Authors : Shivani Singh; Shalini Agarwal

Volume/Issue : Volume 10 - 2025, Issue 6 - June

Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/4yspxutp

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/25jun026

Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.

Abstract : Background: Life skills development is crucial for adolescents residing in shelter homes, yet the influence of family contact on these competencies remains underexplored in the Indian context. Adolescents in shelter homes face unique challenges due to varied reasons for placement including being orphaned, rescued from abuse or abandonment, transferred from other institutions, or being at risk of child labor.  Objective: This study examined the relationship between family contact and life skills development among adolescents aged 12- 17 years residing in shelter homes in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.  Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 120 adolescents (60 boys, 60 girls) selected from four shelter homes using multi-stage sampling. The Comprehensive Inventory for Life-Skills in Adolescents (CILSA) scale was developed and administered to assess ten life skills domains. Independent t-tests were performed to compare life skills between adolescents with and without family contact.  Results: Of the 120 participants, 69 (57.5%) maintained family contact while 51 (42.5%) had no family contact. Adolescents with family contact demonstrated significantly higher scores across nine of ten life skills domains: self-awareness (10.04±1.5 vs 8.22±2.92, p<.001), empathy (8.91±2.25 vs 7.75±2.00, p=.004), critical thinking (11.52±2.18 vs 10.41±3.34, p=.030), creative thinking (11.75±2.60 vs 9.63±3.53, p<.001), emotion management (11.39±2.78 vs 10.06±3.53, p=.022), stress coping (12.68±2.40 vs 10.71±3.70, p=.001), communication (11.62±2.49 vs 9.55±2.26, p<.001), interpersonal skills (9.55±2.26 vs 7.29±2.72, p<.001), and problem-solving (9.86±1.70 vs 8.43±2.41, p<.001). Total life skills scores were significantly higher among those with family contact (106.57±16.22 vs 90.24±25.08, p<.001).  Conclusions: Family contact significantly enhances life skills development across multiple domains among shelter home adolescents. These findings underscore the importance of facilitating safe family connections to promote optimal developmental outcomes in institutional care settings, while being sensitive to the complex circumstances that bring adolescents into care.

Keywords : Life Skills, Adolescents, Shelter Homes, Family Contact, Institutional Care, India.

References :

