The Effect of Religion on Adolescent Delinquency Revisited

Benda, Brent B.

doi:10.1177/0022427895032004004

Cited by 84 publications

(64 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…These studies joined a litany of research showing an association between the perception of God or religion as important, participation in religious activities, and decreased risk behaviors, ranging from drug and alcohol abuse (Amey, Albrecht, & Miller,1996;Brownfield & Sorenson, 1991;Gorsuch, 1995;Kharari & Harmon, 1984;McBride, Mutch, & Chitwood, 1996;Miller, Davies, & Greenwald, 2000), to juvenile delinquency (Benda, 1995;Benda & Corwyn, 2001;Cochran, 1989;Stark, Kent, & Doyle, 1982;Roehlkepartain, King, Wagener & Benson, 2006). For example, one study of 8,165 youth in the fifth through ninth grades showed a positive correlation between youth's pro-social behavior and connections to church and religion.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Adolescent risk behaviors and religion: Findings from a national study

Sinha

Cnaan

Gelles

2006

Journal of Adolescence

308

225

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Too few studies have assessed the relationship between youth risk behaviors and religiosity using measures which captured the varied extent to which youth are engaged in religion. This study applied three measures of religiosity and risk behaviors. In addition, this study ascertained information about youths' participation in religious activities from a parent or caretaker. Based on a national random sample of 2,004 teens (ages 11-18), this study indicates that youth perceive religion as important, are active in religious worship and activities, and further shows that perceived importance of religion as well as participation in religious activities are associated with decreased risk behaviors. Looking at ten risk behaviors, religiosity variables were consistently associated with reduced risk behaviors in the areas of: smoking, alcohol use, truancy, sexual activity, marijuana use, and depression. In the case of these six risk variables, religiosity variables were significantly associated with reduced risk behaviors when controlling for family background variables and self esteem. The study highlights the importance of further understanding the relationship between religious variables, background variables, self esteem, and youth risk behaviors. AbstractToo few studies have assessed the relationship between youth risk behaviors and religiosity using measures which captured the varied extent to which youth are engaged in religion. This study applied three measures of religiosity and risk behaviors. In addition, this study ascertained information about youths' participation in religious activities from a parent or caretaker. Based on a national random sample of 2,004 teens (ages 11-18), this study indicates that youth perceive religion as important, are active in religious worship and activities, and further shows that perceived importance of religion as well as participation in religious activities are associated with decreased risk behaviors. Looking at ten risk behaviors, religiosity variables were consistently associated with reduced risk behaviors in the areas of: smoking, alcohol use, truancy, sexual activity, marijuana use, and depression. In the case of these six risk variables, religiosity variables were significantly associated with reduced risk behaviors when controlling for family background variables and self esteem. The study highlights the importance of further understanding the relationship between religious variables, background variables, self esteem, and youth risk behaviors. In addition, a relatively consistent proportion of youth (three in ten) reported that religion played a very important role in their lives (Johnson, Bachman, and O'Malley (1976-1995).However far more youth report that religion is just "important" in their lives: Cnaan, Gelles, and found in a national representative sample of over 2,000 teens (aged 11 to 18) that the majority of youth reported that religion is important in their lives (83.7%). The BarnaResearch Group (1999Group ( , 2000 reported that over half of you...

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mentioning

confidence: 99%

Adolescent risk behaviors and religion: Findings from a national study

Sinha

Cnaan

Gelles

2006

Journal of Adolescence

308

225

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Furrow and Wagener join a long list of scholars who have found an association between religious perception and religious participation and reduced engagement in risk behaviors ranging from drug and alcohol abuse (Gorsuch, 1995;Kharari and Harmon, 1984;McBride et al, 1996) to juvenile delinquency (Benda, 1995;Cochran, 1989;Stark et al,1982).…”

Section: Religion and Youth Behaviormentioning

confidence: 99%

Youth and Religion: The Gameboy Generation Goes to ``Church''

Cnaan

Gelles

Sinha

2004

Social Indicators Research

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Using the secularization theory and the Marxist notion of religion as masking class conscience one would expect the importance of religion and religious involvement today to wane and be limited to lower class members. To challenge this expectation, using a representative national telephone survey of 2004 youth (ages 11-18) and their parents, we attempt to answer the following two questions: How religious are teenagers, and what may explain variation in religious perception and involvement among teens. Findings suggest that religion remains perceived as very important by most teenagers and parents report that about two-thirds of teenagers attended a place of worship at least monthly and that two out of five attended a social group sponsored by a religious organization. These findings do not support the secularization theory. As expected, parental attendance of religious worship, teen's age, and teen's ethnicity and gender were significantly associated with three variables of religious behavior and attendance. In contrast to the Marxist notion of religion, measures of socio-economic status indicate that, in the contemporary United States, religious participation, but not beliefs, is largely the domain of the middle-upper classes. Disciplines ABSTRACTUsing the secularization theory and the Marxist notion of religion as masking class conscience one would expect the importance of religion and religious involvement today to wane and be limited to lower class members. To challenge this expectation, using a representative national telephone survey of 2004 youth (ages 11-18) and their parents, we attempt to answer the following two questions: How religious are teenagers, and what may explain variation in religious perception and involvement among teens. Findings suggest that religion remains perceived as very important by most teenagers and parents report that about two-thirds of teenagers attended a place of worship at least monthly and that two out of five attended a social group sponsored by a religious organization. These findings do not support the secularization theory. As expected, parental attendance of religious worship, teen's age, and teen's ethnicity and gender were significantly associated with three variables of religious behavior and attendance. In contrast to the Marxist notion of religion, measures of socio-economic status indicate that, in the contemporary United States, religious participation, but not beliefs, is largely the domain of the middle-upper classes.

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“…Some researchers have documented a relationship between religious involvement and the development of delinquency (Benda, 1995;Johnson et al, 2001;Stark et al, 1982), while others assert that the relationship is nonexistent (Hirschi & Stark, 1969). Rodney Stark has been involved in two of the above cited studies with conflicting results, Hirschi and Stark (1969) where it was emphatically stated that there was no relationship and Stark et al (1982) whose findings indicated that a relationship exists.…”

Section: Religiositymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…They found that processing decisions in the juvenile justice system of several States were not racially neutral. The direct and indirect effects of race were present at various stages of processing and the effects may accumulate as processing progresses (Pope & Feyerherm, 1990a, 1990b,1995. Pope and Feyerherm (1995) provided further evidence that more than half of the juveniles incarcerated nationwide are minority youth.…”

Section: Discriminationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Risk and resilience factors associated with delinquent behavior among African American adolescent males

Atteloney¹

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The Effect of Religion on Adolescent Delinquency Revisited

Cited by 84 publications

References 44 publications

Adolescent risk behaviors and religion: Findings from a national study

Adolescent risk behaviors and religion: Findings from a national study

Youth and Religion: The Gameboy Generation Goes to ``Church''

Risk and resilience factors associated with delinquent behavior among African American adolescent males

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