Study after study consistently shows that parents are the most important influence on a teen's life. This is a collection of some of those findings for you to use in whatever way you need to help you institute this model of youth ministry.

• From IG's Trend Central's Tween Intelligence Report (created for marketers), 65% of tweens look to a parent as a role model.

• "When asked what one thing makes them most happy, 20 percent mentioned spending time with family--more than anything else. About three-quarters --73 percent--said their relationship with their parents makes them happy. After family, it was relationships with friends that people mentioned most." --AP/MTV poll, Associated Press, August 20, 2007

• From a survey of 1,100 teens, ages 12 to 18:
  Asked of 1,100 teens, ages 12 to 18, 67.7 percent believe parents are the most important role models in today's society. Parents were followed by teachers and coaches (40.6%); siblings (40.4%); and religious leaders (18.7%). Weekly Reader research, American Bible Society report, February 5, 2007)
• The Barna Group found that 64% of tweens say they feel that they can always trust their parents to do what is right for the child. 57% of tweens also say that they look forward to spending free time with their family. But 35% say they find it easy to talk to their parents about everything that is happening in their life these days. (“Survey Describes the Ups and Downs of Tween Life,” The Barna Group, September 30, 2006)
• Asked of seniors who their sources of support are, parents were the primary source of support. Coming in next were youth group leaders, then peers from outside of the youth group, then peers from the youth group, and then other adults in the church. (The Center for Youth and Family Ministry, October 2006)
• Asked of seniors who their sources of support are, parents were the primary source of support. Coming in next were youth group leaders, then peers from outside of the youth group, then peers from the youth group, and then other adults in the church. (The Center for Youth and Family Ministry, October 2006)
• According to the data collected for the College Transition Project, one of the most significant differences parents can make in the faith of their students is through the discussions they have with their own students. Kids who report talking to parents about both their own faith, and the faith of their parents, felt more supported by God. (The Center for Youth and Family Ministry, October 2006)
• Of teens ages 12 to 14 82 percent say they are close to their parents (as reported by the parent). Of teens ages 15 to 17, 76 percent say they are close to their parents. (The Family Environment and Adolescent Well-Being, Child Trends report, June 2006)
• From research done by Virgin Mobile, teens name parents as their chief role model at 71 percent. The next role model named at a distant 40 percent was teachers. Another interesting side result that was discovered is that this is the first generation to share music taste with their parents. (YPulse.com)
• The Mayo Clinic commissioned one of the largest research projects ever to study the root causes of teenagers' high-risk behaviors. Researchers asked more than 90,000 junior and senior high students to fill out anonymous questionnaires. Those questionnaires were followed up with more than 12,000 face-to-face interviews. Questions targeted key risk areas: mental and emotional distress, drug and alcohol abuse, sexual involvement, and violent behavior. The conclusion was, "The most effective way to protect young people from unhealthy or dangerous behaviors is for parents to be involved in their lives." In nearly every case, teenagers who reported a strong connection with their parents were less likely to engage in these behaviors.
• Harris Interactive found that 68 percent of teens ages 13 to 18 say they discuss religion with their families. The same 68 percent say their religious views are similar to their parents. (Trends & Tudes, October 2005)
• Asked of teens who 80 percent declared themselves Christian, 82 percent said that their parents have been good role models of how to be a person of strong and meaningful faith. (Barna Research Group, October 23, 2000)
• From the National Study of Youth & Religion, 47 percent of teens say they pray with their parents once a week or more other than at mealtimes. ("Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations," 2005)
• From a survey of teen girls, 64 percent say they are as religious or more religious than their parents. (Seventeen, December 2005)
• From telephone interviews of 2,632 adults of which 922 qualified with Barna Group standards as born again Christians, 50 percent were led to Christ by their parents. ("Evangelism is Most Effective Among Kids," Barna Research Group, October 11, 2004)
• When teens ages 13 to 19 were asked if they could have one wish granted, 48 percent wished for more time with their families. (The State of Our Nation's Youth, 2005-2006)
• The choice of role models for 9th through 12th graders was their moms at 41 percent. Second place was their dads at 25 percent. No one else came even close. (The State of Our Nation's Youth, 2005-2006)
• From the Time cover article about 13-year olds, their survey found that 53 percent of 13-year olds say they get along with their parents excellently. Fifty-three percent also say their parents are very involved in their lives knowing just about everything that goes on adding that 68 percent say that their parents have the right amount of involvement in their lives. (Time, August 8, 2005)
• When asked about who is most influential about their personal decisions about sex, 37 percent said their parents were most influential. While that is not even 50 percent, parents did receive the highest percentage. Eighty-seven percent of teens believe it would be easier for teens to postpone sexual activity and avoid teen pregnancy if they were able to have more open, honest conversations about these topics with their parents. ("One Voice 2004: American's Adults and Teens Sound Off About Teen Pregnancy," The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, 2004)
• Fifty-two percent of teens in grades 6 to 12 believe that their parents are always supportive of them. Another 42 percent say they are usually supportive. (USA Weekend, April 27-29, 2001)
• From Barna's oft-quoted Third Millenial Teens report, 78 percent of teens said their parents had a lot of influence over them. (Barna Research Group, 1999)
• Read this entire Barna report: "New Barna Book Provides Insight Into Real Teens"
• Read this entire Barna report: "Teens Evaluate the Church-Based Ministry They Received As Children"
• Read this entire Barna report: "Parents Accept Responsibility for Their Child's Spiritual Development But Struggle With Effectiveness"
• Read this entire Barna report: "Research Shows That Spiritual Maturity Process Should Start at a Young Age"
• Read this entire Barna report: "Parents Describe How They Raise Their Children"
