To help you have better conversations and connections with the young people important to you, we wanted you to have access to our full list of interview questions. We scheduled three separate two-hour interviews with each student and followed a research protocol that included securing parental consent (for minors) and participant consent for the interviews to be recorded and for de-identified data to be used for this project. We’ve removed interviewee instructions, verbal consent, reminders, and transitions between sections, leaving just the basic questions for you.
Interview 1
Warm-Up Questions
Tell me a little bit about a typical day in your life. What do you do, where do you go, who are you around, that kind of thing?
I see from your survey that you’re a (year in school) at (name of school). What’s that’s like?
Outside of school, do you have particular interests, sports, or things you like to do when you can?
What kinds of social media platforms, games, or apps do you use a lot these days?
Life Chapters
Sometimes people might think about their life like a book that has different chapters. If you were going to write about your life or someone wrote a book about your life so far, how would you break it up into chapters? You don’t have to give me all the details of those chapters, but pretend I’m thumbing through that book and getting a sense for your life so far. Tell me about those chapters.
If the participant struggles with this question or asks for clarity, you might say something like, “There’s no right or wrong way to answer. One person might talk about their life based on different stages like preschool, elementary school, that kind of thing. Another might identify events that mark big changes in their life, like a family move or the birth of a little brother.”
Is there a particular chapter that stands out the most to you, maybe because it was important in some way? Tell me a little more about that time in your life.
Overview of Religious Life
About how long have you been part of your church?
What’s the church like? What kinds of things do you do as part of the church?
Follow up as appropriate to get a sense of frequency of participation. For example,“About how often do you go to worship/sing/volunteer/etc.?”
Could you tell me about your youth group or whatever your church does with young people your age?
Who else from your family participates in church, and how involved are they?
Do your parents attend this church?
Do either of your parents attend church elsewhere?
And just to clarify, are your parents married?
Thinking back again across your life so far, tell me more about your experience of church and faith. Would you say you “grew up” in church? What has that been like for you?
Can you think of any particularly important moments in your faith that stand out to you?
Sometimes when people think about their experiences of being part of a church, there are stories that come to mind—they might be of positive or negative experiences, or just something that kind of reminds them of church. Is there a story like that that comes to mind for you when you think about church?
Sometimes people have spiritual experiences or somehow encounter God in ways that aren’t necessarily connected to being part of a church. Is there an experience like that that comes to mind for you?
This question is intentionally broad, but if this is confusing to the participant, you might rephrase as “Are there ways you encounter God outside of church?”
Do one or two people come to mind who have impacted your faith? Tell me a little bit about them and why they’ve been important to you.
How would you describe God to a friend?
If the participant struggles, reword as “Often we form ideas or images about God based on our experience of church or what we’ve been taught about God by our church or family. Do you have a particular image or description you associate with God?”
Identity
When you ask yourself, “Who am I?” what sorts of words or phrases come to mind?
How would your friends describe you? If I asked one of your friends to tell me “Who is ______?” what do you think they would say?
What about your family—what would they say about you?
Would you say your clothes represent who you are? How so?
What do you think other people might miss or get wrong about you?
Think about a time when you really felt like you knew who you were. Could you tell me about that experience?
Can you think of a time when you didn’t feel like you knew who you were? What happened that caused you to feel that way?
How often do you think about who you are as a person? Is it something that comes to mind a lot, sometimes, or not much at all?
Belonging
Now let’s talk about your experiences of belonging. If you were to ask yourself, “Where do I belong?” what comes to mind?
Think about a time when you really felt included. Can you describe an experience like that or share a story? What was it like?
What about a time you felt left out or excluded? What caused those feelings?
How often do you think about whether you belong somewhere or with a particular group? Is it something that comes to mind a lot, sometimes, or not much at all?
Where do you really feel like you belong, no matter what?
If the interviewee says nowhere, follow up with “I wonder why you don’t feel like there’s anywhere you belong no matter what?” If they give a positive response, ask, “Tell me more about that (place, group, family). What about it/them makes you feel like you always belong?”
Purpose
Now I’m going to ask some questions about purpose, which some people think about as a sense of how our lives and what we do matter in the world. Would you say you think about those kinds of things a lot, sometimes, or not much at all?
