Teens who abstain from sex share some characteristics, according to government-supported research at the Heritage Foundation. The National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health identified eight personality and behavioral traits that were associated with both abstinence and academic achievement:
- 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
Abstinence also is associated with better physical and mental health across socioeconomic groups, according to a summary of the study in U.S. News & World Report. And those youth who make abstinence decisions are far more likely to attend and graduate from college than those who are sexually active. [citizenlink.org]
