“Teenagers whose fathers are more involved in their lives are less likely to engage in risky sexual activities such as unprotected intercourse, according to a new study,” MSNBC.com reports in this recent article.

It continues, “The more attentive the dad — and the more he knows about his teenage child’s friends — the bigger the impact on the teen’s sexual behavior, the researchers found. While an involved mother can also help stave off a teen’s sexual activity, dads have twice the influence.”

The article is based on the findings of a new study conducted under the leadership of Rebekah Levine Coley, an associate professor at Boston College’s Lynch School of Education.

It’s timely to note the constructive significance of engaged fathers, with Father’s Day taking place this Sunday. And it’s heartening that MSNBC.com, which isn’t exactly a goldmine for information that supports traditional family models, would give prominent play to the study’s findings.

Although, MSNBC.com being MSNBC.com, there’s still some evidence of a de-moralizing perspective in the article: Author Linda Carroll cites statistics highlighting the epidemic of teen sex in contemporary America, then declares, “The concern is many sexually active young people aren’t using protection, a contributing factor in rising teen birth rates.”

Actually, Ms. Carroll, the concern is: Teen sex outside marriage gives rise to numerous negative consequences, none of which can be eradicated by “using protection.”

Still, kudos to MSNBC.com for being willing to highlight the contributions of dedicated and devoted dads.