The pledges make liars out of people.
The reason that teenage boys, in the article, have sex later than teenage girls is not male chastity (HA!), it's lack of opportunity. Girls can have sex whenever they want to, but boys? What does a pimply-faced 14 year old have to offer a girl? Not much. They want it - probably more than the girls - but they can't GET it, because the girls are not forthcoming (the girls are hitting it off with the upper-classmen).
So, we can dutifully trot children in and have them say pledges - and even have them MEAN it in all sincerity too - but when the situation presents itself, the offer is made, and the opportunity is there, those pledges get torn to pieces and thrown away. Oh, of course the children SAY that they have honored the pledge. Everyone still lies about sex all the time. (The notion that teenage sex is a "family" matter is ludicrous too. Teenagers do not tell their parents about sex. Quick, go quiz a teenager about masturbation. 100% of teenagers practice that particular "art", and 95% will deny it. Adults can influence children, but the notion that they can really STOP teenagers is, well, as naive now as it was in the days of Romeo and Juliet).
Some of us would say that sex outside of marriage makes liars out of people; in fact, some of us would say that the act itself is a lie.
"The notion that teenage sex is a "family" matter is ludicrous too. Teenagers do not tell their parents about sex. Quick, go quiz a teenager about masturbation. 100% of teenagers practice that particular "art", and 95% will deny it."
I'm curious what time and place you grew up in.. I don't think I or any of my friends would have lied about masturbation if asked. My parents weren't very curious about my sex life, as long as I was safe, but if they had been curious I think I would have told them whatever they wanted to know. I'd imagine how secretive a kid is depends on how they believe their parents would react to whatever 'dire' news they might have about their sexuality.