A strong sense of belonging to family keeps young people from engaging in high risk behavior, said Dr. Robert Blum in a professional growth seminar co-hosted by the family ministries department of the Seventh-day Adventist Church worldwide.  Blum presented findings from the Add Health study, which involved 90,000 young people and 18,000 parents in a longitudinal study of America’s adolescents.

The findings reveal those connections that make a difference between youth who are more involved in high risk behavior and those who are less involved.  Blum, a youth advocate, pediatrician, educator, and researcher from the University of Minnesota, talked about what makes young people feel connected.  The magic formula is not necessarily self-esteem, says Blum, but it is a sense that there is at least one adult, preferably a parent, who cares.  A sense of having someone to turn to makes the difference in the lives of young people, he adds.

Karen Flowers, associate director of family ministries for the Adventist Church worldwide says that “the research findings affirm the Adventist Church’s traditional emphasis on family, and all that Adventists have sought to do in their schools, churches, and families to support parents and youth.”

The seminar was co-hosted by Capital Memorial Seventh-day Adventist Church in Washington, D.C.