Dear Parent:

The sight of a workbook on sexual issues in the hands of your son might be somewhat frightening at first. As you discover that your son might be dealing with sexual integrity issues, my prayer is that you’ll be supportive of him in this journey. Be proud of him. In acknowledging the reality of these issues and taking steps to cope with our sexually dominated culture, he is standing in the minority. Some of the questions you might be raising are:

Q: “What has my child done?”
A: It could be a variety of things.

Q: “Is he ruined for life?”
A: Not if he gets help.

Q: “Is it safe for him to be around younger siblings?”
A: Probably yes.

Q: “Will he end up being another Ted Bundy?”
A: Highly unlikely.

Q: “Will he become a sex offender of some sort?”
A: Highly unlikely.

The purpose of this book is to help your son in a battle that is taking the hearts and souls of millions of teenagers: the battle with Internet pornography and sexual acting out. The exercises are designed to help him in making wise choices, cultivating sexual purity, coping with culture and addictive sexuality, and developing a vision for a life of sexual wholeness in a covenant marriage relationship. Navigating these waters isn’t easy. Don’t shame him over his activities. He already feels enough guilt without your adding to the cesspool. He will need your support, guidance, and acceptance.

There is another reason why finding out about your son’s difficulty might be hard to accept. It’s possible that your anxiety over your child may be coming from another source that might be very uncomfortable to deal with. Some young men are getting hooked on Internet pornography after finding the web sites or magazines that belong to a parent. Addiction is known to run in family trees. It could be that you or an extended family member has a problem with sexual integrity that may have impacted your son. Since the average age of first exposure to pornography in the United States is 11 years old, there is a strong possibility that your son could have been exposed at the home of a friend or family member. If you or your spouse has a struggle with sexual integrity, there is help available for the entire family. As part of this series there is a L.I.F.E. Guide for Men, by Dr. Mark Laaser. There is also a L.I.F.E. Guide for Women struggling with sexual addiction by Marnie Ferree.

This book is written with the hope of being an instrument of healing for the young men who will embark on this journey of living in freedom everyday. The impact on your son and your family will be powerful. May God bless you as you raise children in a sexually dominated culture.

For His Children,

L.I.F.E. Ministries International

The previous letter was taken from the L.I.F.E. Guide for Young Men.