Secular research supports the concern expressed by Bishop Malloy and the Church about the risks to children by groups with sexual-behavior agendas.

 

For example, this past May 17, the American College of Pediatricians (ACPEds) announced the publication of its evidence-based Position Statement entitled “The Teenage Brain: Under Construction.”

 

The press release announcing the publication stated: “The evidence-based research on brain development shows that the adolescent brain is under construction and can be adversely affected by high-risk behaviors and by the negative environmental influences the brain experiences.

 

The judgment center is immature, leading to poor decision making. High-risk behaviors and permanent medical decisions such as abortion and gender-transition surgeries that are encountered during these vulnerable years can have lasting adverse consequences. 

 

“The importance of parental supervision, sound coaching, and assistance in decision making cannot be overstated.”