A BYU Religious Studies Center analysis surveyed 3,540 LDS high school students across three U.S. regions (East Coast, Pacific Northwest, Utah) in three data collection phases (1992, 1994, 1996). The study tested whether geographic concentration of LDS peers was the protective factor against delinquency.
The researchers' direct finding: "Lower rates of delinquency are associated with the 'spiritual environment' of the home rather than with geographical location." Neither geography nor concentration of LDS youth were directly related to delinquency.
The conclusion: "Youth who most successfully resist peer pressure to engage in delinquent behavior come from homes where parents teach and live religious principles." LDS theology produces its protective effects through family practice — not peer pressure or cultural homogeneity.
Discussion