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7 days ago

Ruben Marquez

Forum/Module 4 Thread

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          There is definitely a myriad of different ways one might go about explaining the role of a mentor with regard to affecting not only the environment of an adolescent but also the world view of that child or teenager. There is truly no one size fits all explanation of how a mentor should be or who that mentor is. As a youth that went through his own troubles going up, the single mom that took the most time to engrave the most important values in one's own psyche and worked on that character development that led to one's own successes today shows that a mentor's affect on a child is gargantuan; that was all while in the midst of an extremely dysfunctional family. That is important to note because, "while the effects of a dysfunctional family life are often tough to overcome, families that provide support and social capital remain a long-term bulwark against antisocial behaviors" (Siegel & Welsh, 2017, p. 181). It is unfortunate that in most cases family members can't provide that mentor-ship because they may be a part of the overall problem in some way. That's when in some instances an adolescent might find a mentor in another individual, be it a teacher or a family friend. It was rare that one's own father would ever be around due to their lack of desire to be, but the co-worker of another relative happened to provide guidance on everything from social life to being successful.

          Those experiences from a family friend are what are being capitalized on here. Based off of those experiences, it can't be emphasized how important it is to have guidance from an individual that can relate to an adolescent's experience in some way, shape, or form such as issues in school or with family. A mentor needs to make it clear that they show a broad understanding about an adolescent's woes, even if it is something just specific and not the widespread issues that might plague them on a daily basis. What is being elaborated on here is that the role of a mentor needs to be based off being able to carry an understanding about who they mentor and a capacity to not pass judgement regardless of what issues they may or may not have. Obviously every effort needs to be taken to not coddle the adolescent and tell them what they need to hear; they need to be able to provide honest feedback as well. Their overall role as a mentor should be as an impartial 3rd party to guide the adolescent when family isn't available or, in some instances, when the adolescent can't tell a guardian due to the fact they might feel like it will be something that is blown out of proportion (within reason). They also need to be an individual that can base their current life off of prior experiences and exhibit what the adolescent needs to do in order to be successful and drive them to be better individuals. The overall objective is to, "train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it" (Proverbs 22:6; English Standard Version). That said, it is also important that an adolescent doesn't seek mentorship in the wrong individuals. It can be counted on two hands how many instances have occured in one's childhood where guidance was sought from individuals that were not in the best place and only led peers down a wrong direction which inevitably led to drugs, stealing, and gang related activities.

References

Siegel, L. J., & Welsh, B. C. (2017). Juvenile delinquency: The core (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning. ISBN: 9781305577411.

3 days ago

Noah Perkins

DB Thread 4 Noah Perkins

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The role of a mentor in the life of an adolescent could have a huge impact on his or her lives. Young adults soak up so much in their younger years according to Steytler and Strydom authors of “Mentor Relationship Effects on Perceived Quality of Life by a Sample of Rural South African Teenagers” says “A boy needs a father figure, a mentor someone who believes in him, supports him and stands by him. Mentors are important for personal development and growth (Chen, Greenberger, Farruggia, Bush & Dong, 2003). This is particularly true for teenagers (Steytler & Strydom, 2008). Ndabazandile (2006, p.14) describes a mentor as a “reliable counsellor” or “director “someone who is influential and has experience and who establishes a personal relationship with the boy and helps him to reach his objectives” (Steyler and Strydom 2013). Young people need that father and mother figures in there lives, they are looking for that someone who will show them the way to go. That is why Jesus says “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6). That verse is so true Jesus talks about training up the child in the way he or she should go and they will not depart from that training. Back to the first point made about how children soaking up everything their peers, teachers, mentors show them. Young people are new to the world and are just beginning their life journey, they will soak up whatever information they can without even noticing and that information will shape there worldviews either positive or negative based on their influences around them. According to Jesus it is our jobs to train the young for they are the future and the next leaders. It is our job to reach whoever we can, so why not try to capture the heart and soul of the young and train them to raise future believers.

Works Cited:

Steytler, J. D., & Strydom, H. (2013). Mentor Relationship Effects on Perceived Quality of Life by a Sample of Rural South African Teenagers. Journal Of Psychology In Africa, 23(1), 123-127.