Think about a time when you were doing something and felt like it was what you were really meant to do. Maybe something you’re particularly good at or really interested in or are passionate about. What were you doing? What was that experience like?
Can you think of a time when you didn’t feel like you had much of a sense of purpose? What was that like?
When someone asks you, “What do you want to do with your life?” or “What do you want to be when you grow up?” what kinds of reactions do you have? What do you feel or think about?
Do you ever feel worried or nervous about the future? What are you anxious or nervous about when it comes to your future?
Instructions for Taking Photos
Think about the places or objects that represent somewhere or something that makes you feel as though you belong. This might be your kitchen table, a favorite park or forest, your back porch, your church, your desk or chair, almost anywhere you hang out or spend time.
For each place or object, please take one or two pictures. We are not looking for professional quality—just a snapshot that will capture the sense of the place or object. Please do try to take pictures of at least five or six places or objects, and we’ll talk about them next time.
Concluding Questions
What was it like to share about your life like this? Was anything surprising, difficult, or helpful to talk about?
What else, if anything, do you want us to know about that we may be missing or may not have asked?
Interview 2
Warm-Up Question
Is there anything we talked about before that you want to follow up on or ask about before I get started with today’s questions?
Life Stages
Last time we talked about your life like chapters in a book. (Briefly review chapters as defined by participant in previous interview.) You may have had further thoughts since the last time we met, and I’d like to ask some more specific questions about different times in your life.
Family Background
Let’s start with some questions about your family’s story. How would you describe your family’s cultural background, and if your family came to the US from another country at some point, how does your family talk about that story?
How do you talk about your race in your family?
How would you describe your family’s religious or faith background?
What are some big challenges or life changes that impacted your family before you were born? Can you tell me a story or two that are told in your family about those events?
Childhood
What was it like growing up in your family?
Who mostly took care of you as a child? What was your relationship with them like?
Can you think of a word to describe your parent(s)/caregiver? Does a story come to mind related to that word?
Tell me about your siblings. What have your relationships been like?
Did you or your family experience any big changes or challenges during your childhood? Can you tell me about them?
Early Adolescence (Middle School Years)
What was middle school like for you?
What were your friendships like?
How did you experience acceptance or rejection in middle school? Does a story come to mind?
What were your family relationships like during middle school?
Can you think of a specific example or memory that captures how you generally felt about your family during those years?
What ideas did you have about what you wanted to do or be when you grew up?
Late Adolescence (High School Years)
FRIENDS
Tell me what your friendships have been like in high school. Who are a few of your close friends, and what are they like?
What do you share in common, and how are you different from one another?
Which friends do you talk about faith with, and when you do, what do you talk about?
What do your friends do—or not do—that makes you feel like you really belong when you’re with them?
If someone made a movie about you and your friends, can you think of a memorable scene that would be part of that movie? Something that kind of says it all about your friendship? Describe it to me—who is part of it? Where are you? What happens?
SCHOOL
Can you tell me a little bit about where you go to school?
How large or small is it?
What do you like best and least about your school?
What is your experience of race or culture like at school? Is there a story you can share about that?
Have you always gotten the grades you, or your parents, expected? What’s it like when you meet your parents’ expectations for grades? What’s it like when you don’t?
How was (or how will) the decision (be) reached about either going to college and selecting which school to attend or pursuing other pathways?
Why was (or why will) this decision (be) made in this way?
Life beyond School
What kinds of things do you do outside of school besides work (sports, volunteer work, arts, etc.)?
What is a typical day like (game, volunteer session, etc.)?
How do you think these activities might or might not be connected to a sense of identity, belonging, or purpose?
What TV, YouTube, or other online shows do you watch most regularly?
Can you pick your favorite character on a show or a video personality and tell me about them?
In what ways do you use digital devices and social media these days? Tell me about the devices and platforms you spend time on regularly.
How much time do you typically spend on these devices and platforms each day? Can you tell me generally how you use that time?
How do you think social media affects your friendships?
What is it like to communicate with your friends using social media?
Tell me a little about the people you interact with on social media, or organizations or brands you follow. Is there a particular person or organization you really admire? Why?
