Abstract

        Are you involved in any local voluntary organizations such as school groups, church groups, community or ethnic associations? This is the basic question, addressed to the parent, for this study. We assume that volunteering would be good on the whole for the child's later life, and while this result appears generally to be the case. There are several exceptions to note as well.

        Some 49% of children aged 6 to 11 in 1995 had volunteering parents: 47% of girls and 51% of boys. The percentage ranged from 35% in Quebec to 67% in Saskatchewan, and was highest in the three Prairie Provinces, averaging 61%. By size of place the percentage ranged from 46% in the rural areas to 59% in the largest metro areas. By size of place it may surprise many that most of Canada's children with non-volunteering and volunteering parents live in rural areas, followed by those in smaller metro areas.

        Children with positive qualities tend to have parents who volunteer more than the Canadian average, though there are exceptions. For example, 47% of girls had volunteering parents, but of these only 30% of French Roman Catholic girls, which is 35% less than the Canadian average for girls, 47%. At the other extreme are children who attended church at least weekly - 64% of girls and 70% of boys had volunteering parents.

        Teens with positive qualities tend to have had parents who were more prone to volunteer, while the reverse is true of teens with negative qualities. For example, 57% of the parents of non-smoking teens volunteered eight years earlier, which is 16% higher than the national average. Of the negative qualities, teens classified by sexual activity were most likely to have had non-volunteering parents, and also teen smokers, drug users, and illicit drug sellers.

        Teen behaviours and home situations are assumed to be related to several childhood characteristics: whether or not the teen's parent volunteered, the child's age and worship frequency, the main parent's age, sex, marital status, faith affiliation (Biblical or other/none) and educational attainment, and the family's region of residence, all measured in 1995.

        Unexpected analytical results include the following. Non-marijuana drug use is found to be more likely among teen girls if their parent had volunteered. The number of times girls sold drugs is found to be higher if her parent had volunteered. All analytical results assume the other influences on teen behaviour are held constant.

        Expected results are also found, mainly for boys. For example, the volunteering experience of the parent is seen to decrease the likelihood of boys having sex. Teen boys are closer to their father if their parent had volunteered.

        A more common influence than having a volunteering parent is the child's worship frequency. For example, non-marijuana illicit drug use, the selling of illicit drugs, and consensual sexual intercourse all decline with worship frequency for both girls and boys. The more frequent they worshipped as a child, the closer teen girls are to their mother and father.