A 2019 study investigated the role of a father's parenting in teenagers’ sexual risk behaviors, especially looking at the children of mothers who gave birth as teenagers.
Researchers found that a father's disapproval of promiscuity lowered "risky sexual behaviors" including multiple partners and sexual intercourse outside of marriage. Also, the closer the father was to his children, the less likely they were to have sex in adolescent and teenage years. A father's presence alone, not just emotional closeness, decreased sexual behaviors in teenagers.
A father's role in the lives of his children is so precious. No matter how old his children are, they will always need their father as a spiritual leader and role model. Research has consistently shown, the more a father invests in his children, the better off they will be.
Fathers are especially influential on their daughters. This is why the National Abstinence Clearinghouse has the Purity Ball. The Purity Ball is a special time for fathers to speak truth into their daughters' lives and encourage them to live lives of purity.
To learn more about having a Purity Ball in your own community, check out our Purity Ball Planners.