Despite the stereotype that today's adolescents are increasingly preoccupied with themselves, the most recent Gallup Youth Survey* reveals that 31% of teens (aged 13 to 17) volunteer for charitable activities, such as helping the poor, the sick, or the elderly.
Students' and Parents' Academic Achievement Impact Rate of Charitable Work
Youth volunteerism appears to be connected to academic achievement. Teens who say they are near the top of their class or above average (42%) are nearly twice as likely to report that they are involved in charity or social service activities than those whose class standing is average or below average (21%).
There also seems to be a relationship between the education level of teen-agers' parents and teen volunteerism. Students with parents who attended college are more likely than other students to report volunteering. About a quarter (24%) of teens whose parents did not attend college volunteer. This proportion rises to 33% for those with one parent who attended college, and 41% for those with both parents who attended college.
Church-Goers Are More Likely to Volunteer
Not surprisingly, students who attend church regularly are more likely to participate in charitable activities (41%) than those who do not regularly attend services (25%). Churches may offer many organized charitable activities in which teens can participate.
Bottom Line
Volunteerism provides an important connection between young people and the community, and can empower teens to develop into successful adults.
*The Gallup Youth Survey is conducted via an Internet methodology provided by Knowledge Networks, using an online research panel that is designed to be representative of the entire U.S. population. The current questionnaire was completed by 1,200 respondents, aged 13 to 17, between Jan. 23-Feb. 10, 2003. For results based on the total sample, one can say with 95% confidence that the maximum margin of sampling error is ±3%. For a complete description of the sampling and weighting procedures used to conduct the survey, click here.