Children & Youth Research: Reports & Books

Books

A Faith of Their Own: Stability and Change in the Religiosity of Adolescents
Lisa D. Pearce and Melinda Lundquist Denton (Oxford University Press, 2011)

Adding to the contributions made by Soul Searching and Souls in Transition, Lisa Pearce and Melinda Lundquist Denton here offer a new portrait of teenage faith. Drawing on the massive National Study of Youth and Religion's telephone surveys and in-depth interviews with more than 120 youth at two points in time, the authors chart the spiritual trajectory of American adolescents and young adults over a period of three years. The authors find that religion is an important force in the lives of most, though their involvement with religion changes over time, just as teenagers themselves do. Pearce and Denton weave in fascinating portraits of actual youth to give depth to the numerical rankings of religiosity, which tend to prevail in large studies. One teenager might rarely attend a service, yet count herself profoundly religious; another might be deeply involved in a church's social world, yet claim to be "not, like, deep into the faith." They provide a new set of qualitative categories - Abiders, Assenters, Adapters, Avoiders, and Atheists - quoting from interviews to illuminate the shading between them. And, with their three-year study, they offer a rich understanding of the dynamic nature of faith in young people's lives during a period of rapid change in biology, personality, and social interaction. Not only do degrees of religiosity change, but so does its nature, whether expressed in institutional practices or personal belief. By presenting a new model of religious development and change, illustrated with compelling personal accounts of real teenagers, Pearce and Denton offer parents, scholars, and religious leaders a new guide for understanding religious development in teens.

Almost Christian: What the Faith of Our Teenagers is Telling the American Church
Kenda Creasy Dean (Oxford University Press, 2010)

Based on the National Study of Youth and Religion, Almost Christian investigates why American teenagers are at once so positive about Christianity and at the same time so apathetic about genuine religious practice. In Soul Searching, Christian Smith and Melinda Lundquist Denton found that American teenagers have embraced a "Moralistic Therapeutic Deism" - a hodgepodge of banal, self-serving, feel-good beliefs that bears little resemblance to traditional Christianity. But far from faulting teens, Dean places the blame for this theological watering down squarely on the churches themselves. Instead of proclaiming a God who calls believers to lives of love, service and sacrifice, churches offer instead a bargain religion, easy to use, easy to forget, offering little and demanding less. But what is to be done? In order to produce ardent young Christians, Dean argues, churches must rediscover their sense of mission and model an understanding of being Christian as not something you do for yourself, but something that calls you to share God's love, in word and deed, with others. Dean found that the most committed young Christians shared four important traits: they could tell a personal and powerful story about God; they belonged to a significant faith community; they exhibited a sense of vocation; and they possessed a profound sense of hope. Based on these findings, Dean proposes an approach to Christian education that places the idea of mission at its core and offers a wealth of concrete suggestions for inspiring teens to live more authentically engaged Christian lives. Almost Christian is a wake up call no one concerned about the future of Christianity in America can afford to ignore.

• Interview with Kenda Creasy Dean by David Crumm of ReadtheSpirit.com

Choosing Church: What Makes a Difference for Teens
Carol E. Lytch (Westminster/John Knox Press, 2004)

Carol Lytch presents this well-researched study of what attracts teenagers to the church and what keeps them there. Her research includes interviews of youth leaders, teenagers, and their parents in three congregations—mainline Protestant, evangelical, and Roman Catholic. Lytch explores ways that youth grow in their faith and in their relationship to the church. Choosing Church provides a description of the most effective ways that congregations and parents can foster faith in early teenagers that will help them value the church as a place to obtain identity, belonging, and growth. Chapters include: How Churches Attract Teens, How Churches Hold Teens, Seven Styles of Being Religious…or Not, and Nurturing Teen Religious Loyalty in the Family. 

The Faith and Friendships of Teenage Boys
Robert C. Dykstra, Allan Hugh Cole Jr. and Donald Capps (Westminster/John Knox, 2012)

Drawing on research and case studies, three pastoral care experts argue that one of the primary contexts in which the faith formation of teenage boys takes place is in their relationships with other adolescent males. Written by the authors of Losers, Loners, and Rebels: The Spiritual Struggles of Boys, this book is an important resource for anyone interested in helping adolescent males navigate years often marked by isolation and loneliness to develop a meaningful spiritual identity.

