Parental influence in the formation and sustenance of spiritual attitude in Christian adolescents

Abstract

The role of a parent in the life of an adolescent is indispensable, for the functioning and physical and psychological well-being. Adolescence is a phase of drastic changes in various dimensions such as physical growth and development, psychological maturity, educational advancements and marks the transition into adulthood. Spiritual development is of utmost importance in this phase and is necessary for their psychological well-being in the future. Like in other dimensions, spirituality and religion are also enforced and inculcated in children by their parents. This study explores the religious and spiritual beliefs and practices of 300 Christian adolescents (between ages 13-16) and their perceived parental influence and support. This was assessed through a self-constructed questionnaire. The data was analysed by comparing the mean scores of the group and also using Mann Whitney U test to compare the scores between boys and girls. The findings reveal that the adolescents attribute their spiritual development, church and faith related activities to their parents and upbringing, thus reinforcing the value of positive parenting in the dimension of religion and spirituality.