FAITH-BASED YOUTH PROGRAMS AND RESILIENCY DEVELOPMENT: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between Young Life participation and the perception of resiliency skills among middle school, high school, and college aged students. The sampling technique for this study was convenience sampling of 350 students. The sample for this study was recruited from a specific Young Life Chapter in Greenville, NC, known as Pitt County Young Life. The participants were asked to share the form with their parents, have them sign it if they consented, and return it to their Campaigners leader the following week. The Campaigners leader was provided written instructions to read to the participants, which included securing the assent approval and completion of the instrument. To measure the student’s perception of resiliency skill and participation in Young Life, we used a 26 item survey that included items from the RASP instrument along with 8 additional demographic items. The results of the test indicated no significant relationship between any of the four factors and participation in Young Life. Though this study did not indicate a strong relationship between the two, there are recommendations for further research that could provide further information and support. These recommendations include using a bigger sample size, fine tuning the distribution method to include less people, using the most accurate RASP instrument, and including a qualitative procedure (such as a focus group) that could be analyzed alongside quantitative data.