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With Their Own Voices
A Global Exploration of
How Today's Young People Experience
and Think About Spiritual Development
Key Findings
A major new international study offers the first in-depth look at young people's spiritual development across multiple countries and traditions. It reveals that:
- Most youth surveyed believe there is a spiritual dimension to life, and about one-third of youth surveyed see themselves as "very" or "pretty" spiritual.
- Youth see religion and spirituality as related, but different. Both religion and spirituality are viewed positively by a majority of youth.
- Young people say family and friends help them spiritually, but one in five youth (18%) say that no one helps them.
- Young people say that everyday experiences—being in nature, listening to or performing music, being alone—and relationships with friends and family as helping them the most in growing spiritually.
Background
From 2006 through 2008, Search Institute's Center for Spiritual Development in Childhood and Adolescence, together with partners in different parts of the world, has been listening to young people's own perspectives on spiritual development. In total, more than 7,000 youth have participated in this multi-methods study. These young people, between the ages of 12 and 25, live in 17 countries on 6 continents. Through a series of exploratory focus groups (13 countries; 175 youth), interviews (6 countries; 32 youth), and surveys (8 countries; 6,853 youth), they offer fresh insight into spiritual development among today's youth. This report offers one of the first snapshots of spiritual development across multiple countries and traditions.
Full Report
Selected Key Findings
Press Release
Video Press Release
Media Coverage
- Global survey: youths see spiritual dimension to life (Christian Science Monitor, November 6, 2008)
- World youths growing spiritual (Islam Online, November 6, 2008)
- Here's the steeple; open the door, and where are the young people? (Star Tribune [Minneapolis], November 10, 2008)
- Believing in something gives you hope (Student commentary, The Spectator, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, November 17, 2008)
Other Resources
- Download a PowerPoint presentation about the study (for educational, noncommercial uses only)
 Spiritual Development in Children and Adolescents: An Annotated Bibliography of an Emerging Theoretical Framework
Also released this fall is an annotated bibliography that identifies recent empirical studies, meta-analyses, and review articles focusing on various aspects of spiritual development in childhood and adolescence, particularly in relation to the center's emerging, evolving theoretical framework of spiritual development.
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