• Read this entire Barna report: "Americans Agree: Kids Are Not Being Prepared for Life"
• Here's a quote you can include everywhere possible. Joseph A. Califano, Jr., chairman and president of National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) made this powerful statement: ""There are no silver bullets-unfortunately, the tragedy of a child's substance abuse can strike any family; but one factor that does more to reduce teens' substance abuse risk than almost any other is parental engagement, and one of the simplest and most effective ways for parents to be engaged in their teens' lives is by having frequent family dinners. If I could wave a magic wand to make a dent in the substance abuse problem, I would make sure that every child in America had dinner with his or her parents at least five times a week. There is no more important thing a parent can do. Parental engagement in children's lives is the key to ridding our nation of the scourge of substance abuse. The nation's drug problem is all about kids. A child who gets through age 21 without smoking, abusing alcohol, or using illegal drugs is virtually certain never to do so. America's drug problem is not going to be solved in courtrooms, legislative hearing rooms or classrooms, by judges, politicians or teachers. It will be solved in living rooms and dining rooms and across kitchen tables--by parents and families." ("The Importance of Family Dinners II," National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse/Nick at Nite's Family Table study)
• According to this quote from Newsweek: "Research shows that most young people go through adolescence having good relationships with their parents, adopting attitudes and values consistent with their parents' and end up getting out of the adolescent period and becoming good citizens,' says Richard Lerner, Bergstrom chair of applied developmental science at Tufts University. This shouldn't be news--but it is, largely because of widespread misunderstanding of what happens during the teen years. It's a time of transition, just like the first year of parenthood or menopause. And although there are dramatic hormonal and physical changes during this period, catastrophe is certainly not preordained. A lot depends on youngsters' innate natures combined with the emotional and social support they get from the adults around them. In other words, parents do matter."
• "Many of the church leaders talk about the importance of the family, but in practice they have written off the family as an agency of spiritual influence. Their assumption is that if the family (including teenagers) is going to be influenced, it is the organized church that will do the influencing, primarily through its events--worship services, classes, special events, etc. This philosophy causes the impetus behind youth ministry to be fixing what is broken--that is, to substitute the efforts of the church for those of parents since most of the latter do not provide the spiritual direction and accountability that their children need. But there is a procedural problem here: kids take their cues from their family, not from their youth ministers. God's plan was for the church to support the family, and for the family to be the front-line of ministry within the home. Teenagers may glean some truths and principles from youth leaders, but the greatest influence in their lives will remain their parents." (George Barna, Third Millenial Teens)
• "The roots of misconceptions about teenagers go back to the way psychologists framed the field of adolescent development a century ago. They were primarily looking for explanations of why things went wrong. Before long, the idea that this phase was a period of storm and stress made its way into the popular consciousness. But in the last 15 years, developmental scientists have begun to re-examine these assumptions. Instead of focusing on kids who battle their way through the teen years, they're studying the dynamics of success." (Barbara Kantrowitz and Karen Springen, Newsweek, April 25, 2005)
• When asked "What surprised you most about this generation or challenged a stereotype you may have had before you started this project, "Generation Next?: Speak Up. Be Heard.":"Gen Nexters' relationship with their parents. Almost half of all young adults talk to their parents everyday on the telephone (not to mention email, text messaging and, for some, instant messaging). Young people today seem to have a much more open relationship with their parents than previous generations had. Marketers, employers, and Gen Nexters that I spoke to all seem to agree that the parent-child relationship has changed. This is a generation is characterized by "helicopter parents" who told their children to follow their dreams and that they could be whatever they wanted to be when they grew up." ( Judy Woodruff, YPulse.com, January 2, 2007)
• From a study of club goers for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, 37 percent said their most important relationship is with their parents. The second choice was God at 25 percent. Friends came in third at 20 percent. Forty-five percent of the same teens also said that parents have the greatest influence on their decisions. Only 19 percent said their friends did. As a close third, teachers and respected adults came in at 14 percent. But neither of those came close to how important parents are in their influence. (Boys & Girls Clubs of America: Youth Report to America, 2006)
• When asked "What surprised you most about this generation or challenged a stereotype you may have had before you started this project, "Generation Next?:  Speak Up.  Be Heard.":
  "Gen Nexters' relationship with their parents. Almost half of all young adults talk to their parents everyday on the telephone (not to mention email, text messaging and, for some, instant messaging). Young people today seem to have a much more open relationship with their parents than previous generations had. Marketers, employers, and Gen Nexters that I spoke to all seem to agree that the parent-child relationship has changed. This is a generation is characterized by "helicopter parents" who told their children to follow their dreams and that they could be whatever they wanted to be when they grew up."
  --Judy Woodruff, YPulse.com, January 2, 2007

• From a two-phase study of six focus groups and a quantitative survey with over 1,500 young Americans, ages 13 to 24: “Millennials exhibit strong familial relationships and bonds. Seven in ten are ‘satisfied’ with their family life three out of four place a high degree of importance on being close to their parents and siblings. Interestingly the oldest segment of young people, 22-24 year-olds, are most satisfied with their family life." (“The Millennial Values” online research study, The N press release, April 30, 2007)

• Influencers are influenced by parents:  From a survey of teens deemed "youth-fluentials," 86% of those teens who have influence over others say that their parents influence their day-to-day decisions. (Burston-Marsteller study 2007)