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New York, NY - In a recent survey conducted by the American Bible Society, 70% of 12-15-year-olds surveyed said there are correlations between the messages of the Bible and the way they apply those messages to their lives.
African- American teens were significantly more likely to agree with this statement than teens of all other races and ethnic groups. More than 1,600 12-18-year-olds participated in a six-question survey conducted by Weekly Reader Research on behalf of the American Bible Society.
The survey also revealed these newfound statistics:
• 51% surveyed were introduced to the Bible by their parents, with African-American (60%) and Hispanic teens (50%) leading among the surveyed ethnic groups.
• 18% of teens said a pastor or a priest introduced them to the Bible; 12.5% were introduced by a youth leader.
• Roughly 56% of the respondents were introduced to messages of the Bible before age 10. Children who read the Bible before age 10 were more likely to read the Bible regularly as teenagers.
• More than half of the teens surveyed read the Bible daily, weekly, on Sunday or sometimes and an estimated six percent of the 30.2 million 12-18-year-olds in the United States read the Bible daily (with no significant age, race or gender differences).
American Bible Society president Dr. Paul Irwin explained, "We conducted the survey to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the role the Bible plays in the lives of teens in America. All of us were very excited to see, and have reinforced, the important role parents play in introducing the Bible to children at a young age."
Teens in Times of Crisis
Another major finding in the survey is how teens, especially girls, are likely to turn to the Bible in times of crisis.
• About 58.9% of girls - compared to 52% of boys - are more likely to read the Bible when "a family member or friend is sick or dying."
• When asked if they read the Bible "when they are depressed or feeling down," 52.2% of girls responded versus 44.4% of boys.
Teens & Sex
When asked if they turned to the Bible for education about sex and sexuality, 21% of all teens answered yes. Among those who said yes, 29% were African-American and 20% were Caucasian-White.
The study was representative of U.S. population of teens. The participants were 63% Caucasian, 16% of respondents African-American, 15% Hispanic/Latino, 4% Asian, 2% Native American, and overall the participants were 51% male and 49% female. (Source: American Bible Society)
About the American Bible Society
Founded in 1816 and headquartered in New York City, the mission of the American Bible Society is to make the Bible available to every person in a language and format each can understand and afford, so that all people may experience its life-changing message. The American Bible Society Web site is www.americanbible.org.
About Weekly Reader Research
Weekly Reader Research is the premier pre-teen and teen survey research organization providing clients with a continuous stream of insights into the thoughts, attitudes and beliefs of America's pre-teens and teens. To learn more about Weekly Reader Research, please go to www.weeklyreaderresearch.com.
