Is teen sex wrong?

• Introduction
• Patterns
• Over Time

Is teen sex wrong? (Demographic Patterns)

What if they are in their early teens, say 14 to 16 years old? In that case, do you think sex relations before marriage are always wrong, almost always wrong, wrong only sometimes, or not wrong at all?

---

Is teen sex wrong? by Age (General Social Survey, 2006)

	18-30	31-44	45-64	65+	Missing	TOTAL
ALWAYS WRG	59.9% 230	71.4% 402	74.9% 511	77.0% 275	4	71.4% 1418
ALMOST AL.	19.3% 74	14.9% 84	13.2% 90	15.1% 54	0	15.2% 302
SOMETIMES	12.2% 47	8.2% 46	7.8% 53	5.6% 20	1	8.4% 166
NOT AT ALL	7.6% 29	4.3% 24	2.8% 19	1.1% 4	0	3.8% 76
DON'T KNOW	1.0% 4	1.1% 6	0.9% 6	1.1% 4	1	1.0% 20
NO ANSWER	0.0% 0	0.2% 1	0.4% 3	0.0% 0	0	0.2% 4
Missing	466	726	914	400	12	2518
TOTAL	100% 384	100% 563	100% 682	100% 357	18	1986

---

Is teen sex wrong? by Race (General Social Survey, 2006)

	White	Black	Other	TOTAL
ALWAYS WRG	72.1% 1039	77.4% 219	61.4% 164	71.4% 1422
ALMOST AL.	14.6% 211	11.7% 33	21.7% 58	15.2% 302
SOMETIMES	8.7% 126	5.3% 15	9.7% 26	8.4% 167
NOT AT ALL	3.4% 49	4.2% 12	5.6% 15	3.8% 76
DON'T KNOW	1.0% 15	0.7% 2	1.5% 4	1.1% 21
NO ANSWER	0.1% 2	0.7% 2	0.0% 0	0.2% 4
Missing	1842	351	325	2518
TOTAL	100% 1442	100% 283	100% 267	1992

---

Is teen sex wrong? by Religion (General Social Survey, 2006)

	Protestant	Catholic	Jewish	None	Other	Missing	TOTAL
ALWAYS WRG	79.3% 811	69.2% 343	58.3% 21	51.3% 163	70.4% 76	8	71.4% 1414
ALMOST AL.	12.6% 129	16.5% 82	25.0% 9	20.8% 66	13.9% 15	1	15.2% 301
SOMETIMES	5.3% 54	8.9% 44	11.1% 4	17.0% 54	9.3% 10	1	8.4% 166
NOT AT ALL	1.7% 17	4.2% 21	5.6% 2	9.1% 29	6.5% 7	0	3.8% 76
DON'T KNOW	0.9% 9	1.2% 6	0.0% 0	1.6% 5	0.0% 0	1	1.0% 20
NO ANSWER	0.3% 3	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.3% 1	0.0% 0	0	0.2% 4
Missing	1305	618	42	421	117	15	2518
TOTAL	100% 1023	100% 496	100% 36	100% 318	100% 108	26	1981

---

Is teen sex wrong? by Gender (General Social Survey, 2006)

	MALE	FEMALE	TOTAL
ALWAYS WRG	67.9% 592	74.1% 830	71.4% 1422
ALMOST AL.	16.4% 143	14.2% 159	15.2% 302
SOMETIMES	9.9% 86	7.2% 81	8.4% 167
NOT AT ALL	4.9% 43	2.9% 33	3.8% 76
DON'T KNOW	0.8% 7	1.3% 14	1.1% 21
NO ANSWER	0.1% 1	0.3% 3	0.2% 4
Missing	1131	1387	2518
TOTAL	100% 872	100% 1120	1992

---

Is teen sex wrong? by Church attendance (General Social Survey, 2006)

	Never	Yearly	Monthly	Weekly	Missing	TOTAL
ALWAYS WRG	55.7% 272	65.8% 368	76.7% 244	86.3% 534	4	71.5% 1418
ALMOST AL.	19.9% 97	18.4% 103	14.5% 46	8.7% 54	2	15.1% 300
SOMETIMES	14.1% 69	11.3% 63	5.0% 16	2.9% 18	1	8.4% 166
NOT AT ALL	7.8% 38	3.4% 19	3.1% 10	1.5% 9	0	3.8% 76
DON'T KNOW	2.3% 11	0.7% 4	0.6% 2	0.5% 3	1	1.0% 20
NO ANSWER	0.2% 1	0.4% 2	0.0% 0	0.2% 1	0	0.2% 4
Missing	532	816	370	789	11	2518
TOTAL	100% 488	100% 559	100% 318	100% 619	19	1984

---

Is teen sex wrong? by Political ideology (General Social Survey, 2006)

	Liberal	Moderate	Conservative	Missing	TOTAL
ALWAYS WRG	59.9% 317	71.9% 529	79.5% 528	48	71.2% 1374
ALMOST AL.	20.0% 106	14.3% 105	13.6% 90	1	15.6% 301
SOMETIMES	12.9% 68	8.3% 61	4.4% 29	9	8.2% 158
NOT AT ALL	6.2% 33	4.1% 30	1.8% 12	1	3.9% 75
DON'T KNOW	0.9% 5	1.1% 8	0.6% 4	4	0.9% 17
NO ANSWER	0.0% 0	0.4% 3	0.2% 1	0	0.2% 4
Missing	651	947	806	114	2518
TOTAL	100% 529	100% 736	100% 664	177	1929

---

Is teen sex wrong? by Education (General Social Survey, 2006)

	Not High School	High School	Jr. College	B.A.	Grad Degree	Missing	TOTAL
ALWAYS WRG	71.5% 206	74.3% 724	78.7% 148	66.1% 236	58.4% 108	0	71.4% 1422
ALMOST AL.	14.9% 43	13.4% 131	8.0% 15	19.9% 71	22.7% 42	0	15.2% 302
SOMETIMES	6.6% 19	6.8% 66	8.0% 15	11.2% 40	14.6% 27	0	8.4% 167
NOT AT ALL	5.2% 15	4.3% 42	3.2% 6	2.2% 8	2.7% 5	0	3.8% 76
DON'T KNOW	1.4% 4	1.0% 10	1.6% 3	0.3% 1	1.6% 3	0	1.1% 21
NO ANSWER	0.3% 1	0.1% 1	0.5% 1	0.3% 1	0.0% 0	0	0.2% 4
Missing	403	1299	189	406	218	3	2518
TOTAL	100% 288	100% 974	100% 188	100% 357	100% 185	3	1992

---

Notes

General Social Survey, 2006: The General Social Surveys (GSS) have been conducted by the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) annually since 1972 except for the years 1979, 1981, and 1992 (a supplement was added in 1992), and biennially beginning in 1994. The GSS are designed as part of a program of social indicator research, replicating questionnaire items and wording in order to facilitate time-trend studies. The 2006 GSS includes a topical module for mental health. Items in the 2006 GSS include questions on religious self-identification, denominational affiliation, personal beliefs, and religious upbringing.