Exploring the Spiritual Needs of Adolescent Girls

Abstract

Arguing that spiritual growth is part and parcel of the personal, social and emotional development, education and care of all adolescents, this paper explores some key issues on the spiritual needs of adolescent girls within the context of holistic education. Spiritual needs refer primarily to the search for personal meaning, purpose and identity in life, as well as connectedness with others, whether divine or human. Adopting a theoretical approach based on a literature review on the development issues adolescent girls face, this paper identifies and discusses four spiritual needs of adolescent girls: body image, a sense of self, relationships, and future. This paper further suggests some practical ways for educators to foster spiritual development in the adolescent girls.

Spirituality across Disciplines: Research and Practice:

“…More specifically, spirituality is about the connections with self, others, the world, and with the Divine (de Souza 2009;Fisher 2010Fisher , 2012Hay and Nye 2006). Further, spirituality is not necessarily associated with any institutionalized doctrines or religious affiliations (e.g., Hay and Nye 2006;Zhang and Tan 2010). Rather, it is essentially about things pertaining to one's spirit or soul, and is often reflected in an individual's the search for personal meaning, purpose, and identity in life, In contrast, religion is an organized and shared system of beliefs and practices related to a transcendent entity such as God, and is closely linked to a particular faith institution.…”

Weaving the Future in Holistic Education: Key Principles and Implications for Serving Todays Troubled Youths and Families

“…Inherent spiritual characteristics of holistic education create context within which the mind, body, and spirit are integrated. In this article, spiritual development is operationally defined as an internal process of identity development involving a greater connectedness to self, others and nature, deriving meaning, purpose, and direction in one's life [2].…”

What does Spirituality have to do with Public Schools?

“…Let us take girls and young women as an example. Girls and young women's struggles in the formation their body image, a sense of self, relationship building, and connection with the world often reflect an underlying personal quest to achieve a stable positive self-identity, a larger purpose in life, and a sustained connectedness with others-all the necessary conditions for one's spiritual development [3].…”