Adolescent volunteering in the United States: associations with friendship and behavior outcomes

Loneliness, social isolation, and bullying are gaining recognition as major public health concerns, especially for youth. Studies have shown participation in volunteering to be linked to positive social outcomes for older adults, but there is a lack of data for other life stages. In this cross-sectional study, we determined the relations between participation in volunteering and social outcomes of adolescents across the United States. Adult-reported quantitative data representative of adolescents ages 12–17 across the United States (n = 36,293) originated from the 2022–2023 National Survey of Children’s Health. We specified separate logistic regression models (n = 4) to assess the associations between participation in volunteering and difficulty making or keeping friends, being bullied, bullying others, and behavior or conduct problems, adjusting for characteristics of adolescents and their household. In the adolescent sample, 46 % participated in volunteering, 28 % had difficulty making or keeping friends, 34 % had been bullied, 12 % had bullied others, and 7 % had behavior or conduct problems. Modeling results showed that volunteering was associated with lower odds of difficulty making or keeping friends and behavior or conduct problems in adolescents. Results provide evidence for volunteering as a potential solution for the health-related social outcomes of loneliness and isolation experienced by adolescents in the United States. Participation in volunteering and the associated social benefits suggest volunteering may be a win–win, wherein youth help others and help themselves.