Resilience of Adolescents from Broken-Home Families through Social Support in Character Development

Abstract

This study examines how school-based social support contributes to resilience and character development among adolescents from broken-home families at SMP Negeri 1 Baros, Serang Regency, Indonesia. A qualitative phenomenological design was used to understand the lived experiences of students who faced parental separation, chronic family conflict, parental absence, or functional neglect. Twelve students served as primary informants, supported by counseling teachers, homeroom teachers, subject teachers, and peers. Data were collected from October to December 2025 through in-depth semi-structured interviews, observation, documentation, counseling records, and an initial screening process. Analysis followed Miles, Huberman, and Saldana through data condensation, display, and conclusion drawing, with open coding, axial coding, and thematic categorization. Trustworthiness was addressed through source triangulation, technique triangulation, member checking, audit trails, and thick description. The findings show that resilience was not a fixed trait but a dynamic continuum. Four informants were categorized as high resilience, five as moderate, and three as low, reflecting different combinations of emotional regulation, optimism, self-efficacy, coping, and ability to access support. School support appeared in emotional, informational, instrumental, and appraisal forms through counseling services, teacher attention, peer relationships, religious activities, routines, and extracurricular participation.