September 11, Service and Activism: A Longitudinal Study of American High School Students

For the past decade, the authors have studied high school community service programs for the purpose of learning more about the conditions that promote students' civic development. The tragic events of September 11, 2001, happened to coincide with the final year of their study of a suburban public high school near Boston, MA. This timing permitted them to assess youths' views of the tragic events, and whether 9/11 had an effect on their civic engagement scores. Short-term results revealed an immediate increase in students' political interest, an immediate decrease in tolerance for free speech, and no changes in intended future civic participation. Nine months later, students' civic engagement scores returned to pre-9/11 levels. Descriptive findings showed that most students' understanding of the world was changed after 9/11. Fewer students, however, reported that their view of themselves had changed. They were also able to determine whether or not students' active responses through community service had an effect on their scores on a series of civic engagement indices. The majority of students responded by attending memorial services or vigils, donating blood or supplies, or organizing service pertinent to 9/11's aftermath. Statistical analyses showed that student activists who organized service had enhanced and sustained levels of intended civic participation and tolerance for free speech compared with students who responded through other means or not at all. Analyses also showed that students who attended memorials or vigils had enhanced and sustained political interest compared to non-respondents.