In last month’s post Marvelous and Magnificent Marriage, we discussed how marriage is an integral and indispensable institution for our species. In fact, looking at it scientifically on a species level, it is clear that pair-bonding species like ours have different bodies and overall physiology’s from species who God designed to be promiscuous.
Testosterone Trap Trauma is related to marriage in that marriage solves a lot of the problems brought on by boys and young men living through the Testosterone Trap period in their lives. This is the time in a boy and then young man’s life, generally between ages 15 and 25 when they will experience the highest testosterone levels in their lives. Testosterone causes a great deal of acting out on the part of young males in this age group. Much of it is meant to be impressive to members of the opposite sex.
YOUNG AND RECKLESS MALES
It leads to a high level of risk-taking and sometimes life-threatening situations. Even before this adolescent time frame, because of the influence of testosterone on male brains before birth, boys experience near drowning nearly twice as frequently as girls and die from drowning four times as frequently as girls. For every girl that gets seriously burned by fire, three boys sustain similar burns, boys are injured and killed more frequently than girls while riding bikes, on playground equipment, and during sports activities. For every girl who is injured on playground, four boys are.
MALE DANGER ZONE 15-25
During the 15 to 25-year-old time phase of life that I call The Danger Zone, males have approximately a four times greater chance of death by homicide, suicide, drug overdose, and car accident than females of the same age. Most of this violence is practiced against males in the same age group. Men killing men occurs 30 to 50 times more often than women killing women. Males murdering other males occurs most from ages 18 to 25 and more frequently in unmarried rather than married men. Around two thirds of males killing males results from social conflict rather than crime. And here’s a very important point, more than half of these murders are related to status competition.
When young males get into a competition with each other their testosterone rises. It also rises when they are around attractive females. This is most especially true if the young men are not romantically committed to anyone. The winner of the competition continues to experience his testosterone rising and the loser experiences a drop. This unfortunate scenario plays out in gangs in cities around the world. The gangs provide a substitute for the family that the young man is missing coming from. There are very few positive male role models in many of these young men’s lives. This situation is a recipe for disaster for many of our young men. Also, think of the tragedy of school shootings. What percentage of the shooters are males 15 to 25 years old? I think we all know the answer to that question already. Having a place that boys and young men can call home and a traditional family is a huge advantage!
EXCESS TESTOSTERONE PHYSICALLY UNHEALTHY
Not only is excess testosterone bad for young men behaviorally, continued high levels of it is bad for them physiologically as well. Across God’s creation, male creatures only carry high levels of testosterone during their mating season. For instance, in the fall male deer sport antlers with which to fight other male deer in order to display dominance and be able to mate with the females in the herd. As soon as mating season is over their testosterone levels drop and they shed their antlers.
Testosterone it turns out, is an immune system suppressive hormone. A male creature has to be very fit and healthy to have even temporary high levels of it. Estrogen on the other hand is an immune enhancing hormone. That is one of the reasons that human females on average outlive males. This overall picture of male-focused harm is what I have named Testosterone Trap Trauma. Like Natural Lifestyle Matching, most people are unaware of this phenomenon to their detriment.
GOD’S REMEDIES
Fortunately, our maker God knows all about how we are made and how we function. In Part 2 we are going to learn about His wise instructions to young men in these areas. For right now, I will point out that Proverbs chapters 5 through 7 illuminates much wisdom that is focused on and communicated to young men in this area specifically. I am not aware of any other similar instructions given to young adult females in the Bible about their sexuality.
“Though the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey and her words are smoother than oil, in the end she is bitter as wormwood and as sharp as a double-edged sword” Proverbs 5: 3-4 CSB
At your convenience, please read those chapters of Proverbs and I believe you will see what I mean. We will also see in Part 2 how Marvelous and Magnificent Marriage, as God designed it, helps solve many of these self-destructive problems.
