(PS4-C63) Social Networks & Trauma: The Relationship Between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Mentoring Outcomes

Mentoring programs are a popular social intervention for youth in the United States and have been found to be most effective when employing targeted skill-building approaches. Unfortunately, mental health challenges and emotional difficulties are commonplace among youth today, so mentoring programs and mentors need to be prepared to support youth who are coming in with mental health challenges. One predictor of emotional challenges is exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Studies from across disciplines have found that exposure to ACEs can increase the likelihood of negative emotional and behavioral outcomes. Examples of ACEs include neglect, abuse, and household difficulties, like substance use in the home. Recent reports have found that 24% of youth have experienced at least 1 ACE in their lifetime. Research has also shown that parents bring their children to formal mentoring programs when their child is struggling as one way to have additional support for the youth. Strong social bonds have been found to buffer the impact of ACEs, so mentoring programs may be one effective intervention for youth with these experiences. However, previous research has not yet examined the prevalence of ACEs within youth enrolling in mentoring programs, or how the experience of ACEs may interact with building a relationship with a mentor. Understanding the prevalence of ACEs among youth in mentoring programs is imperative for training mentors to be better equipped to support these youth and their needs and prevent early match termination. 

To address this gap, we present findings of the prevalence of ACEs among youth enrolling in a formal mentoring program (N=1217, Mage= 10.8 years, 53.4% male, 69.2% non-White) in the northeastern United States from 2020 to 2022. We also present data comparing prevalence rates to the national averages and examine the relationship between ACEs and the length and strength of mentoring relationships. Results revealed that 15.2% of these youth experienced 4 or more ACEs. Compared to the national sample, youth in this mentoring program were 5.12 times more likely to experience domestic violence (χ2(1) = 685.75, p < .001), 1.41 times more likely to experience having an incarcerated parent (χ2(1) = 13.736, p < .001), and 3.74 times more likely to report 3 or more ACEs (χ2(1) = 474.38, p < .001). Moreover, the total number of ACEs was correlated with match duration (r(144) = .20, p < .05) and strength of relationship as reported by mentors (r(1018) = .13, p < 0.001), indicating greater number of ACEs experienced relates to longer and stronger mentoring relationships. The number of ACEs reported was found to predict strength of relationship as reported by mentors (p < .001, R2 = 1.81 ± 0.367). Additional analyses exploring the relationship between the experience of ACEs and indicators of the mentoring relationship will be reported. Implications for mentoring programs serving minoritized populations with high exposure to ACEs will be discussed.