Growing Up in America: The Power of Race in the Lives of Teens 

Brad Christerson, Korie L. Edwards, & Richard Flory (Stanford University Press, 2010)

People's experiences of racial inequality in adulthood are well documented, but less attention is given to the racial inequalities that children and adolescents face. Growing Up in America provides a rich, first-hand account of the different social worlds that teens of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds experience. In their own words, these American teens describe, conflicts with parents, pressures from other teens, school experiences, and religious beliefs that drive their various understandings of the world. As the book reveals, teens' unequal experiences have a significant impact on their adult lives and their potential for social mobility. Directly confronting the constellation of advantages and disadvantages white, black, Hispanic, and Asian teens face today, this work provides a framework for understanding the relationship between socialization in adolescence and social inequality in adulthood. By uncovering the role racial and ethnic differences play early on, we can better understand the sources of inequality in American life.

A Fragile Foundation: The State of Developmental Assets among American Youth
Peter L. Benson, Peter C. Scales, Eugene C. Roehlkepartain, and Nancy Leffert (Search Institute, 2011)

What do teenagers need to succeed? Researchers at Search Institute have identified essential building blocks (called the 40 Developmental Assets) that help young people grow up well. This second-edition research report, based on research on more than 89,000 6th- to 12th-graders across the United States, reveals that only 6 percent of young people are experiencing overall well-being. Too many teenagers are at risk. The good news, however, is that we have the power to change that. A Fragile Foundation not only provides more than 170-pages of easy-to-understand statistics, it also makes the case that we can build these 40 Developmental Assets in young people. We can help them succeed. We can make a difference in each one of their lives.

It's Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens
danah boyd (Yale University Press, 2014)

What is new about how teenagers communicate through services such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram? Do social media affect the quality of teens’ lives? In this eye-opening book, youth culture and technology expert danah boyd uncovers some of the major myths regarding teens' use of social media. She explores tropes about identity, privacy, safety, danger, and bullying. Ultimately, boyd argues that society fails young people when paternalism and protectionism hinder teenagers’ ability to become informed, thoughtful, and engaged citizens through their online interactions. Yet despite an environment of rampant fear-mongering, boyd finds that teens often find ways to engage and to develop a sense of identity. Offering insights gleaned from more than a decade of original fieldwork interviewing teenagers across the United States, boyd concludes reassuringly that the kids are all right. At the same time, she acknowledges that coming to terms with life in a networked era is not easy or obvious. In a technologically mediated world, life is bound to be complicated.

Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers
Christian Smith with Melinda Lundquist Denton (Oxford University Press, 2005)

Soul Searching presents the findings of the National Study of Youth and Religion, a nationwide telephone survey of teens and their parents, as well as in-depth face-to-face interviews with more than 250 of the survey respondents. The study reveals many surprising findings, such as teenagers are far more influenced by the religious beliefs and practices of their parents and other adults than is commonly thought. The authors also challenge the conventional wisdom that teens today are “spiritual seekers,” and show that greater teenager religious involvement is significantly associated with more positive life outcomes. Chapters include an overview of the research findings, religious profiles of teens (seekers, disengaged, religiously devoted), adolescent religion in social context, adolescent religion and life outcomes, and recommendations for action.

The Spirit and Culture of Youth Ministry
Roland Martinson, Wes Black, and John Roberto (Exemplary Youth Ministry, 2010)

Congregations can indeed nurture youth to a vital Christian faith! Based on a national research study, The Spirit and Culture of Youth Ministry provides insights into what congregations are doing to foster a vibrant, committed Christian faith in the lives of young people. This book provides rich, research-based directions for developing and enhancing a congregation’s ministry with young people. At the heart of the study’s findings is a congregational Culture of the Spirit that permeates the values, relationships, and activities of a congregation, giving rise to a culture of mission and transformation that makes a congregation highly influential in the lives and faith of young people. This active presence of God surrounds the people of the whole congregation in its ministries with youth, parents, community, and leaders. Presenting a new framework of 44 Faith Assets, The Spirit and Culture of Youth Ministry provides strategies and tools for leading a congregation toward exemplary Youth Ministry.

Striking Out: The Religious Journey of Teenage Boys
Donald Capps (Cascade Books, 2011)

Whatever religion may have meant to the boy when he was younger, in the teenage years it takes the form of a personal journey or quest. This journey is related to other aspects of his life and is integral to how he experiences himself and others.  By focusing on real-life examples of teenage boys (both historical and contemporary), the book presents five typical manifestations of a boy's vulnerabilities as he sets forth on the journey: the stumbler, the struggler, the straggler, the straddler, and the stranger. It explores the ways in which these vulnerabilities may contribute in positive ways to his personal growth and his religious maturity.

