Teens in U.S. public schools more likely to see their peers praying before sporting events than before lunch % ofU.S teenagers ages 13-17 in public schools who say they see other students in their school
While the Supreme Court has ruled that the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution prohibits school-sponsored prayer in public schools, the court also has made clear that individual students have a right to pray in public settings. And, according to a new Pew Research Center survey of teens ages 13 to 17, a sizable share of students in public school are availing themselves of this right.
The survey also examined public school prayer from a different angle by asking teens whether they see other students praying before eating lunch. Around one-in-six teens in public schools (16%) say they often or sometimes see other students doing this. Teens who identify with a religion are more likely than those who self-identify as atheist, agnostic or “nothing in particular” to notice this (19% vs. 9%).
Prayer in a school setting doesn’t just take place before lunch and, in fact, teens in public school are more likely to see students praying before sporting events (39%) than before lunch, according to the survey. Again, there are differences in these answers across religious groups: About half of evangelical Protestant teens (55%) and mainline Protestant teens (52%) say they commonly see other students praying before sporting events, as do 42% of Catholic teens. By comparison, religiously unaffiliated teens – also known as “nones” – are far less likely to see this type of prayer (24%).
Teens in U.S. public schools more likely to see their  | peers praying before sporting events than before lunch  | % ofU.S teenagers ages 13-17 in public schools who say they see  | other students in their school  | NET: 39%  | Often Sometimes  | Rarely/never  | praying before a sporting event  | 12  | 27  | 60  | 16  | praying before eating lunch  | 12  | 83  | Note: Figures may not add to subtotals indicated due to rounding. Those who did not  | answer ware not shown.  | Source: Survey conducted March 29-April 14, 2019, among U.S teenagers ages 13-17  | "For a Lot of American Teens, Religion Is a Regular Part of the Public School Day"  | PEW RESEARCH CENTER 