Student Spirit - Faith-Based Groups Grow Healthy Teens
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Student Spirit
Faith-Based Groups Grow Healthy Teens
Teens participating in faith-based youth groups achieve increased personal growth and improved relationships with peers, parents and others in their community, according to new research at the University of Illinois. Teens studied ranked the contribution of religious groups to their life higher than sports, performance groups, academic clubs, and community service organizations like scouting. And "this phenomenon occurred across all religions and denominations," says Reed Larson, chair of Family Resiliency at the university.
"Adolescence is a period of identity development, when teens are sorting out their values, and thinking about their future and where they fit in the world," says Larson. "That doesn’t necessarily occur when kids are hanging out with friends at school or on a sports field." He cites studies demonstrating that religion and spirituality are important to a majority of young people. And he sees kids hungry for meaningful discussion they’re not getting elsewhere. Faith-based youth groups provide a logical venue for these kinds of explorations.
Source: The Miami Herald
