Professional Dissertations DMin

Date of Award

2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Ministry

College

Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary

Program

Doctor of Ministry DMin

First Advisor

Antonio M. Rosario

Second Advisor

Ricardo Norton

Third Advisor

Elton DeMoraes

Abstract

Problem

In the United States, about 160,000 adolescents drop out of school every day because of bullying. A survey of adolescents from the Atlanta North Hispanic Adventist Church (IAHAN), revealed that 83 percent have experienced incidents of bullying. A seminar on bullying at this church informs on the evils caused by bullying, and has the potential to help decrease bullying and dropout rates among IAHAN adolescents.

Methodology

This research belongs to the practical theology area. The purpose is to develop an orientation seminar to instruct IAHAN adolescents on how to face bullying in their social interactions. The task consisted in the identification of the main causes and consequences of bullying and sharing with participants relevant solutions for facing this common social anomaly. In order to carry out the research, biblical and theological literature concerning love and human respect was examined. The writings of Ellen G. White and contemporary literature related to these topics were also analyzed. Additionally, the research included an anonymous preliminary survey prepared to collect statistical data that revealed how many of the participants had been bullied, and where, how often, and what mechanisms they used to cope with such harassment. Based on the results, the author developed the seminar on bullying. Finally, the effectiveness of the seminar was evaluated through a survey that recorded the opinion of the participants.

Results

The first survey of this project was conducted at the beginning of the school year in August 2021. A weekend retreat was held in September 2021 for the presentation of the seminar. In May 2022, at the end of the school year, a follow-up survey was conducted among the 30 participating adolescents. This survey consisted of three questions to compare the results after the seminar. The following are some positive results of the seminar in the lives of IAHAN teens. The 30 respondents provided three rating responses, for a total of 90 responses. Seventy-three percent of the respondents reported that they got a lot of help; 20 percent reported getting positive help, and seven percent said they got a little bit of help. In the preliminary survey, 83 percent of respondents admitted that they had been bullied, while 17 percent reported that they had not been bullied. Based on this information, where most of the respondents reported being victims of bullying, the evaluation percentages were very encouraging.

Conclusion

The survey of the 30 participants revealed a high level of approval of the seminar and demonstrated that IAHAN adolescents needed to address the issue of bullying. The value of dealing with it in public and as a group was confirmed, as attendees were very receptive to presentations and spoke openly and freely. The importance of being able to help the adolescents of the church was also established, as well as the importance of a seminar that responded to the needs of mental health and spiritual growth in order to train them to deal with situations like bullying. Periodic replication of the seminar was recommended. The seminar has missionary potential because it can benefit not only the adolescents of the church, but also those of society in general. It brings hope to today’s youth.

Subject Area

Bullying in schools--Georgia--Atlanta; Bullying--Religious aspects--Seventh-day Adventists; North Atlanta Hispanic Seventh-day Adventist Church (Doraville, Ga.)

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