Reports

15 Thriving Indicators
Search Institute

Search Institute has developed a list of 15 "thriving indicators," or constructive behaviors, postures, and commitments that societies value and need in youth. These indicators serve as a way of evaluating and analyzing program success based on positive outcomes, instead of negative ones. 

A Faithful Challenge: A Longitudinal Analysis of the NSYR Sample of Catholic Adolescents and Emerging Adults
Charlotte McCorquodale and Leigh Sterten 

This research report highlights findings of the Catholic sample within NSYR longitudinal data through the lens of adolescent catechesis. The first section provides an introduction to the research study and general characteristics of the Wave 1 sample of Catholic teens (ages 13 to 17), and the Wave 3 sample of Catholic emerging adults (ages 18 to 23). The second section provides an explanation of the patterns and trends that emerge across all three of the waves of data, followed by an assessment of the outcomes for adolescent faith formation is provided in light of the NSYR data. Finally, the conclusion highlights major findings examining the church’s assumptions and understandings regarding ministry to adolescents, as well as the questions and issues that need further research and reflection.

Anchors of Religious Commitment in Adolescents
Emily Layton, David C. Dollahite, and Sam A Hardy

A new construct, anchors of religious commitment,  grounded in interview data, is proposed to describe what adolescents commit to as a part of their religious identity. Seven anchors of religious commitment are discussed: (a) religious traditions, rituals, and laws; (b) God; (c) faith traditions or denominations; (d) faith community members; (e) parents; (f) scriptures or sacred texts; and (g) religious leaders.

Boys, Girls, and Media Messages in a Digital World
Common Sense Media

Media messages play a powerful role in shaping gender norms, and the shift toward social media means that kids can easily access, create, interact with, and share media messages about boys’ and girls’ roles. These developments present both pitfalls and opportunities, allowing kids to reflect back to the world the gender stereotypes they’ve been exposed to; encounter more extreme, unfettered attitudes about gender roles; but also, create positive community norms that encourage gender equity and respect. The deeper that media messages about boys and girls are embedded in young people’s social media lives, the more important it becomes to teach them how to recognize and curb gender biases. Adult mentors are uniquely positioned to have meaningful conversations with kids about media messages, as well as empower them to challenge harmful stereotypes.

Countering Commodification: A Review of Recent Research and Writings On Youth, Young Adults and Religion
Anabel C. Proffitt

In her survey of recent research on youth and youth ministry, Profitt notes that many of the works arising from this study "name rampant consumerism and the attendant commodification of everything and everyone as an insidious problem in American Christianity.” Consequently, they “point to the need for congregations to reassess both the way they understand and how they present their faith, not only to young people, but to all people, since all, young and old, are subject to the market forces that are encroaching on every aspect of human life.”

The Demographics of Spirituality and Religiosity among Youth: International & U.S. Patterns
Laura Lippman and Hugh McIntosh

This research brief traces religiosity and spirituality among youth and young adults around the world and finds wide variation in attitudes and beliefs that may be linked to historic, cultural, and economic differences. There is a clear imprint of religion on beliefs in countries with a history of an influential dominant religion, such as Catholicism or Islam, so that young adults from these countries score relatively high on questions of spirituality and religiosity. Second, as countries develop economically, there tends to be less emphasis on traditional religious values. Third, spirituality does not go hand-in-hand with religiosity. Many young people who consider themselves to be "spiritual" do not participate in traditional "religious" practices.

Emerging Scholarship on Youth and Religion: Resources for a New Generation of  Youth Ministry
Joyce Ann Mercer

In the mid-twentieth century as the idea solidified of adolescence as a separate life stage with its own unique characteristics and needs, scholars and church leaders began to utilize studies from psychology, sociology, or education to better understand and work with youth. This emerging body of research makes theology, spirituality and faith formation central to such inquiries about youth. Joyce Ann Mercer considers this material particularly where it has significant implications for the practice of youth ministry.

Getting the Questions Right Exploring the Role of Community Engagement in Preparing All Young People for Post-Secondary Success
E. Roehlkepartain, K. Pekel, and T. K. Sullivan

In June 2013, Search Institute and the University of Minnesota convened two dozen diverse stakeholders in the Twin Cities for a conversation aimed at examining the opportunities and challenges of community - what it really takes to authentically engage community members in preparing young people for post-secondary success.

