It's been 3 1/2 years since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks that changed the world forever in the eyes of many Americans. But 3 1/2 years may seem like an eternity to the average teenager. A Gallup Youth Survey conducted in January and February* gauged teens' current level of fear about terrorism in the post-9/11 world.
Fear of Becoming a Victim of Terrorism
Gallup asked teens (aged 13 to 17) if they are worried that they or someone else in their families will be become victims of terrorism. Thirty percent say they are either "very" or "somewhat" worried, while 71% are "not too worried" or "not at all worried." The amount of worry that teens express is relatively consistent across demographic groups, although girls are slightly more likely than boys to say they are worried.
A Jan. 7-9 Gallup Poll** asked this same question of U.S. adults and showed adults are slightly more worried than teens are about becoming terrorism victims. Thirty-eight percent of adults said they were very or somewhat worried that they or someone in their families will fall victim, and 61% were not too worried or not at all worried.
Confidence in the Bush Administration
Gallup also asked teens how much confidence they have in the Bush administration's ability "to protect its citizens from future acts of terrorism." Three-fourths of teens say they have either a great deal (26%) or a moderate amount (49%) of confidence in the administration to protect Americans. Just 24% say they do not have much or any confidence.
A Feb. 4-6 CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll*** of adults also found more than 7 in 10 saying they have confidence in the Bush administration to protect U.S. citizens from terror, but a higher proportion (38%) of adults than teens say they have a "great deal" of confidence.
The teen poll finds those with Republican proclivities much more likely than those with Democratic leanings to express confidence in the Bush administration's ability to protect U.S. citizens from terror. Ninety percent of teens who say they plan to vote Republican when they are old enough are confident in the Bush administration's ability, compared with 59% of future Democrats and 72% of teens who say they will remain politically independent.
*These results are based on telephone interviews with a randomly selected national sample of 1,028 teenagers in the Gallup Poll Panel of households, aged 13 to 17, conducted Jan. 17 to Feb. 6, 2005. For results based on this sample, one can say with 95% confidence that the maximum error attributable to sampling and other random effects is ±3 percentage points. In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.
**Results are based on telephone interviews with 1,008 national adults, aged 18 and older, conducted Jan. 7-9, 2005. For results based on the total sample of national adults, one can say with 95% confidence that the margin of sampling error is ±3 percentage points.
***Results are based on telephone interviews with 1,010 national adults, aged 18 and older, conducted Feb. 4-6, 2005. For results based on the total sample of national adults, one can say with 95% confidence that the margin of sampling error is ±3 percentage points.