Researchers who monitor and generate data about teenagers’ sexual activity have, for a long time, viewed it in the realm of “risky behavior” and linked it with other risky behavior such as drug and alcohol use, weapon carrying etc. These researchers examine what the risk factors are that influence such behaviors, and what the protective factors are that parents, communities and society can apply to keep our kids safe. What should be obvious to parents, is that sexual behavior needs to be viewed in a very different context than these other risk behaviors because, at some point, it’s perfectly normal!

We’re begining to see research analysis that represents this point of view. The Guttmacher Institute publishes much data on the topic, and offers the following key finding: teenagers who feel highly connected to their parents, and report their parents are warm, caring and supportive, are far more likely to delay sexual activity than their peers. This protective factor not only applies to sexual activity, but to all risk behaviors.

The most important predictive factor for sexual activity is not whether teens have taken virginity pledges, but whether teens have been in a romantic relationship for more than 18 months. This suggests that parents can have an influence. Guttmacher’s report says “Parents can discourage heavy one-on-one dating and emphasize going out in groups. They should attend to issues like the age at which kids start dating and the age difference between partners.”

Although virginity pledges, at first glance, seem to have a protective effect, they also have an unintended effect: they actually place some teens at higher risk of unintended pregnancy and STD’s because teens who break their pledge are one-third less likely than non-pledgers to use contraceptives once they become sexually active.

For more information, visit www.guttmacher.org

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