How Mentoring Helps to Minimize Bullying and Why Mentoring is Important for all Ages

How Mentoring Helps Minimize Bullying and
Why Mentoring is Important for All Ages                                                                            

 

 

 

 Mentors working with youngsters can assist them with schoolwork, team or sports activities, or home issues.  Mentors act as a sounding board for individuals to share their problems, goals, and dreams. It is a great feeling to know that someone is waiting in the wings to offer you an unbiased listening ear or a caring word of support.  Mentoring serves as a support-mechanism to bolster or renew an individual’s confidence when things are not going as planned.  Throughout life there are challenging times demand perseverance.  The willingness to act as a counsel who assists an individual through “the hard times” is why mentoring is important for people of all ages.  Understanding why mentoring is important is a helpful strategy for use toward building better schools, businesses, churches and communities.    A national mentoring partnership organization “Mentor”, www.mentoring.org  gives a general overview of the benefits of mentoring.

 

Mentors who connect with others in schools and businesses help to promote academic or professional success for the mentee.  A mentor can step in to help when an individual feels shaky or unsure of their next course of action.  Everyone deserves to have a sense of belonging and acceptance. As we know, there are situations where some individuals may feel excluded, isolated, and ignored. Eliminating exclusionary feelings is another reason why mentoring is important for all ages. Bullying creates a feeling of loneliness, isolation and exclusion.   A creative and effective way to ease the pain and social isolation of bullying is to link a child with a positive, caring adult mentor.

Mentors interact with students or mentees by acting as tutors, coaches, dance or martial art instructors, and form trusting relationships while reinforcing skills. Youngsters feel comfortable interacting and communicating with their mentors who may unknowingly become the first line of support for children who are bullied. Additionally, an effective mentor may be the first adult to notice changes in the child’s behavior, appearance, or attendance that sends a warning that bullying or something negative is occurring.

Mentors who interact in the school environment serve as another set of eyes and ears to observe group interactions and behaviors.  A mentor’s presence helps to validate what is actually happening on athletic fields or at other times when children gather in large or small groups.  Matching a mentor with the child who is a bully is a powerful dose of prevention.  We often think of finding a mentor or friend for the victim but fail to consider the power of linking a bully with someone who exhibits courtesy and kindness.   A mentor has the potential to make a positive impression on the bully by demonstrating and delivering appropriate actions, corrective advice and concern. 

People need to feel the sense of belonging and this factor is why mentoring is important for all ages.  Information about mentoring for children and adolescents can be found at www.youth.gov .
 A mentor is a knowledgeable teacher, counsel, or coach who provides support for an individual's extra-curricular, personal, or professional endeavors.  A mentor supports an inexperienced person to make good decisions and choices related to work and daily life. There are many reasons why mentoring is important for people of all ages.   We have all been there --- in a place or situation where we were unsure as to how to proceed.  There are moments in life when we have felt unsure and doubted our abilities.  In addition to being the victim of bullying there are other trying and unpleasant times. Examples of difficult times might include being the new kid at school, waiting to be included in a group activity,  going away to college or starting a new job.  A mentor can assist you understanding your feelings by discussing and identifying the issues.

Mentoring is often a key component of career advancement. Female professionals may have  experienced  limited access to the benefits of mentoring.  There is a vast body of research and writing on the topics of bullying and mentoring.  Reviewing various aspects of the topics will help you to understand the importance of mentoring for all.  Mentoring is a win-win process for the victim, the bully and the dedicated adult.