Nishma -I would like to know from you an aspect of how the survey was conducted. Were there multiple choice questions or were they required to write out their own personal answer in full? If the latter, how did you mark an answer like, “I had many doubts and questions and I didn’t feel like anyone care enough about me to answer them.”? Did you mark that as “Had questions and Doubts” or “Didn’t feel Loved”?
The way one marks that answer plays a VERY significant role in relating to these young people and their needs. The prior needs “answers”. The latter needs “love, warmth, and understanding”. For the latter ALL answers fall on deaf ears being that answers is not truly what they seek; rather recognition.
Also, there is an apparent mistaken conclusion in your survey. You say that only a small percentage (I believe it was about 8%) went OTD because of internet. What you didn’t take in to consideration is where they found questions that weakened their faith (which was your number one reason given). I’m sure very few people (at least in the Chareidi circle) were exposed to questions that challenge the legitimacy of the Torah on the streets and being that most don’t go to Universities they didn’t get exposed there either. So where do you think they were exposed to such questions (such as legitimacy of the Exodus)? Obviously, on line. Thus, in truth, the internet has been a gateway of falling away from Torah to many of these kids even if they don’t realize that themselves and answer otherwise.
I think the worst part about your survey is that it was done by people that are not intimately familiar with a Torah way of life and thus there was left plenty of room for making mistakes that a Chareidi Jew would have deciphered more correctly due to his better understanding of the frum psyche. Unfortunately, I feel that in the end your survey does more harm to these people than help for in the end if the conclusions are off the mark these people will not receive the proper programs to help them heal.
Imagine that an OTD really is looking for emotional support, understanding, and above all LOVE from his family and community. If instead, due to your conclusions that it is lack of faith that caused their OTD, you will create programs to help them find meaning and purpose and introduce them to outlooks that are congruent to a secular society. You will also create social environments for them to become members of. But in the end they will remain broken because deep in their hearts what they really want is to hear their mothers or fathers say, “I love you unconditionally with all my heart”! So what good have you done them?