Religiosity, Parental Support, and Formal Volunteering Among Teenagers

Few countries can boast of having the culture of volunteering seen in the United States. In explaining this phenomenon, many empirical studies have found religiosity significant in predicting volunteering behaviors among young adults, adults, and the elderly. However, teens (13 – 17 years) have not attracted much attention from researchers, though they possess the time and resources most needed to volunteer. Using data from the National Study on Youth and Religion (NSYR) Wave 1, this study examines the relationship between volunteering and teens’ private (religious salience and religious experience) and collective religiosity (religious tradition, church attendance, and youth group participation). Parental variables and teen demographics are also tested using a three-stage ordinal logistic regression. Regarding individual religiosity, the results suggested a significant relationship between teens’ religious experiences and volunteering. In addition, parents can induce volunteering by encouraging their teens to volunteer and participate in religious youth groups