The quotes below come from the Monograph,
“The home environment makes a difference in the health of American youth. When teens feel connected to their families and when parents are involved in their children’s lives, teens are protected.”
“Parents and families whose adolescent children feel connected to them and those who are perceived by the adolescent as disapproving of their teens being sexually active provide some protection from early intercourse. Disapproval of adolescent contraception protects teens from early sexual involvement as well as from pregnancy. Likewise, a greater number of shared activities with parents protects against pregnancy. In other words, parents who give clear messages about delaying sex have children who are less likely to have early intercourse.”
“When adolescents report that they have taken a pledge to remain a virgin until marriage, they are more likely to delay intercourse.”
“Time and time again, the home environment emerges as central in shaping health outcomes for American youth.”
“Across all of the health outcomes examined, the results point to the importance of family and the home environment for protecting adolescents from harm. What emerges most consistently as protective is the teenager’s feeling of connectedness with parents and family. Feeling loved and cared for by parents matters in a big way.”
“Independent of race, ethnicity, family structure and poverty status, adolescents who are connected to their parents, to their families, and to their school community are healthier than those who are not.”
kidsfirstcanada.org 