Are there certain parts of your identity that you highlight online or choose to show online? Are there certain parts of your identity that you won’t show online?
Do you currently hold a job outside the home?If so, what can you tell me about it?
Can you recall a time when you found your job especially satisfying?
How about especially frustrating?
Most everyone feels stressed or anxious sometimes. How often do you feel stressed out these days?
What do you think causes you the most stress or worry?
Circling back to your family now: Did you or your family experience any dramatic changes or challenges during high school? Can you tell me about them?
How has your relationship to your parents changed since you were younger?
Discussion of Photos
What is the story behind this picture? Tell me about where you were or what the object is.
Why is this place or object important to you?
How does this place or object make you feel you belong or remind you of something that makes you feel you belong?
Were there places or objects you thought about photographing but didn’t, either because they aren’t nearby or for some other reason? Tell me about those places or objects.
If you’d like to take any more photos between now and next time, we can look at those together then. For this round, you can either take more belonging photos or take some pictures that share something about your identity or sense of purpose.
Religious Involvement, Faith, and Spirituality
Think about a typical time you attended church. What is most memorable about being there?
Would you say that you feel a strong sense of belonging in that congregation?
How close do you feel to the pastor or another main leader in your congregation?
How would you describe your sense of belonging in the youth ministry or around other peers close to your age?
If you were the leader of this church, what would you change about it?
Are there things about your church you disagree with or even that make you upset? Tell me about some of those things.
How has faith or spirituality been talked about and lived out in your family? Can you think of a story that might describe that experience?
What does it mean, to you, to be a Christian?
Do you consider yourself to be a Christian? Why or why not?
How does being a Christian impact how you think about who you are?
How does being a Christian impact what you do, or your choices from day to day? Is there a story that comes to mind that might illustrate that impact?
How much, if at all, do you openly express your religious beliefs at school?
Have you ever told other kids at school about your faith or encouraged them to join your faith or to come to church with you? What was that like?
How often do you typically pray?
What are your prayers like? What are some different ways you pray?
What are some ways your family prays, either together or separately?
Have you ever experienced something that you would describe as a healing or spiritual transformation? If so, tell me more about that.
What are some ways the Bible has been part of your religious and spiritual life?
How often do you read the Bible on your own? What is that like?
What kinds of reactions do you have to the Bible? What kinds of feelings or questions does it raise for you?
Last time we talked about your sense of what God is like. Does anything else come to mind for you about who God is or what God is like?
Is there a story about God that sort of says it all for you?
Have you thought of any other experiences you’ve had with God or any other spiritual encounters that have been meaningful?
How have these experiences impacted how you think about who you are?
Interview 3
Identity
The first time we spoke you named these words or phrases as responses to the question “Who am I?”: (insert words or phrases).
I wonder how you feel about those responses now. What do you like about these descriptions? How would you change or add to them?
How do you think your answers have changed over time in your life so far?
Have you ever felt like you had to act a certain way because a friend wanted you to? Can you tell me more about that?
Similarly, can you think of some ways your parents’ expectations have shaped your sense of who you are? How has their picture of you, or who they want you to be, influenced your view of yourself?
What about expectations of people at church? Have you ever felt like you needed to be a certain way because of what people at church expected? Does a story come to mind about that?
How would you say your faith has impacted your sense of identity?
When do you tend to feel the best about yourself?
When do you tend to feel the worst about yourself?
Sometimes young people feel pressure to keep high standards or even be perfect in everything they do. Do you ever experience that pressure? What’s it like for you?
Other Aspects of Identity
Gender, culture, ethnicity, and race are often talked about as important to our sense of identity. The following questions ask about these topics. For many, discussions of race or gender identity can be difficult. To narrow this down a little, just think about race and ethnic background for a moment.
Where do you tend to hear or participate in the most conversations about race or racism? How do you typically feel or respond?
How important is race, ethnicity, or your immigration story to your sense of who you are?
Can you give me an example of why or how race or ethnicity has shaped your life so far?
Now turning to gender and sexuality: How do you and your friends talk about gender identity or LGBTQ issues?
The interviewee may want to clarify terms. First try turning the question back to the participant: What do you think people mean when they use that term? What are other terms you hear? We’re less interested in you giving a “right” or “wrong” answer and more interested in how you and your peers discuss these kinds of things, including what’s confusing.
