PHILADELPHIA -- Recent research has pointed to the beneficial effects of religion among at-risk populations, and now a study from the University of Pennsylvania shows that religion has equally positive effects on "advantaged" youth not typically viewed as being at-risk.

Results of the study are contained in the report "Living up to Expectations: How Religion Alters the Delinquent Behavior of Low-Risk Adolescents," by Mark Regnerus, a fellow at Penn's Center for Research on Religion and Urban Civil Society and an assistant professor of sociology at the University of Texas at Austin.

Regnerus identified youth who failed to live up to expectations in spite of their advantages and compared the effect of religious influences in their lives with the effect of religious influences in the lives of similar youth who managed to steer clear of trouble.

" Both lower church attendance and lesser importance of religion in adolescents' lives proved to be effective identifiers of those youth who failed to meet expectations, that is, those who are delinquent or use drugs, etc., in spite of being considered at low risk to do so," Regnerus said.

Approximately 9,700 grade 7-12 adolescents from two-parent and/or suburban families of privilege were studied.

Regnerus concluded that church attendance helps some low-risk adolescents stay out of trouble because it enables them to tap social support systems of fellow churchgoers. Churches reinforce parental support networks and parental control, according to Regnerus.