1. Ainsworth, M. D. S. (1967). Infancy in Uganda: Infant care and the growth of love. Johns Hopkins University Press.
2. Ainsworth, M. D. S., Blehar, M. C., Waters, E., & Wall, S. (1978). Patterns of attachment: A psychological study of the strange situation. Lawrence Erlbaum.
3. Al-Mushki, A., & Homied, S. (2024). The role of social fund for development in Empowering Life Skills for Rural families: A case Study of Jabal Asharq- Directorate Anis-Thamar. International Journal for Scientific Research, 3(3), 11–46. https://doi.org/ 10.59992/ijsr.2024.v3n3p1
4. Bennett, K. S., & Hay, D. A. (2007). The Role of Family in the Development of Social Skills in Children with Physical Disabilities. International Journal of Disability Development and Education, 54(4), 381–397. https://doi.org/10.1080/10349120701654555
5. Bowlby, J. (1969). Attachment and loss: Vol. 1. Attachment. Basic Books.
6. Bowlby, J. (1982). Attachment and loss: Vol. 1. Attachment (2nd ed.). Basic Books. (Original work published 1969)
7. Bowlby, J. (1988). A secure base: Parent-child attachment and healthy human development. Basic Books.
8. BYJU'S. (2024, March 6). Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2015. https://byjus.com/fr ee-ias-prep/juvenile-justice-act/
9. Dasgupta, N. M., & Sain, N. R. R. (2015). The Impact of Family Environment upon Development of Life Skills and Psychological Hardiness among Adolescent Boys. International Journal of Indian Psychology, 2(2). https://doi.org/10.25215/0202.036
10. Edgar, D. (1999). Families as the crucible of competence in a changing social ecology. In Oxford University Press eBooks (pp. 109–129). Edgar, D. (1999). Families as the crucible of competence in a changing social ecology. In Oxford University Press eBooks (pp. 109–129). https://doi.org/10.1 093/med:psych/9780198503187.003.0006
11. Government of India. (2015). The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 (Act No. 2 of 2016). https://www.indiacode.nic.in/handle/ 123456789/2148
12. Hodge, C. J., Kanters, M. A., Forneris, T., Bocarro, J. N., & Sayre-McCord, R. (2017). A family thing: Positive youth development outcomes of a Sport-Based Life Skills Program. Journal of Park and Recreation Administration, 35(1), 34–50. https://doi.org/10.18666/jpra-2017-v35-i1-6840
13. Lamboy, B., Saïas, T., Rengade, C. E., Rubio, B., & Jourdan, D. (2022). The key role of psychosocial competencies in evidence-based youth mental health promotion: Academic support in consolidating a national strategy in France. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(24), 16530. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192416530
14. Law Corner. (2021, February 24). Child Welfare Committee and its procedure. https://lawcor ner.in/child-welfare-committee-and-its-procedure/
15. Main, M. (1996). Introduction to the special section on attachment and psychopathology: 2. Overview of the field of attachment. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 64(2), 237-243.
16. Marín, M. P. R. (2024). Family Functionality and Life Skills, a Comparative Study between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Families in the Department Of Cesar. Pakistan Journal of Life and Social Sciences (PJLSS), 22(2). https://doi.org/10.57239/pjlss-2024-22.2.00418
17. Marshall, J. M., & Schreiber, J. C. (2014). Attachment and emotional development in institutional care: Characteristics and catch-up. Development and Psychopathology, 26(4), 1349-1361.
18. Mittal, A. (2020, April 11). Powers and functions of the Child Welfare Committee. iPleaders. https://blog.ipleaders.in/powers-and-functions-of-child-welfare-committee/
19. Mossman, G. J., & Cronin, L. D. (2018). Life skills development and enjoyment in youth soccer: The importance of parental behaviours. Journal of Sports Sciences, 37(8), 850–856. https://doi.org/10.108 0/02640414.2018.1530580
20. Nasir, M., & Iqbal, S. (2019). Effectiveness of life skills intervention on depression, anxiety and stress among children and adolescents: A systematic review. BMC Public Health, 19, 1785. https://doi.org/10 .1186/s12889-019-7899-y
21. Rina, G., & Karmila, M. (2020). PENDIDIKAN KETERAMPILAN HIDUP (LIFE SKILL) ANAK USIA DINI SELAMA MASA PANDEMI COVID-19 DI LINGKUNGAN KELUARGA. TEMATIK Jurnal Pemikiran Dan Penelitian Pendidikan Anak Usia Dini, 6(2), 53. https://doi.org/10.26858/tematik.v6i2.15473
22. Samisti Legal. (2021). Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015. https://samistilegal.in/juvenile-justice-care-and-protection-of-children-act-2015/
23. Schmidt, J. R., Brown, P. T., & Waycott, A. M. (1988). Developing the individual: life skills and family therapy. British Journal of Guidance and Counselling, 16(2), 113–128. https://doi.org/10.1080/03069888808 253545
24. Singh, S., & Agarwal, S. (2024). Empowering individuals for a sustainable Tomorrow: Role of Life skills development. Journal of Ecophysiology and Occupational Health, 211–219. https://doi.org/10.183 11/jeoh/2024/35800
25. Taylor, D. (1981). The family and the development of literacy skills and values. Journal of Research in Reading, 4(2), 92–103. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9817.1981.tb00225.x
26. World Health Organization. (1997). Life skills education for children and adolescents in schools: Introduction and guidelines to facilitate the development and implementation of life skills programmes (2nd rev.). World Health Organization.
27. Yahya, F. (2022). The Importance of Family Routine and its Role in Developing The Social Skills of The Child. International Uni-Scientific Research Journal, 3(1), 98–104. https://doi.org/10.59271/s44812.0 22.1250.15