How frequently do these questions come up?
How does this topic usually come up in conversations?
How do you think your own sense of gender has shaped the way you think about yourself?
What do you think God thinks about some of these concerns related to race, ethnic background, and gender identity? How do you think God would want people to respond to one another in these areas?
At your church, do you talk about some of these more than others? Are there any of these issues you never hear people talking about at church?
How do your own views about some of these issues differ from your church’s? Do you talk about those differences with anyone? How does that experience usually go?
Belonging
Now I’m going to ask a similar set of questions about belonging, plus some different ones. The first time we spoke you named these words or phrases as responses to the question “Where do I belong?”: (insert words or phrases).
I wonder how you feel about those responses now. What do you like about these descriptions? How would you change or add to them?
How do you think your answers have changed over time in your life so far?
What words or terms would your family want you to use to talk about belonging?
How do those words make you feel?
If the participant has shared about a particularly disruptive childhood event, like immigrating to the US as a child, moving around a lot, or the death of a family member, ask:
You’ve shared about (disruptive childhood event). Has that experience shaped your sense of belonging—making it either easier or harder for you to feel like you belong in other situations?
Have you ever done something to impress others you were with? Can you think of an example or story?
At your church, do you feel as though you are an important part of the community and belong there?
Sometimes people think about belonging in terms of safety—who they feel safe around or where they feel safest. How does that understanding of belonging feel to you?
When do you tend to feel most alone?
Another aspect of belonging is in dating or romantic relationships. What are some of the expectations or views around dating in your family, your church, and your school, and how are they different?
What is your own perspective on dating and romantic relationships?
Have you been in a dating relationship?
What was that like?
What is something you’ve learned about yourself because of a dating relationship?
Purpose
Now we’re going to turn to purpose, or a sense of doing something with our lives that matters in some way to us and to others. The first time we spoke you shared these words or phrases related to questions about purpose: (insert words or phrases).
I wonder how you feel about those responses now. What do you like about these descriptions? How would you change or add to them?
How do you think your answers have changed over time in your life so far?
As you think about other people your age, how would their responses to questions about purpose be similar to yours? How would they be different?
How does your family talk about purpose, or how would they want you to talk about your purpose?
How, if at all, has your church or faith impacted your sense of purpose?
How do you wish your church would better shape, or impact, your sense of purpose?
What words or terms do you think leaders at your church would want you to use to describe your sense of purpose? How are these words similar to the words you would use? How are they different?
Would you say you’ve ever had a sense of “calling” or used that word to describe something you want to do? What is that like for you?
In what ways do you think the choices you make are shaped by your purpose in life?
As you think about finishing high school and moving on to what is next, what are your goals or dreams in life? How do you plan to achieve them?
How do you think your faith and church might continue to shape you in the future?
Exploring Youth Concerns, Struggles, and Actions in the World
We’d also like to hear more about your concerns, particularly related to the world we live in. Earlier we talked about issues related to race, culture, and gender. Now think broadly about things that might concern you in the world.
Tell me about some of the concerns and struggles, both personal and social, that you or other youth face. What are some things that you or other teenagers talk or worry about?
When you look around your school, your community, our country, or the world, what kinds of concerns do you have or what things do you want to see changed? What really stands out to you as problems that need to be addressed?
What types of things are you doing now that address any of these concerns?
How does your church, faith, or understanding of God help you to think about or make sense of the struggles or concerns that you or other youth have?
Do you have specific people you take your questions and struggles to? (Can you talk to a leader in your church, a friend, or others?)
Have you ever had a sense of God calling you to work for change or to make a difference in some way? Can you explain or describe this?
Happiness
To you, what does it mean to be happy or to have a happy life?
Can you think of a time recently when you did something to make someone else happy? Tell me more about that.
And what about a time when you did something to lessen someone’s unhappiness?
How often do you think making someone else happy or less unhappy motivates what you do?
Does making other people happy ever become a problem for you? How so?
Concluding Questions
What was it like to share about your life like this over the course of these interviews? Was anything surprising, difficult, or helpful to talk about?
What else, if anything, do you want us to know about that we may be missing or may not have asked?
