Teens and Abstinence

If you are a parent of teens, like I am, you are concerned about helping your children make good decisions when it comes to sex. A new government supported research study from the Heritage Foundation found that teens who abstain from sex share some common characteristics. The National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health found 8 personality traits and behaviors that were associated with abstinence (as well as acacdemic achievement):
-Willingness to postpone current pleasures for larger future rewards
-A "future orientation," with a focus on long-term goals
-Perseverance, meaning the ability to stick to a task or commitment
-A belief that current behavior can positively affect the future
-Impulse control, including the ability to control emotions and desires
-Resistance to peer pressure
-Respect for parental and social values
-Sense of self-worth and personal dignity

According to a summary of the study in U.S. News and World Report, abistinence is also associated with better physical and mental health in all socioeconomic groups. Youth who make abstinence decisions are far more likely to attend and graduate from college compared to those who are sexually active.

As I look over these personality and behavior straits, I am stuck by the fact that each one is found in one book of the Bible, the book of Proverbs. Talk to your youth pastor about doing a series based in that book. If you have a pre-teen, take some time to read from that book together with you child. Spend some time reading it yourself to gain insight into how to instill these qualities in your children, and most importantly, model them yourself as their parent!