Thursday, July 31, 2003
Study Reveals Religious Families Have Stronger Bonds
A new study has affirmed the biblical declaration that a house divided cannot stand.
Sociologists with the National Study of Youth and Religion (NSYR), based at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill, recently found that religiously involved American families of youth ages 12 to 14 get along better than families that are not religiously active.
Christian Smith, principal investigator of the study, said youth from families who attend church, pray or read Scriptures together are more likely to admire and enjoy their parents more, and get praise from their parents. Additionally, the teens' parents know more about their friends and social contacts, and their families tend to share meals more often and teens are less likely to run away from home.
In contrast, youth whose families do not engage in religious activities throughout the week tend to have weaker relationships with their mothers and fathers, are less likely to participate in family activities such as eating dinner together and to not run away from home, said Smith, a professor and associate chair of sociology at UNC.
A four-year research project funded by Lilly Endowment Inc., the NSYR began in August 2001 and will continue until August 2005. Smith said the survey is the most extensive and detailed study of U.S. parent-teen relationships that has been conducted on the subject of religion and spirituality.
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