Date of Award
2004
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Fischler Graduate School of Education and Human Services
Advisor
Vivian Stephenson
Committee Member
Barbara Packer
Keywords
adolescent behavior, adolescents, beliefs, Christian education, church congregations, church programs, churches, curriculum, eating disorders, faith, faith development, family relationships, lying, nonparental adults, parent-child relationships, pornography, school delinquency, sexual misconduct, social behavior, spiritual development, stealing, student behavior, teacher training, unhealthy behavior, violence, volunteer programs, youth ministry, youths
Abstract
This applied dissertation was designed to improve the negative behaviors of adolescents who were active in a local church congregation. Students involved in the activities of the church congregation were found to be participating in various unhealthy and immoral behaviors. Evidence of the problem was obtained through a survey given to 35 students, and it indicated that these students were involved in behaviors such as drinking, lying, stealing, eating disorders, school delinquency, violence, sexual misconduct, and pornography.
The writer developed several solution strategies to decrease student involvement in these behaviors. These strategies focused on connecting adolescents to their church congregations, their parents, and nonparental adults. A program was designed to encourage nonparental adult volunteers to develop relationships with assigned adolescents. It also brought families together in a Christian education format and a retreat setting. The program included a teacher training element as well as the implementation of a new curriculum in youth Christian education designed to meet the needs of the adolescents and their postmodern mind-set.
An analysis of the data revealed that adolescent behavior could be decreased by connecting youths to their church congregations, their parents, and nonparental adults. Some behaviors were more significantly decreased than others. The implementation was effective in decreasing all immoral and unhealthy behaviors to some degree.