The Jonas Brothers wear them. So do some of the teens from “High School Musical.” Heck, there was even a point when Britney Spears sported one (what a joke). I’m referring to those mega-popular purity rings.
The small silver rings are worn by young people to signify their commitment to abstinence. In other words the ring is supposed to help kids say, “I don’t,” before they say “I do.”
The rings are part of an Evangelical Christian movement to encourage teens to make a “pledge of chastity.” According to my research, a father, who was outraged to discover that his hometown of Yuma, Arizona had the highest teenage pregnancy rate in the state, initiated the movement back in 1996. Since then millions of teens around the world have jumped on the purity ring bandwagon.
Some rings are engraved with the words: “Love Waits.” While others bear the Bible passage: “God wants you to be holy, so you should keep clear of all sexual sin. Then you will control your body and live in holiness and honor.”
The problem is the sliver of silver doesn’t always work the way its designer had hoped. According to researchers at Yale University, a recent study showed that 88% of purity ring wearers had sex before marriage.
So, would you encourage your child to wear a purity ring?
One mother in the UK did, and now she and her daughter are making headlines around the world.
Apparently, not everyone is gung-ho about teens sporting the chastity bands.
According to news reports, when 12-year-old Kioni Lansbury donned her purity ring to school she was ordered to remove it. Lansbury’s school in Ottery St. Mary in the UK has a strict no-jewelry policy. School administrators say rings pose a health hazard in science and physical education classes.
However, the school’s ban on rings didn’t sit well with the Lansbury’s who maintain the dress code allows Muslim students to wear banned headscarves, therefore an exception should be made for students who desire to publicly declare their commitment to abstinence by wearing a ring.
Kioni told local news reporters that she plans to continue wearing her ring to school, but will remove it in situations where it might be dangerous. Meanwhile, the girl’s mother says she stands by her daughter 100%.
As a parent, what would you have done in this situation?
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