Understanding Mutuality: Unpacking Relational Processes in Youth Mentoring Relationships.

• NCJ Number: 254416
• Journal: Journal of Community Psychology Volume: 47 Issue: 1 Dated: 2019 Pages: 147-162
• Author(s): Ashlee M. Lester; Courtney L. Goodloe; Haley E. Johnson; Nancy L. Deutsch
• Date Published: 2019
• Length: 16 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2013-JU-FX-0009
• Sponsoring Agency: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical); Report (Study/Research); Report (Grant Sponsored); Program/Project Description
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Using thematic analysis of mentor and mentee (n = 42) interviews, this study examined how mentoring pairs reflect on mutuality.

Abstract

Evidence suggests that a close interpersonal bond is important for the success of youth-adult mentoring relationships. Mutuality has been suggested to be important for developing a close interpersonal bond (Rhodes, 2002, 2005), but mutuality remains an abstract construct, difficult to understand and cultivate. Results from the current study suggest that mutuality is understood as a combination of two dimensions: shared relational excitement and experiential empathy. Shared relational excitement is felt when there is a genuine desire by both the mentor and the mentee to invest in the relationship. Experiential empathy is the process through which mentors connect with, advise, and normalize the experiences of their mentees by sharing their own relevant experiences. This work has implications for mentor training, program development, and future research on youth-adult relationships. (publisher abstract modified)