Positive Youth Development So Far
Peter Benson, Peter Scales, Stephen Hamilton, and Arturo Sesma Jr. 

Positive Youth Development first emerged as an approach among practitioners working with young people when they saw the benefits of using strengths-based models with children and adolescents. This article reports on seven hypothesis, arising from the research on positive youth development. (Search Institute)

Religion and Spirituality on the Path Through Adolescence
Melinda Lundquist Denton, Lisa D. Pearce, & Christian Smith

This is a NSYR report about how certain aspects of religiosity and spirituality increase and decrease as adolescents in the United States mature and move towards becoming young adults based on the research of the National Study on Youth and Religion. 

Religion and Spirituality in Adolescent Development
Pamela Ebstyne King and Robert W. Roeser 

This article provides a demographic portrait of the role of religion and spirituality in the lives of adults and adolescents in the United States; reviews theoretical perspectives on religious and spiritual development during adolescence with a particular emphasis on a developmental system, social ecological perspective; provides a framework for how different social contexts influence religious and spiritual development during adolescence; and examines the problematic and sometimes pathological role of religion/spirituality in adolescent development.

The Role of Healthy Families in Youth Ministry
Barna Research

As part of Barna Group’s ongoing Faith That Lasts project, the firm has been examining the dynamics of faith formation among teenagers. One of the elements explored in the research was the degree to which Christian youth leaders expose teenagers to healthy Christian families as part of the youth ministry strategy. The findings reveal that most youth leaders view this as important but do not see this as a primary part of their task. 

The Spirit and Culture of Youth Ministry
John Roberto

This article provides an overview of the major findings from "The Study of Exemplary Congregations in Youth Ministry" and published in the book, The Spirit and Culture of Youth Ministry. The article presents the characteristics of committed Christian youth and the 44 Faith Assets found in the congregation, youth ministry, families, and leaders that promote a vibrant faith life in young people. For more information about the study go to the book The Spirit and Culture of Youth Ministry.

Teen Voice Report: The Untapped Strength of 15 Year-Olds
Search Institute 

What happens at age 15 has a lot to say about teens’ success in school and beyond. Based on a national study of 1,817 fifteen-year-olds, Teen Voice 2009: The Untapped Strengths of 15-Year-Olds offers a unique, positive look into the lives of today’s teens. It explores three interlocking concepts: “sparks,” “teen voice,” and “relationships and opportunities.” When these strengths work together, they have tremendous potential to set or keep 15-year-olds on a positive course in the midst of this critical time in life.

Teen Voice 2010
Search Institute

The 2010 study looks at three points: 1) teens’ sparks, or their deepest passions and interests; 2) teens’ voice, or their confidence, skills, and opportunities to influence things that matter to them; and 3) the relationships teens need to support their growth. Too many teens are growing up without the supports and opportunities they need. 

The Way of Jesus: Adolescent Development as Christological Process
Nancy Going

Nancy Going reports on research she conducted with young people to explore and test out the notion that persons in any phase of life are actually engaged in experiencing and exploring discrete aspects of the nature of God. She explores the question: Will adolescents of committed faith point to the theological emphases of adolescent development, and could the church actually use theology—specific theological themes reflecting various aspects of the nature of God - to explore the content of development? 

Understanding the Excited Imaginations and Existential Struggles of Early Adolescent Males and the Ministry Implications for the Church
Paul G. Hill

This article explores the imaginations and struggles of early adolescent males for the purpose of providing a research foundation for ministry strategies to and with this age cohort. One of the important conclusions of the research is that ministry with early adolescent males calls for cross-generational relationships with adult males who are authentic, available, affirming, action and achievement-oriented.

With Their Own Voices: A Global Exploration of How Today’s Young People Experience and Think About Spiritual Development
Search Institute 

From 2006 through 2008, the research team at Search Institute’s Center for Spiritual Development in Childhood and Adolescence—together with partners in many parts of the world—listened to perspectives on spiritual development from young people, ages 12-25, in 17 countries. This study offers one of the first snapshots of spiritual development across multiple countries and contexts, including both developed and developing nations.

Zero to Six: Electronic Media in the Lives of Infants, Toddlers, and Preschoolers
Kaiser Family Foundation Study

Children 6 years old and younger spend about the same time using screen media (such as TV, computers, and hand-held digital devices) as they spend outside, about two hours a day each. With the explosion of digital media for young children, children are now doing these types of activities rather than reading or being read to.