Youth and Teen: Drugs and Sex
By Patricia Houston
How Widespread is This?
The Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration issued a press release on September 7, 2006 which indicated that illicit drug use among youth ages 12-17 was on the decline and has been since 2005. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released this 2007 report, "Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance," a nationally representative sample of 14,000 American students in grades 9-12 that includes national, state and local surveys. During the period from 1991 to 2007, teen sexual activity dropped, teen pregnancies declined and abortions declined. During 1995-2007, injection drug use remained below 4%; however, from 2005 to 2007, no change was detected in the prevalence of injection drug use overall except for 10th grade students who also showed a decrease from 2.3% to 1.4%. While fewer teens engage in these types of risky behaviors, too many of them still indulge.
What Can the Church Do to Help?
The philosophy I share for solving problems in the Christian household is going back to the “beginning.” What does the Word of God say about it? If parents are to train their children up in the way they should go as stated in the Bible, then we are mandated to instill our morals, faith and values into our children. I believe the relationship parents have with their children is vital, and to a large degree, determines their outcomes. If parents have strong Christian or spiritual beliefs that demonstrate and share them with their children and regularly attend services, those children are less likely to engage in risky behaviors such as sex and drugs. In addition, having the rituals of church activity should generate a network of friends who share the same values; thereby, eliminating peer pressure to become involved in sex and drugs. When parents go back to the “beginning” and share their faith with their children, not only are the children behaving in a manner accountable to their parents but also what is pleasing to God. Perhaps for those who still decide to indulge in risky behaviors after these practices are imparted will return to their spiritual foundation as stated in Proverbs 22:6.
Since Satan is always counterfeiting everything God does, I have to believe that the temptation to lure our children towards sex and drugs is a counterfeit for being totally satisfying with a loving and fulfilling relationship with God. He also lures them to solve or abate whatever voids and problems they may encounter with these counterfeits, which can place them at risk for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). It’s not like he’s a loving parent and care what they do to bring harm to themselves. In an article entitled, What Works in Preventing Teen Sex, the writer shared religious, social and moral practices that effectively shaped young people’s lives. Some also included parental beliefs, religious attendance, religious activities, peer religious attendance and a positive mother-teen relationship.
In a study entitled, Religious Activity Equals Less Sex, Drugs for Some Teens; the writer also believes that high levels of church attendance may protect some teenagers from getting involved in risky behaviors. This study was based on interviewing 700 African American teens every year for four years. The study found that a decrease in church activity was significantly associated with greater increases in alcohol use among boys and sexual intercourse among girls.
With significant evidence about what’s effective in protecting our children from the harmful results of early sexual activity and drug usage, parents or guardians who really care about their children should make church involvement a high priority. It’s not just enough to focus on providing material benefits and forget our children’s spiritual needs. If we as parents don’t feed their souls, they will seek to fill that emptiness with drugs, alcohol, sex or other counterfeits seeking parental and faith substitutes. We have the DNA (1 John 4:13) of our spiritual Father, and although we’re temporarily housed in these fleshly bodies, we still require spiritual food and not worldly counterfeits. What am I saying? We’re a spirit, living in a body and possessing a soul. Once we were sent from our Heavenly Father to be born here on earth, we obtained a body and a soul. We are spiritual beings. Scripture tells us how we are living in the world but not of it (1 Peter 2:11) and are truly like aliens here on earth. Regardless of where we are, it doesn’t change who we are and what we are; therefore, we will still have desires for spiritual food. Our natural propensity for spiritual food creates a battle between the soul that we possess and our spirit while we reside here on earth; “Should I read my Bible, worship God, attend church, pray, sing songs to God, etc., or get with my friends and partake in Satan’s smorgasbord of substitutes to satisfy my spiritual cravings?”
I know many parents have discussed with their children the array of feelings they will experience as they go through adolescence and how to deal with them as a result of having these fleshly bodies. Parents do this so their children won’t be confused about what is happening in their developmental process. Well, we need to make sure we cover this area when it comes to spiritual development. Every craving is not meant for the flesh to be satisfied. It may just be our spirit in need of spiritual nourishment. Have you ever been sitting on the sofa and felt like you needed something to eat, even though you just ate dinner or had a snack? Well that’s a good indication that your spirit man is hungry for the Word of God, praise, worship or the need to fellowship with other people in your same spiritual network. Parents, we do charge to keep and a God to glorify, so let’s start with the future of our children by not only preparing them with nourishment for the soul but the spirit as well. It’s a war going on and the fight is to possess confused children. Let’s teach them how to fall in love with Jesus for ultimate satisfaction and suit up in their whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:12-17).