Differential Analysis of Time since Father's Death and Residence Type on the Attitude Atonement among Orphan Adults

Focusing on the implications of residence—rural or urban—and the time since the father's death, this study explored differences in attitude toward atonement among adult orphans. A cross-sectional study design was used to investigate attitudes toward atonement among adult orphans. Purposive sampling included single, non-institutionalized orphans without any medical or psychological issues to ensure each participant met the inclusion requirement of being an unmarried orphan living with their mother. The final sample included two hundred adult orphans in the age range of 19-30 from different parts of Gujrat. Individuals who were married and double orphans were excluded from study participation. The demographic form included questions about living in urban or rural areas and the time since the father's death. The Attitude Atonement Scale (AAS) was used to analyze attitude atonement, which is a native 16-item instrument with four subscales: Justice, Reformation, Restitution, and Redemption. To analyze the differences in attitudes toward atonement, data were analyzed using ANOVA and independent samples t-tests. The results revealed that attitudes toward atonement were significantly different by time since the father's death. Those who lost their father, and it was their very first loss, had significantly more atonement attitudes than did those who lost their father more than a year later. In addition, urban orphans had much stronger atonement views than rural orphans. The study raises the possibility of culturally based bereavement interventions, including temporal and environmental aspects, in order to support effective moral repair and healing.