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There's been a lot of discussion about the way morals and attitudes about sex are changing in this country. If a man and woman have sex relations before marriage, do you think it is always wrong, almost always wrong, wrong only sometimes, or not wrong at all? A. What if they are in their early teens, say 14 to 16 years old? In that case, do you think sex relations before marriage are always wrong, almost always wrong, wrong only sometimes, or not wrong at all?
Wrongness of sex before marriage at ages 14 to 16 · Asked in 22 waves, 1986–2024 · 34,445 responses · weighted estimates computed from individual responses
Dashed lines mark changes in how interviews were done, which can shift answers: 1. → web (2021).
Shares of people who gave an answer. Each column is one wave, evenly spaced rather than to scale in time; hover for exact shares.
| Group | Always wrong | Almost always wrong | Wrong only sometimes | Not wrong at all | n |
|---|
| Poll | Field dates | Mode | Respondents | Responses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Social Survey 2024 | 2024-04-05 to 2024-12-02 | mixed | 3,309 | 2,183 |
| General Social Survey 2022 | 2022-05-08 to 2023-01-08 | mixed | 3,544 | 2,376 |
| General Social Survey 2021 | 2020-12-03 to 2021-05-02 | web | 4,032 | 2,716 |
| General Social Survey 2018 | 2018-04-12 to 2018-11-10 | face to face | 2,348 | 1,559 |
| General Social Survey 2016 | 2016-04-05 to 2016-11-19 | face to face | 2,867 | 1,888 |
| General Social Survey 2014 | 2014-03-31 to 2014-10-13 | face to face | 2,538 | 1,675 |
| General Social Survey 2012 | 2012-03-20 to 2012-09-05 | face to face | 1,974 | 1,302 |
| General Social Survey 2010 | 2010-03-15 to 2010-08-12 | face to face | 2,044 | 1,430 |
| General Social Survey 2008 | 2008-04-17 to 2008-09-13 | face to face | 2,023 | 1,329 |
| General Social Survey 2006 |
Dashed lines mark changes in how interviews were done, which can shift answers: 1. → web (2021).
Shares of people who gave an answer. A group’s column is left blank in waves where its effective sample is under 50; hover for exact shares.
| MoE |
|---|
| All respondents | 47% | 19% | 19% | 15% | 2183 | ±3 | |
| White | 46% | 19% | 21% | 14% | 1529 | ±3 | |
| Black | 57% | 17% | 12% | 15% | 362 | ±7 | |
| Other races | 46% | 17% | 16% | 21% | 252 | ±8 |
General Social Survey 2024 · US adults 18+ living in households (English, and Spanish since 2006). Shares of people who gave an answer. n is unweighted; ± is the 95% margin of error at 50% from the weighted effective sample. Groups with an effective sample under 50 are grayed; under 20, hidden.
| 2006-03-07 to 2006-08-07 |
| face to face |
| 4,510 |
| 1,992 |
| General Social Survey 2004 | 2004-08-18 to 2005-01-04 | face to face | 2,812 | 906 |
| General Social Survey 2002 | 2002-02-06 to 2002-06-26 | face to face | 2,765 | 908 |
| General Social Survey 2000 | 2000-02-01 to 2000-06-25 | face to face | 2,817 | 1,877 |
| General Social Survey 1998 | 1998-02-01 to 1998-06-19 | face to face | 2,832 | 1,871 |
| General Social Survey 1996 | 1996-02-01 to 1996-05-25 | face to face | 2,904 | 1,960 |
| General Social Survey 1994 | 1994-01-04 to 1994-06-29 | face to face | 2,992 | 1,977 |
| General Social Survey 1993 | 1993-02-05 to 1993-04-26 | face to face | 1,606 | 1,080 |
| General Social Survey 1991 | 1991-02-09 to 1991-05-06 | face to face | 1,517 | 1,024 |
| General Social Survey 1990 | 1990-02-06 to 1990-04-22 | face to face | 1,372 | 928 |
| General Social Survey 1989 | 1989-02-04 to 1989-05-01 | face to face | 1,537 | 1,006 |
| General Social Survey 1988 | 1988-02-12 to 1988-04-26 | face to face | 1,481 | 988 |
| General Social Survey 1986 | 1986-02-14 to 1986-04-24 | face to face | 1,470 | 1,470 |