Developmental sensitivities and strengths in adolescent mentors of community children: A phenomenological study with youth in U.S. urban communities of color stressed by low-income

Cross-age mentoring programs provide adolescents with opportunities to develop leadership, empathy, and self-efficacy while supporting younger peers. However, little is known about the developmental sensitivities and strengths adolescent mentors bring to cross-age mentoring relationships, particularly among youth of color in economically stressed communities. Guided by a phenomenological and ecological systems framework, this study examined how adolescent mentors self-evaluated their mentoring competence and interpreted their mentees’ responsiveness at the beginning of their cross-age mentoring program. Data were drawn from 316 debriefing forms completed by 158 mentors participating in the Saving Lives Inspiring Youth (SLIY) program in urban communities of color in a largeMidwestern city. Qualitative thematic and content analyses identified 17 categories of responses reflecting mentors’ cognitive schemas regarding confidence and caring. Most mentors attributed their confidence to their mentees’ openness and engagement, highlighting how perceived relational reciprocity fostered their self-efficacy and fulfillment. Mentors also emphasized their strengths as shared experiences of hardship, their empathy, and being community role models. Findings reveal that adolescent mentors’ self-efficacy is deeply relational and context-dependent, shaped by their developmental stage, social sensitivity, and cultural wealth. These results expand understanding of mentoring as a developmental and community-embedded process, affirming the value of adolescents’ lived experiences and resilience in fostering meaningful intergenerational connections. Programs that support adolescent mentors through reflective supervision, enhance their empathy, and include culturally responsive instructions may improve match quality and promote sustained mentor–mentee engagement.