Big brothers big sisters put to the test: can mentoring prevent crime?

This study looked at whether the Big Brothers Big Sisters community mentoring program can prevent crime and delinquency in youth ages 10 to 16. Over 1,300 young people were randomly assigned to either get a mentor or not, and researchers tracked arrests, delinquency, and substance use for 4 years. The goal was to see if having a caring adult mentor reduces risky behaviors and helps kids stay on a positive path.