Miss Alligator sent us
this cool article about abstinent teens. It had some interesting stats that I've bolded for your convenience:
...by the measure of recent sexual behavior, rather than virginity, close to 70 percent of high school students are abstinent. And many teens who are not currently abstinent are succumbing to peer pressure, real or virtual. (A Kaiser Family Foundation survey found that a third of sexually active teens were not so sure about it, and roughly a quarter said they were doing "something sexual they didn't really want to do.")....Kids who can make abstinence decisions do better in school, too, even when the comparison group was matched for social background and the desire to pursue education. Abstinent teens are far more likely to attend and graduate from college than those who are sexually active, based on an analysis of the NIH-supported National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health by Robert Rector and Kirk Johnson, researchers at the Heritage Foundation. Seems obvious: less distraction and more time to study.... The researchers identified eight personality and behavioral traits that were associated with both abstinence and academic achievement - traits that to some extent may be inborn but can also be taught and reinforced regularly at home and at school: - Future orientation, with a focus on long-term goals
- Willingness to postpone current pleasures for larger future rewards
- Perseverance, as in the ability to stick to a task or commitment
- A belief that current behavior can positively affect the future
- Impulse control, including ability to control emotions and desires
- Resistance to peer influence
- Respect for parental and social values
- Sense of self-worth and personal dignity
"I feel as if I have some of those traits even though I don't abstain from sex as a teenager," Miss A said in a message. "I don't know if the article is necessarily asserting that teens who didn't abstain don't have those traits, though."
I was an academically indifferent, abstinent teenager and I think those listed traits are legitimate. I felt like by abstaining, I was holding out by my own choice - #3, 6 and 8 - and out of respect to my family - #7. I know I didn't believe #4 or #1 when it came to school, though - I feel like people put way too much pressure on teenagers to SUCCEED! ALL! THE! TIME! and that, honestly, high school doesn't matter as much as they want you think it does. But that's just me.
What do you think of this article? Which traits of these did you - or do you - possess as a teenager?
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Comments (107)
interesting.Â
I believe I have all the eight traits, some at a higher and some at a lower degree, but they are there nonetheless. And yes, I'm abstinent, even in my mid-20s now.
I'm 19 years old and still in high school, and I first had sex my Sophomore year. I have a 3.4 gpa. I play two sports at my school. I got class favorite. Having sex has not affected my success in high school at all.
Woo, glad to see this posted! I'm totally eager to see what other people think of this article :]
yeah and virgins also don't have fun and are totally boring.. they forgot that.
I fit every value on the list and i abstain from abstinence.
@Neurotically_Mine@xanga - Not true, sorry. :)
I think good values allows a teenager to succeed in ALL accounts...including abstinance and academics.
I first had sex at 15 and can say that I embodied all of those traits throughout my teen years, despite having sex.
Whether you abstain or not doesn't reflect on your values. I've known virgins that were the laziest slackers, just like how I've known non-virgins that worked their fucking asses off. Sex doesn't make you a bad person. When is society going to realize that?
This article screams "correlation =/= causality" at me.
This is absolutely ridiculous and one of the most stupid things I have ever read. I was sexually active in high school and am now in my third year at a very good university with a 3.78 GPA. Sex does not influence how well you do in school.
Perhaps some teens are irresponsible and have sex, but I know quite a few who are still doing what they did before they were virgins. I don't think abstinence has anything to do with how academically geared you are...
@bella_esperanza@xanga - says who?
To me they are totally boring. No offense. BTW i meant for boys.
Of course there are boys who are fun to hang out with who are virgins, but i wouldn't date one.
@Neurotically_Mine@xanga - Says me, and other virgins as well. Are you just annoyed at the article, btw, to make you say what you said earlier? (Trying to understand. No offense.)
@bella_esperanza@xanga - yeah this article is pure stupidity.
@Neurotically_Mine@xanga - Sorry it annoyed you, then.
@Neurotically_Mine@xanga - lol, not necessarily but I bet about half of them have some sort of self esteem or social issues so dating- and in turn the temptation (and possibly opportunity) to be sexually active, isn't there for them.
@thats_not_my_name@xanga - I wouldn't know, but I think the whole commitment to chastity or abstinence..whatever they call it nowadays is kind of ridiculous to me. Not being sexually active doesn't make them any better than the rest of us who choose to. It doesn't mean they have greater self control as this article suggests..or that they'll be more successful in the long run.
Or that they'll be more responsible when they do become sexually active.
The fact is.. people who are more sexually active are usually more attractive and most likely happier and physically sound as opposed to those who aren't.
@thats_not_my_name@xanga - Eh, I'm abstinant and I don't have many problems socializing, dating, etc.
the goals of abstinence are to lower teen pregnancy, lower STI's and lower sex in general. however, stats show that Abstinant only programs in fact do NOT lower STI's, lower teen pregnancy or sexual behaviour. someone who may have sex at a young age can STILL Have those behaviours that are listed.
did the academic study look at the groups of people they were looking at? what about socioeconomic status of the school. i don't really believe that marks/gpa and sex really have much to do with abstinent choices. i know MANY people with VERY high gpa's who have had sex and they have all teh qualities mentioned in that list.....
@FOXHOUND_HQ@xanga - For the record so am I and I don't have any issues either. But I did say half of those teenagers...granted I'm not a teenager so I only know how abstinent teenagers were when I was in high school. lol
@Neurotically_Mine@xanga -
I completely agree sex is not the make or break of how well you do in school or in later life. Lots of teenagers (that don't end up pregnant) lie about being sexually active because of their parents or religion...so this survey is really quite silly.
This whole thing sounds really bogus. I don't see any valid research in the article. It's probably written by some Christian fundamentalist that's trying to push an abstinence agenda. Pfsh, 70% of high schoolers are abstinent my ass.
Wow, this is stupid.
a
third of sexually active teens were not so sure about it, and roughly a
quarter said they were doing "something sexual they didn't really want
to do.
uh? I'd like to see that study because I have a hard time believing that.
less distraction and more time to study
Computers are distracting and take away from study time. It's not like abstinent kids don't have just as much distraction.
The goal thing in general is stupid. That is not related to abstinence at all. I've been having sex since I was 14. I'm going to college to get my masters straightaway. There are many abstinent teens I know who are lazy. Abstinent teens are usually product of strict parents (not always of course, but I'm sure in like 90% of cases it's partly parental's influence/encouragement) so I could see how they might statistically do better in school...they have to please their parents.
Oh and by the way: close to 70 percent of high school students are abstinent.
Take me to this high school. I don't believe it exists.
@Viserys@xanga - Haha yeah. Did you know there was also a study that found teens who ate breakfast were more likely to be abstinent?