Mentoring and the Development of Resilience: An Australian Perspective

The purpose of this paper is to examine the connections between mentoring and resilience. Theory and research support the notion that a mentoring relationship between an adult and a young person can contribute to the development of resilience and socio-emotional well-being. Mentoring provides a context for young people to develop key protective factors, such as relationships with caring adults, networks with peers and others, and individual competencies. Evidence is provided from international research literature and a cross-case analysis of a range of Australian mentoring programs with young people in various school and community settings. Mentors ranged from senior citizens to adolescents working with younger peers. Programs focused on young people with a variety of characteristics, from those showing particular talent to those regarded as high-risk, as well as those from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Despite providing an opportunity for successful intervention and prevention, such programs do not offer a ‘quick fix’, and require careful consideration of a range of issues. Successful programs have mentors with caring qualities, provide opportunities for network development, and implement strategies for developing individual competencies according to individual needs and interests.

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