A couple sources are below. It is not a panacea and the studies below don't claim that. But religious involvement does seem to make a difference most of the time. As one of the studies indicates, more family stability may have something to do with it too.
Religious Involvement and Children’s Well-Being: What Research Tells Us (And What It Doesn’t)
Author: Lisa J. Bridges, Kristin Anderson Moore
Publisher: Child Trends
Publication: Child Trends Research Brief
Document Date: September 01, 2002
Category: Adolescence/Youth > Adolescent Sexual Activity
Related Categories: Adolescence/Youth > Adolescent Mental/Emotional Health
Adolescence/Youth > Adolescent Substance Use/Abuse
Crime And Violence > Youth Crime
Family, Religion and Culture > Church Attendance
Family, Religion and Culture > Religion Affiliation
Family, Religion and Culture > Religion and Family
Family, Religion and Culture > Religion Commitment
This paper explores the impact of religion on the behaviour and well-being of children and youth. It finds a moderate relationship between religious belief and practice and a decrease in youth delinquincy, substance use, sexual activity, and mental health problems.
familyindex.net
A Glimpse at Christian Teens
Current research data on churches
by John C. LaRue, Jr.
Even Christian teenagers struggle with drug and alcohol abuse, premarital sex, and family troubles. But a recent study by ChristianityToday.com and Campus Life magazine shows that Christian teens are less involved in these activities, and less concerned about them than American teens in general.
National Concerns
The biggest concern Christian teens see facing the nation is declining spiritual values, cited by 83 percent. In contrast, nationwide Gallup polls consistently list problems with drugs and alcohol as the biggest national concern for U.S. teens. Drug and alcohol abuse turns out to be the third largest concern among Christian teens (65 percent) behind problems with marriage and divorce, which was checked by eight in ten Christian teens. Christian teens are also concerned about declining social values, such as teen pregnancy and abortion.
Christian teens are three to eight times less likely than teens nationwide to have engaged in cigarette smoking, illicit drug use, or sexual intercourse during the past 12 months. Though on the face of it this is good news, Christian teens are still far from perfect and fall to temptation. In the past year 1 in 20 Christian teens used drugs, 1 in 10 had premarital sex, and 1 in 7 drank alcohol as a minor.
Life-changing Struggles
Stress (64 percent) and sin (59 percent) are the two biggest life-changing struggles identified by Christian teens in our study. Relationship problems are common and have significant impact, including hurtful comments (45 percent), family problems (41 percent), a friend's betrayal (40 percent), broken relationship (39 percent), parental conflict (25 percent), physical/emotional/sexual abuse (24 percent), and divorce of parents (17 percent).
Nearly 9 in 10 (86 percent) of the Christian teens in our study named Jesus Christ as their number one source of strength in dealing with personal struggles. Teen friends came second at 55 percent. Adult friends were third according to 3 in 10. One fourth seek out their parents when facing difficulties, while one in five go to a pastor.
Three-fourths of Christian teens live in a household with their original parents, while only half of all American teens have that situation, according to a 1999 study by the National Opinion Research Center. This finding is probably a major reason for the exemplary behavior of Christian teens. The typical respondent to that study is a girl who regularly attends a Protestant church and is involved in a youth ministry.
The Study
In December 2002, subscribers to Campus Life magazine's electronic newsletter were asked to participate in an online survey. Responses from outside the United States and non-teenagers were excluded. A total of 187 U.S. teens completed the survey. Samples of this size are considered accurate to within plus or minus and 7 percentage points 95 percent of the time. To obtain the complete report go to www.yourchurch.net and click on Church Research.
John C. LaRue, Jr. is vice president of Internet research and development at Christianity Today International. Previous Special Reports can be found at America Online Keyword: Your Church or www.yourchurch.net. Address questions to yceditor@christianitytoday.com.
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