UNIVERSITY-SPONSORED SCHOOL-BASED MENTORING PROGRAMS THAT TARGET AT-RISK YOUTH: A GLIMPSE OF STUDENT-MENTORS’ EXPERIENCES AND CHALLENGES

Namjera je ovog rada steći uvid u kojoj mjeri neadekvatna akademska priprema te logističke i birokratske zapreke utječu na iskustva studenata koji mentoriraju mlade u riziku. Također, želi se ispitati u kojoj mjeri takve prepreke ometaju ostvarivanje ciljeva programa. Riječ je o mentorskom programu koji zajedno izvode lokalne škole i Odsjek za Kazneno pravo na sveučilištu u zapadnom dijelu SAD-a. Cilj je programa povećati uključenost studenata u zajednicu kao i njihovu društvenu odgovornost te povećati njihovo znanje o rizičnim čimbenicima koji dovode do delinkvencije i ovisnosti. U istraživanje je uključeno 115 studenata koji su se dobrovoljno uključili u mentorski program. Analiza kvalitativnih i kvantitativnih podataka pokazala je da, iako je program imao potencijala biti koristan i za mentore i za djecu, većina studenata mentora govori o stručnim, logističkim i birokratskim preprekama. Iz rezultata se nadalje može zaključiti kako uspjeh mentorskih programa na sveučilištu, namijenjenih djeci u riziku, može u velikoj mjeri ovisiti o tome koliko su dobro studenti pripremljeni. Ova priprema odnosi se na logističke, akademske i birokratske aspekte. Važan aspekt je i to koliko su sveučilište i škole posvećeni tome da olakšaju neke od očitih zapreka na koje studenti nailaze. U raspravi se navode načini na koje se mogu poboljšati posvećenost studenata i njihova iskustva mentoriranja kroz procese dobrovoljnog prijavljivanja studenata, adekvatne akademske pripreme te umanjivanja administrativnih i logističkih prepreka.This article looks at how inadequate academic preparation and logistical and bureaucratic challenges, if any, impacted student-mentors’ experiences and how such impediments hindered the attainment of program goals. The program in question is a joint collaborative mentoring venture run by a local school district and a criminal justice department at a mid-sized four-year public university in the western part of the United States. The program’s aim was to increase student-mentors’ community and civic commitments as well as their knowledge of risk factors that generally inform delinquency, incorrigibility, and dependency. A total of 115 university student-mentors, who involuntarily served as student-mentors, were surveyed. Analysis of the qualitative and quantitative data generated shows that while the program had the potential to benefit both mentors and protégées, the majority of student-mentors experienced professional, logistical, and bureaucratic impediments. Results further suggest that the success of university-sponsored school-based service learning projects that target at-risk youth may depend largely on how well student-mentors are logistically, academically, and bureaucratically prepared as well as the degrees of commitment by both university and local school authorities toward easing some of the obvious difficulties student-mentors encounter. Discussions are offered for ways in which voluntary recruitment of student-mentors, adequate academic preparation, and reduced administrative hurdles and logistical challenges may enhance personal commitments and mentoring experiences

Classical Criminological Perspective and Attitudes Toward Same-Sex Rights

This study examined the degree to which perspectives consistent with classical criminological theory among college students and faculty supported public and governmental responses to same-sex rights (e.g., gay marriage). Classical criminology assumes that “crime is the product of a person’s free will” and “the main reason why people break the law is that they figure they can get away with it”. A convenience sample of 1471 undergraduate and graduate students, and college and university professors in the United States, Eastern Europe, Asia, and other unidentified countries completed a survey (via SurveyMonkey) between 2014 and 2015. The data failed to support our hypothesis that people who supported classical criminology were likely to see the issue of same-sex interaction as a non-rule violation and that same-sex rights should be provided. Bivariate analyses instead indicated that classical criminology perspectives did not support attitudes endorsing same-sex rights. One explanation is that people who support classical criminological perspective are more likely to be political conservative and religious, two characteristics that tend to disapprove homosexuality and, thus, less likely to support same-sex rights