Human Development

Teen Decisions

Many times teenagers have difficulty with sex education programs designed by adult "experts" without regard to teen input. Likewise, adults often find communication about sexual issues with teens difficult and challenging. This program is unique because it involved youth input in its design and it involves teenage and/or adult participants in the implementation of the workshops.

Program Format

Teen Decisions is a youth and adult education program that addresses issues surrounding healthy adolescent sexuality by using an improvisational theater format. Using this technique, a group of teens from Indiana composed skits, acted them out, and performed them for videotape. The skits are intended to spark discussions among youth, among adults, and between youth and adults.

The facilitator's guide provides five workshop plans that correspond with the five major segments on the videotape. Each workshop plan presents introductory activities, instructions for showing the video, discussion guidelines and recommended questions, a small group activity, a concluding statement, and two additional optional activities. There are three workshop outlines to correspond with each segment: one for youth, one for parents or adult leaders, and a third for parents and youth together. Adult facilitators are encouraged to involve youth as co-leaders where possible.

The package includes the fifteen workshop outlines, videotape, and additional materials for preparation and for expansion of the program.

Program Goals

The overall goal of the Teen Decisions program is reducing the incidence of unwanted adolescent pregnancy and parenthood. The primary objective is increasing attitudes and behaviors consistent with healthy adolescent sexuality development.

Sample Program Outcomes

Evaluation results received from youth participants have indicated that youth become more cautious about talking with peers about dating, relationships, and sexuality; that they become more interested in talking with their parents about these issues; and that they are more likely to describe themselves as loving after the program when compared to before.

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Table of Contents

Introduction

Lesson 3 Youth

Video segment contents

For More Information

Judith A. Myers-Walls, Associate Professor and Extension Specialist
Purdue University
Child Development and Family Studies
Fowler Memorial House, Room #219
1200 W. State Street
West Lafayette, IN 47907-2055
Phone: 765-494-2959
Fax: 765-494-0503
Email: jmyerswa@purdue.edu