Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science
Mentoring Relationships in the Lives of Boys and Young Men
2026-05-16
In developed countries, males lag females on nearly every educational indicator, from early childhood readiness to postsecondary enrollment and completion (Hurst 2024; Irwin et al. 2024). One contributing factor is their limited access to positive male role models and mentors in their families, schools, and communities (Yu et al. 2021). Although formal mentoring can help bridge these gaps, many programs are not as effective as they could be and suffer from a shortage of male volunteers. I review what research has shown about the need for mentoring and the promise of various mentoring approaches, and I propose several strategies to increase both the effectiveness and availability of male role models and mentors in the lives of boys and young men.