Promoting the Well-Being of Children and Adolescents

¶ … Faith Factor and Promoting the Well-Being of Children and Adolescents

The faith factor has traditionally been negatively correlated with at-risk behaviors given the tendency by the government and community-funded groups to work independent of churches and religious organizations. The negative correlation of the faith factor with at-risk behaviors is attributed to the fact that many churches and religious organizations don't capitalize on their potential to deal with the critical needs of young people. Actually, many churches and religious organizations spend very minimal time in dealing with various issues that are important to young people with regards to at-risk behaviors. For instance, the findings of recent surveys and studies demonstrate that churches and religious organizations spend very little time discussing sex, drugs and alcohol, and other at-risk behaviors (Eklin & Roehlkepartain, 2004). Therefore, the faith factor is negatively correlated with at-risk behaviors because of the seeming reluctance and failure by churches and religious organizations to spend time in addressing the various at-risk behaviors among young people.

In light of this negative correlation, parents, teachers, and Christian leaders face the need to promote the well-being of children and adolescents. As evident in the previous reflection, parents, teachers, and Christian leaders need to work together towards promoting the well-being of children and adolescents through addressing at-risk behaviors. This can be achieved through taking a serious role in efforts towards positive youth development. The process requires using cooperative and collaborative initiatives where opportunities to handle specific at-risk concerns among young people are taken advantage of. This implies that parents, teachers, and Christian leaders can promote the well-being of children and adolescents through collaboration, cooperation, and community networking. This will help ensure that the at-risk concerns of young people are addressed through community-wide efforts.

The community-wide efforts towards youth development should focus on three major areas i.e. lessening risky behaviors, developing a value base, and engaging people throughout the life span. The collaboration and cooperation among parents, teachers, and Christian leaders towards the achievement of these three objectives help children and adolescents to develop and engage in practices or habits that contribute to their well-being. Their involvement in such behaviors and habits is based on understanding of the importance to lessen risky behaviors and the need for ensuring individual health and well-being.

Apart from developing community-wide steps, parents, teachers, and Christian leaders can promote the well-being of children and adolescents through the use of multi-component interventions. These interventions should be established in the home environment as well as the church and school setting. The multi-component interventions are largely considered to be effective in the school setting in relation to physical activity and fitness. However, the establishment of these interventions in the various settings enables them to become important elements in health promotion, which enhances the well-being of children and adolescents (Christian et. al., 2015, p.1).