This report examines the underlying premise of group mentoring, which is that volunteers who interact regularly with small groups of young people can fulfill the role of mentor by developing a number of successful and productive relationships simultaneously. Among the key findings were that: (1) the annual cost per youth in the group mentoring programs was lower than typical in one-on-one programs; (2) group rather than one-on-one programs target youth from ethnic and racial minority groups; (3) while the quality and intensity of mentor-youth relationships varied across the 3 programs, most youth did not prefer an exclusive one-on-one relationship with a mentor, and most mentors placed more emphasis on improving peer interactions; (4) reports of fighting, teasing, or excluding youth from group interactions were rare; and (5) the potential benefits of group coaching included improvements in social skills, youths’ relationships with teachers, parents, and friends, and school performance. Findings suggest a number of avenues for future research, including the extent to which group situations can offer such important components of mentoring as support, guidance, and friendship.
