Summary
The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of police mentoring relationships with youth on their attitudes and behaviours toward authority figures. The data was collected through a case study of the Essex Ontario Provincial Police Cop Camp. A random sample of 15 youths was studied. The participants were chosen by their teacher and their VIP officer because they showed some leadership potential but needed some discipline in that area. The counsellors of the camp were all O.P.P. officers who volunteered their time in order for the camp to be able to function. The participants of the camp were interviewed before and after their camp experiences, were asked to keep a journal and their parents were interviewed one month after camp was finished. In general, the results indicated that there was an impact on the youth created by the close relations they made with their counsellors who were police officers for the O.P.P. Their attitudes towards the role of the police officer were positive, and the participants all gained leadership skills while working under the strict expectations of the officers at the camp.