BBC Religious Tolerance Poll

Telephone poll of 2,016 adults for the BBC on tolerance and religious understanding

Most adults think that children and young people today are more able to express themselves verbally and in their choices of what to wear than in previous generations. Three quarters of adults (72%) think that the freedom of young people and children to express their opinions is better today than when they were young, while 61% think that the freedom of children and young people to dress how they want is better today.

However, children are thought to be less safe and moral standards worse. Half of adults (49%) say that safety of places where children and young people play or meet was better when they were growing up and nearly two thirds (63%) think moral standards were better. Just 9% think moral standards are better today.

More than half of British adults say that general levels of tolerance towards people from different backgrounds are better today compared to when they were growing up (54% v 24%).

The majority of British adults (59%) say that children today understand more about different religious communities compared to when they were young. This may be partly down to the changing religious make-up of Britain with two thirds of the public (65%) saying this has improved understanding of different cultures. However, almost half say that the changing religious make-up of Britain has worsened moral standards (46%).

Date Published: 18th October 2015

Categories: Faith | GB | Public and communities | Social

Client: BBC

Methodology

ComRes interviewed 2,016 GB adults via telephone between the 18^th and 28^th September 2015. Data were weighted to be representative of all adults in Great Britain aged 18+. ComRes is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules.