The Practice of Rematching in Youth Mentoring: A Study of Planned Rematches in School-Based Mentoring for Children Identified as Aggressive

We extend previous research on the use of rematching in youth mentoring by assessing relationship support and conflict as well as post-mentoring outcomes for 2nd and 3rd grade children participating in three semesters of school-based mentoring (N = 86; M age = 7.54 years, SD = 0.50). Participating children had been identified as displaying heightened aggression based on peer- or teacher-reports (55% boys; 30.0% White, 36.7% Black or African American, 23.3% Latino/a/x, 10% other or missing), and all mentors were college students (68.3% female, 78.3% White). This mentoring program was unique in that it used planned endings and planned rematches: After each semester, all matches were closed and mentees were rematched with a new mentor. Mentor and mentee ratings of relationship support and match conflict from the first semester were used to identify children who had a poor first match. We compared these children with those whose first match was not poor (i.e., comparison matches). With one exception, results indicated no significant differences on subsequent ratings of relationship support, conflict, or post-mentoring outcomes between the two groups. The one exception was that children in a poor first match tended to rate their 2nd semester mentor as less supportive than did children in comparison matches. The findings provide preliminary support for the use of planned endings followed by scheduled rematches and broadens our understanding of the potential role of rematching in youth mentoring.