Religion and the life attitudes and self-images of American adolescents

By Christian Smith

Subjects: Teenagers, Attitudes, Religious life, Self-perception in adolescence, Self-esteem in adolescence

Description: This report, based on nationally representative survey data, this report indicates that religious U.S. 12th graders have significantly higher self-esteem and hold more positive attitudes about life in general than their less religious peers. Of the 13 attitudinal variables this report examines, only one was not significantly related to some dimension of religion when controlling for the effects of nine other variables such as age, race, sex and family structure. The religion factors most commonly related to these outcomes are religious service attendance and importance of religion, although religious affiliation and youth group participation were also important in many cases.