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Research Cont...

Parent Teen Research

One of the simpler and more surprising findings from our interviews with teens who made the transition well was that they frequently still had the desire intact to please their parents. As we have pondered this we have also examined research from the National Survey on Youth and Religion that found that 69% of teens wanted greater parental involvement in their lives, but not the style of involvement they perceived they were receiving. This combined with our research calls into the question our cultural conclusion both inside and outside of the church, that parents cannot have positive relationships with their pre-teens and teens. As we talked with teens we found that they are seeking a different type of involvement/relationship with their parents.

Through our work with teens we found that those that did best in the transition of leaving home were those who still had the desire to please their parents intact. As we have reflected upon the research, we sought to understand why the desire to please parents was so important. We believe that this is critical because our students have not yet fully transitioned their "desire to please" to God. We found that shift is most likely to happen once they leave our homes which places a greater priority on the relationship we have with our teens.

Based upon our time with teens and resulting study of scripture, YTN has been testing content with parents and teens for two years that covers both the research and a shepherding model that is founded in Jesus' relationship with His disciples. Parents who participated wrestled deeply with the research and worked diligently to alter their approach to their pre-teens and teens. These parents have testified to positive results in both their relationship with their pre-teens and teens and positive outcomes in the lives of their teens upon leaving home. Read More about Shepherding Pre-teens and Teens.

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