring

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Duffy, L., & Brady, B. (2025). A rapid review of current evidence of youth-initiated mentoring: Future directions for research and practice. Child Care in Practice. https://doi.org/10.1080/13575279.2025.2581996

Introduction

Youth-Initiated Mentoring (YIM) empowers young people to nominate trusted adults from their existing social networks as mentors. Duffy and Brady (2025) present a rapid review of 14 studies to assess the promise and pitfalls of this hybrid approach, which blends the emotional strength of natural mentoring with the structure of formal programs.

Methods

Following evidence-based rapid review guidelines, Duffy and Brady (2025) searched five databases (2010–2023) for articles with “youth initiated mentoring” or “YIM” in the title or keywords. Fourteen studies across the U.S., Netherlands, and Canada were included. Data were extracted on study design, methods, outcomes, and thematic findings.

Results

YIM supports the formation of emotionally rich, durable relationships and enhances youth development across academic, vocational, and psychosocial domains. Programs like the National Guard Youth Challenge Program show enduring mentor-mentee bonds. Challenges include some youths’ discomfort in nominating mentors and inequities in access to social capital. Meta-analysis indicated a small-to-medium positive effect size (g = 0.30) across outcomes

Discussion

The review confirms that YIM may outperform traditional models in sustainability and relational depth. However, it is not universally suitable. Youth without supportive networks or confidence to self-nominate may be excluded, reinforcing social disparities. Careful facilitation and adequate support are essential to preserve relationship integrity.

Implications for Mentoring Programs

Mentoring initiatives should invest in training youth to identify and initiate mentorships while providing fallback options for those without robust networks. Policymakers should ensure inclusive access to potential mentors and prioritize outcome-based evaluations to sustain YIM’s promise.

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