Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 13, 2026
09:55
Bridging the Technology Divide in the COVID-19 Era: Using Virtual Outreach to Expose Middle and High School Students to Imaging Technology
Published on: September 28, 2022
Secondary school transition: does mentoring help 'at-risk' children?
Vikram Yadav1, Michelle O'Reilly, Khalid Karim
1Ynys Mon Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service.
Summary
Mentoring interventions positively impacted at-risk children during their school transition. The study showed improvements in self-esteem, resilience, and mental health, suggesting mentoring is beneficial for pupils facing challenges.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Educational Psychology
- Intervention Studies
Background:
- The transition from primary to secondary school is a critical period for at-risk children, often associated with psychosocial issues.
- While mentoring shows benefits, its impact on at-risk children during this specific transition is under-researched.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate changes in psychosocial and behavioral variables in at-risk children during the primary to secondary school transition.
- To assess the effectiveness of a 10-month mentoring intervention on these variables.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study involving 88 at-risk children.
- Data collected via pre-, mid-, and post-intervention questionnaires.
- Assessed changes in self-esteem, resilience, locus of control, and mental health difficulties.
Main Results:
- Significant positive changes were observed across all measured psychosocial and behavioral variables.
- Children demonstrated improvements in self-esteem and resilience.
- Reductions in mental health difficulties were noted post-intervention.
Conclusions:
- The mentoring intervention facilitated positive psychosocial outcomes for at-risk children during the school transition.
- Mentoring appears to be a valuable support service for pupils experiencing mental health challenges during educational transitions.
Related Concept Videos
01:27Ethnic Identity within a Larger Culture
Adolescents from ethnic minority backgrounds face a multifaceted journey in forming their identities, shaped by the intersections of cultural expectations and personal exploration. For these adolescents, identity formation involves not only typical developmental challenges but also navigating the perceptions and attitudes of the majority culture. As they grow, adolescents in ethnic minority groups often become increasingly aware of stereotypes, social biases, and discrimination, all of which...
01:23Influence of Parents and Peers on Identity
Adolescence is a pivotal period of identity formation, during which individuals begin to answer questions central to their sense of self, such as "Who am I?" and "Who do I hope to become?" Both parents and peers play critical roles in guiding adolescents through this complex developmental phase.
Parental Influence on Identity Development
Parents serve as primary guides and managers in an adolescent's life, offering support instrumental in decision-making and personal growth. This guiding role...
Parental Influence on Identity Development
Parents serve as primary guides and managers in an adolescent's life, offering support instrumental in decision-making and personal growth. This guiding role...
01:29Relationship with Other Adult Family Members and Siblings
Other adult family members and siblings play a crucial role in shaping children’s social and emotional development. While parents or primary caregivers are often the central figures in early attachment and socialization, other adults in a child’s life, such as grandparents, aunts, and uncles, can significantly influence developmental outcomes. These influences depend on each adult’s personality and may help compensate when a primary caregiver is emotionally distant or inconsistent. For...
02:04Bullying
A modern form of aggression is bullying. As you learn in your study of child development, socializing and playing with other children is beneficial for children’s psychological development. However, as you may have experienced as a child, not all play behavior has positive outcomes. Some children are aggressive and want to play roughly. Other children are selfish and do not want to share toys. One form of negative social interactions among children that has become a national concern is bullying.
03:00Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification
Social psychologists have documented that feeling good about ourselves and maintaining positive self-esteem is a powerful motivator of human behavior (Tavris & Aronson, 2008). In the United States, members of the predominant culture typically think very highly of themselves and view themselves as good people who are above average on many desirable traits (Ehrlinger, Gilovich, & Ross, 2005). Often, our behavior, attitudes, and beliefs are affected when we experience a threat to our...
01:30Community Based Intervention
Community-based interventions in mental health represent a paradigm shift from institution-centered care to treatments embedded within the fabric of local communities. By prioritizing inclusion and leveraging existing societal structures, this approach fosters a supportive environment conducive to addressing mental health challenges while promoting individual dignity and agency.
Foundations of Community Mental Health Programs
Central to the success of community-based interventions is the...
Foundations of Community Mental Health Programs
Central to the success of community-based interventions is the...