���� �� ‘Aspire’ to be Abstinent Aspire, a workbook in the abstinence series, says, “Abstinence isn’t about not having sex. It’s about saving sex for someone who is willing to give back to you by making a lifelong commitment in marriage.” This workbook helps young people make positive choices to reach that goal. It is vitally important that teens get the message about abstinence and direction to help them make healthy choices from someone — whether it’s their parents, their school, or their place of worship. Pop culture and media are unlikely to positively influence them or to discourage destructive behaviors. Developing character, knowing how to cope with peer pressure, making good decisions, and learning healthy relationship skills help young people to meet their goals. Living Life On Purpose The first chapter of Aspire emphasizes that students must make plans and have goals. The workbook exercises encourage teens to think seriously about choices they’ll face and emphasize that what they do as teens will impact their future. Students are asked to list one-word descriptions of their “hopes, goals, and dreams.” Then they list what they “will have to do to make it happen.” The real-life story in this chapter is that of Ty Gooch, a young man who made an early commitment to abstinence. Ty is an athlete who played football at Northwestern University and competed in the Rose Bowl. He wanted to be respectful and says he realized that “every woman he went out with was someone’s daughter or sister, and would one day be someone’s mom and someone’s wife.” Ty now has a family with his wife, Renee. “We have had the joy of starting a family together and we wouldn’t wish for anything else.” He says, “By building your character and exercising selfcontrol, you will build a solid foundation .” Each chapter of Aspire ends with an affirmation. The affirmation in this first chapter is: “I will live my life with a sense of purpose.” Standing Strong Planning ahead helps teens resist pressure to do things they should not do, like smoking, taking illicit drugs, engaging in sexual activity, or behaving in a violent manner. The workbook says that many teenaged girls who have sex didn’t plan for it to happen and that over 70% of them regret or have mixed feelings about the encounter afterward. Engaging in sexual activity has negative consequences beyond teen pregnancy. It forces negative and long-lasting physical, mental, emotional, financial, and social changes on young people. Marriage is the “safe place” where sexual activity is protected and the above problems are avoided. The workbook says the one question to ask before engaging in sex is: “Am I married?” The affirmation is: “I will resist negative pressures in order to accomplish my future goals.” Thinking Ahead Sexual activity has immediate and long-term consequences but teens are often given the message that they should “live for today and forget about tomorrow.” The third chapter of Aspire points out that teen sex and alcohol use are both shown in the media as “cool and fun,” and usually without consequences. Yet, the fact is that each day in America approximately 54,000 cases of STDs occur. The workbook explains the various types of viral and non-viral STDs that those who have sex outside of marriage are at risk of contracting. Contrary to what some schools teach, condoms often don’t prevent the spread of STDs. Graphs in the workbook show that STD cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis are rampant among teens and those aged 20-24. The youngest three age groups account for more STDs than all the other age groups combined. Students are asked to offer explanations for why STDs are so pervasive in their age group. The affirmation for this chapter is: I will protect and maintain my physical health and well-being. Protecting Your Mind Chapter Four tells students that most homes have three or more television sets; that teens today use media for an average 7-1/2 hours a day or 52 hours a week; and that the average for people their age is nearly 75 hours per week of media exposure. Students track their own weekly media exposure in a workbook exercise. According to a Kaiser Family Foundation study, “Youth who spend more time with media report lower grades and lower levels of personal contentment.” Since true stories are one of the best ways to engage students, students meet Eric, who battled an addiction to pornography. They also meet Tara, who at 13 was taken advantage of by a 27-year-old man who saw her as the ideal of his online porn addiction. She was manipulated and abused, and subsequently needed intense counseling in order to recover. The workbook says that 64% of teens admit they “do things online that they wouldn’t want their parents to know about.” In this chapter’s parental participation section, families are asked to describe together “what your life would be like without the media.” The workbook makes the point that not all media is bad, “but rather that it has enormous influence in the lives of most Americans.” The affirmation is: “I will control the media rather than allowing the media to control me.” The Power of Self-Control The fifth chapter of Aspire begins by addressing how character and judgment influence self-control and
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