Attitude changes

A recent attitudes and opinions survey conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of the Girl Scouts of the USA found that more teens are accepting of gay and lesbian relationships and far fewer find them unacceptable than was the case in 1989.

The new survey, “Good Intentions: The Beliefs and Values of Teens and Tweens Today,” was based on a nationwide sample of 3,263 students in grades 3 through 12 of whom 1,833 are in grades 7 through 12, who were surveyed using online and school-based interviews between Oct. 2, 2008 and Jan. 23, 2009.

Included in the survey were questions about smoking, sex before marriage, suicide, drugs, abortion, the environment, diet, and diversity. Many of the questions were asked in a comparable survey in 1989, so the new survey shows how much or how little teens’ attitudes and values have changed over the last 20 years.

KEY SURVEY FINDINGS
• Youth who feel that smoking "is OK" if the smoker "finds it enjoyable" has fallen from 27% to 18% since 1989.

• Fewer tweens and teens now (44%) than in 1989 (53%) think that sex before marriage is "OK if a couple loves each other."

• Ten percent of youth think that "suicide is all right, because a person has a right to do whatever he wants to do with himself," virtually unchanged since the 1989 when 8% gave this response. “While 10% is a small percentage, it represents millions of tweens and teens who could be at risk because they believe suicide is morally acceptable,” noted a statement from Harris.

• Most tweens and teens (59%) now feel that "gay or lesbian relations are OK, if that is the person’s choice." This is a huge increase since 1989, when only 31% believed that "homosexual relations are OK if that is the person’s choice" (a slightly different question).

• Girls (59%) are much more likely than boys (38%) to believe that their friendship would not change if they discovered that "a good friend of yours of the same sex is involved in a gay or lesbian relationship."

• Similarly girls (65%) are more likely than boys (54%) to believe that "gay or lesbian relations are OK if that is the person’s choice."

• Conversely only 30% of 7 -12 graders now believe that gay and lesbian relationships are never acceptable because it is unnatural compared to 56% who felt this way about homosexual relations 20 years ago.

• There has been a drop in the minority of tweens and teens (25%) who believe that "abortion is all right, if having the baby will change your life plans in a way that you will find hard to live." In 1989, 33% felt this way.