WASHINGTON -- Teens who attend worship services and claim religion is important are more likely to have positive self-images, be optimistic and enjoy school, according to a study released Dec. 4.
Yet most churches make teen programs a low priority, sociologist Chris Smith told The Washington Times.
"They may want to consider what these young people are saying," said Smith, director of the National Study of Youth and Religion at the University of North Carolina.
The survey of thousands of 12th-grade students across the United States found that optimism and confidence correlate with exposure to religion as much as with success, race, wealth or self-esteem education in public schools.
"The more religious the kids are, based on its importance to them or their attending worship, the greater their positive outlook on life," Smith said. "The more religious they are, the less they hate school."
The survey found 31 percent of students attended religious services weekly, and 30 percent said religion was important to them. Fifteen percent of 12th-graders said they never attended religious services. Meanwhile, even passive religious affiliation and some youth-group activity were linked with optimistic outlooks, Smith said.
