Pledges to Refrain from Sex Surprisingly Effective

"Just Say No," the slogan directed at prevention of drug use during the 1980s, has reappeared and is now focused on delaying sex until marriage. That seems to be the message of a new study on the effectiveness of public pledges by teenagers to refrain from sexual activity until marriage, and it may be surprisingly effective, reports Sean Brotherson, extension family life specialist at North Dakota State University.

Brotherson refers to a study by Peter S. Bearman, a sociologist at Columbia University, who reviewed data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health and analyzed the effect of public pledges to remain sexually abstinent on the behavior of teenagers. Bearman’s study, co-authored with Hannah Brueckner of Yale University, showed that among teens who made a formal pledge to remain virgins until marriage about 50 percent were still virgins at about age 20. The finding is significant because, in contrast, among teens who did not take the pledge about 50 percent were no longer virgins by age 17. What Bearman calls the "pledge effect" seems to delay the beginning of sexual activity by an average of at least 18 months among teens who make the commitment.

This may be the first hard evidence of the effect of large-scale efforts during the last decade to promote abstinence education, says Brotherson. "Both faith-based organizations and federally funded programs such as welfare reform have put significant attention toward emphasizing the message of delaying sex until marriage,"he says. "These results from a nationally representative study show that when adolescents make a clear behavioral commitment in a public way, it encourages them to take greater responsibility for their own actions and attitudes."

The effect of making an abstinence pledge is definitely not simplistic, though, Brotherson comments. For example, some youth are more likely to take such a pledge, including those who are more religiously committed or more oriented toward school. And the pledge seems to have the greatest effect among adolescents who make the commitment at age 16 or 17, while the effect is much reduced if taken at age 18 or older.

Also, if a majority of teens in a school make such a pledge, it tends to become less effective. Bearman notes that the maximum effect seems to occur when about 30 percent of students in a school make such a commitment, while the effect diminishes once the number reaches 40 or 50 percent and those making the pledge become less socially distinct.

Any behavioral commitment to avoid risks such as early sexual behavior is also moderated by other factors, such as family connectedness and peer relations, suggests Brotherson. "Other findings from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health show that when adolescents feel closely connected to their parents, they are three times more likely to accurately perceive a parent’s disapproval of premarital sex and change their behavior," he says. If parents do not establish a close and warm relationship with their adolescent children, then their messages of warning are likely to fall on deaf ears when they start expressing concern about risky behaviors.

Peer groups can also be a strong influence on adolescent sexual behavior. Brotherson points out that while best friends seem important, actually it is the network of close friends that a teenager connects with that is most influential in shaping a child’s behavior. "These friends establish a peer culture and a set of expectations that young people may find tremendously powerful," suggests Brotherson, "and can be an influence for good or for ill."

What then is the best formula for encouraging teens and young adults to wait until marriage before becoming sexually active? Brotherson suggests there is no tried-and-true formula, but that research suggests high expectations, close parental ties, positive peer relationships, and a strong personal commitment to sexual abstinence have a significant impact on the decisions that teens make about their sexual choices.

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Source: Sean Brotherson, (701) 231-6143, sbrother@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Gary Moran, (701) 231-7865, gmoran@ndsuext.nodak.com