Keeping Your Child Safe at College

As students begin to flood college campuses across the U.S., the transition to college life brings new freedoms and challenges. For parents, one huge task is preparing their children for the world beyond home. Many opt to send care packages filled with their favorite snacks, fast food gift cards, and school supplies. Sometimes, these packages also include contraceptives, a parent’s efforts to heed the culture’s warning to keep young adults “safe.”

I can just picture the look of shock and embarrassment on some of their faces, surprised to find a package of condoms or box of Plan B. Reflecting on my own college experience, I had a similarly awkward moment when my dad handed me a brown paper bag with a note expressing his love and a box of condoms. As a sexually active college student who had already faced two crisis pregnancies—one ending in abortion—my parents were understandably concerned. However, I didn’t need a “safer” path of self-destruction; I needed biblical truth spoken in love.

Parents today need to be equipping their children with biblical truth rather than relying on contraceptives. Teaching and living out God’s truth can better prepare young adults to guard their hearts and minds as they step out and into the world on their own.

Two Things to Equip Your College Student

Deuteronomy 6:6–7 offers timeless wisdom for parents:

“And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.”

Parents can do two important things to equip their adult child for college thereby fulfilling this command.

1. Teach Them to Hide Truth in Their Heart

Biblical truth transforms us. It enables a Christian to live a life that honors God. When we teach our children to hide these truths in their hearts, we provide them with a compass that guides their decisions, including those related to their sexuality (Psalm 119:11). The Bible provides clear teachings on God’s design for sexuality, emphasizing the importance of avoiding sexual immorality by honoring God with our bodies (1 Corinthians 6:18-20). By grounding our children in these principles, we help them understand the value of their bodies and the significance of a biblical view of sex for their good and God’s glory.

Deuteronomy 6:6–7 emphasizes the need to teach God’s commands diligently and consistently. This involves more than giving “the talk.” It involves regular discussions and requires integrating biblical principles into everyday life. Your college student should be hearing about God’s design for sexuality, the beauty of marriage, and the importance of waiting from you. Biblical teachings should be woven into daily conversations, creating a natural and ongoing dialogue.

A good way to start this conversation is to consider the constant stream of hyper-sexualized content being pumped into their phones. You can use some of the trending content to create these meaningful conversations by asking them questions and carefully listening to their responses. Then, you can come alongside them with biblical truths that speak to what they are reading, watching, and listening to online.

2. Equip Them with Practical Tools

In addition to biblical teaching, we can equip our children with practical tools to navigate the challenges of college life. Encourage them to set boundaries in their relationships, to seek friendships with those who share their values, and to find a church or campus ministry where they can grow spiritually. Teach them how to handle sexual pressure and the importance of not giving in to compromising situations.

Another vital step in equipping your young adult is preparing them for situations involving sexual temptation or even a sexual assault. While many parents focus solely on avoiding sexual immorality, it’s crucial to also discuss how to respond if these situations do arise. If you don’t have this conversation with your adult child now, they will be less likely to come to you in their time of need later.

As I’ve counseled young Christian women over the years, many of them are taking the morning-after pill or seeking the abortion pill after a sexual encounter—wanted or unwanted. Oftentimes, a sexual partner pressured them, or a friend or roommate suggested it because they’ve used it. Be assured, if you don’t dialogue with your child about what to do if they experience an unexpected pregnancy, the internet will.

Help them to understand that abortion is never an option and is contrary to God’s will for them and their preborn baby. The Bible supports adoption and godly parenting as loving and righteous responses to an unplanned pregnancy. Your child is more likely to make the right choice if they are properly prepared.

What Are Some Resources to Send them to School with?

New Growth Press, and other Christian publishers offer some spiritually sharp power tools to give to your adult child. I suggest the following resources to send your student off well:

• Letters to a Romantic: On Dating by Sean Perron and Spencer Harmon (P&R Publishing, 2017)
• Pregnancy Crisis: This Wasn’t the Plan by Camille Cates (New Growth Press, 2023)
• Who Should I Date: Relationship Advice for the Real World by William P. Smith (New Growth Press, 2009)
• Starting Over: How to Not Screw Up Your Relationship by William P. Smith (New Growth Press, 2009)
• Toxic Relationships: Taking Refuge in Christ (31-Day Devotionals for Life) by Ellen Mary Dykas (P&R Publishing, 2021)
• Holy Sexuality and the Gospel: Sex, Desire, and Relationships Shaped by God’s Grand Story by Christopher Yuan (Multnomah, 2018)
• Sexual Assault: Healing Steps for Victims by David Powlison (New Growth Press, 2022)
• Rid of My Disgrace: Hope and Healing for Victims of Sexual Assault by Justin S. Holcomb and Lindsey A. Holcomb (Crossway, 2011)

Equipping your child with these resources can offer peace of mind, even if they don’t personally need them. These small books might be used to minister to a college friend in need. In a world promoting different values, a biblical foundation helps your college student choose a better life path.

Your investment in their spiritual growth yields eternal dividends. As your child steps into this new chapter, they’ll carry truth in their heart and be furnished with biblical tools, ready to navigate the world with their faith firmly built upon Christ.

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