Indeed, a recent study conducted by sociologists at Columbia University in New York found that when teens who signed pledges did break their vows, they were less likely than their peers to use contraceptives. But it also showed that, in some cases, pledges work. And the environment in which the teens signed influenced its effectiveness. If everyone in the group signed, the vows became meaningless. And if too few signed, that lessened the impact.
Pledges help draw a teen into an identity movement.
If the number is too small, then they are just a minority. She and Rozanski are members of the Respect Life Club at Madonna, a group of about 50 to 75 of its 240 students who caution peers against drinking, drugs and sex. The club sponsored a Respect Life week this winter at the Northwest Side Catholic girls' school, where waiting until marriage was one of the most talked-about topics. Presenters from the Abstinence Resource Center in Oak Lawn, the Chicago Archdiocese and other groups counseled the girls on the risks of sexual activity, from pregnancy to disease to emotional conflicts. Some lecturers preached, warning the girls that men don't want to marry non-virgins.