Alabama Campaign website - Alabama Campaign to Prevent Teen
Transcription
Alabama Campaign website - Alabama Campaign to Prevent Teen
Crucial Conversations: A Teen Pregnancy Prevention Conference November 8 and 9, 2012 Bishop State Community College Mobile, AL Table of Contents Section One: Welcome Agenda ……………………………………………………………………….……………...…..p. 1 Presenter Biographies……………………………………………………………………...…… p. 3 Section Two: Presentations Importance of Parent/Child Communication Pete Key, Ol’ Pete Key, Inc.………………….………………………………………………………p. 7 Understanding Adolescence: Seeing Youth through a Developmental Lens Jamie L. Keith, ACPTP; Glynis Shea, Konopka Institute………...……………………...……….....…..p. 9 Breakout Session A: Becoming an Ask-Able Adult Stacey Dallas and Anitra Henderson, MCHD ThinkTeen! Initiative………………………………...…p. 81 Breakout Session C: Adults Empowering Youth Tom Klaus and Samantha Shinberg, Advocates for Youth…………………………….………………..p. 83 Breakout Session D: Sex Education in Schools Elainer Jones, Alabama State Department of Education...................................................................................p. 85 Section Three: Resources About the Campaign ……………………………………………………………………...……p. 87 2010 Alabama at a Glance ………...……………………………………………………………p. 89 Alabama Overview………..………………………………………………………………….... p. 91 National Sexuality Education Standards………………………………………………….…….........p. 93 Youth Rally flyer………………………………………………………………………………p. 137 This page intentionally left blank. PARENT NIGHT AGENDA November 8, 2012 * 4:30 pm—7:30 pm Location: Auditorium 4:30—5:30 Parent Registration/Check-in 5:30—6:00 Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative Overview MCHD TPPI 6:00—6:30 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), Mobile data MCHD TPPI 6:30—7:15 Importance of Parent/Child Communication Pete Key Ol’ Pete Key, Inc. 7:15—7:30 Q&A Session 1 YOUTH-SERVING PROFESSIONAL DAY AGENDA November 9, 2012 * 8:00am—4:00pm 8:00—9:00 Registration/Check-in (Auditorium) 9:00—10:00 Welcome, Overview, Introductions 10:00—10:45 Understanding Adolescence Jamie Keith and Glynis Shea Alabama Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy and Konopka Institute 10:45—10:50 Break 10:50—12:00 Understanding Adolescence continued 12:00—1:00 Lunch & Networking 1:00—2:00 Applying a Developmental Lens to Youth Issues Jamie Keith and Glynis Shea Alabama Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy and Konopka Institute 2:00—2:30 Summary and Feedback 2:30—2:35 Break and Transition to Break-Out Sessions Breakout Session A: Museum 2:35—3:35 Become an Ask-Able Adult Anitra Henderson and Stacey Dallas MCHD TPPI Breakout Session B: CANCELLED 2:35—3:35 Faith-Based Leaders Workshop TBD Breakout Session C: Auditorium 2:35—3:35 Adults Empowering Youth Tom Klaus and Samantha Shinberg Advocates for Youth Breakout Session D: Classroom inside Museum 2:35—3:35 Sex Education in Schools Elainer Jones Alabama State Department of Education 3:45—4:00 Conference Closing Remarks/Call to Action (Auditorium) PLEASE RETURN COMPLETED EVALUATION FORMS AND CEU PAPERWORK TO THE REGISTRATION TABLE FOLLOWING THE CONCLUSION OF THE CONFERENCE. 2 PRESENTER BIOGRAPHIES Stacey Dallas Outreach Educator, ThinkTeen! Initiative Stacey Dallas is a graduate of the University of South Alabama. There she earned her Bachelor’s of Arts in Sociology with a minor in Communications. Stacey joined the Mobile County Health Department’s, ThinkTeen staff in December, 2010. She has a wealth of knowledge and experience from working in the area of social services for over 12 years. Currently she works as an Outreach Educator in the areas of Training & Technical Assistance with the ThinkTeen! Initiative. Her interest includes traveling, reading and writing poetry; and most of all, helping others! Anitra Henderson Technical Assistance Provider, ThinkTeen! Initiative Anitra Henderson is a graduate of the University of South Alabama with a B.A. in Communications. She has worked in the field of Public Affairs for more than 13 years. Her concentrated areas of expertise include training, branding and interactive marketing for governmental entities. Her current role is to build capacity of organizations serving youth populations and manage the interactive brand of the Mobile County Health Department’s Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program, ThinkTeen! Elainer Jones Alabama State Department of Education For the past three years Ms. Jones has served the Alabama Department of Education as the Principal Investigator for a CDC grant entitled: Improving the Health and Educational Outcomes of Youth. Her expertise and knowledge has been developed during these past few years through attendance at numerous professional development opportunities and presentations across the state of Alabama. 3 PRESENTER BIOGRAPHIES Jamie Keith Executive Director, Alabama Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy Jamie Keith travels extensively throughout Alabama providing statewide leadership on the issue of teen pregnancy prevention through collaboration, education, training, technical assistance and advocacy. She is a member of the Board of Advisors, The National Support Center for State Teen Pregnancy Prevention Organizations, at Advocates for Youth. Ms. Keith is also a training consultant with Healthy Teen Network. She has served on a Program Review Panel of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy to help ensure the appropriateness, clarity and content accuracy of National Campaign publications, and currently serves on the Advocates for Youth HIV Review Panel Promoting Science-Based Approaches. Ms. Keith has over eighteen years of experience in the non-profit sector and has served in organizations with a primary focus on the needs of children, youth and low-income families. She earned her MS in Human Resources Management from Golden Gate University, and BS in Management from Park College. Pete Key Ol’ Pete Key, Inc. Mansfield Key III, also known as Ol’ Pete Key, has worked as an Intervention Specialist with leadership skills to facilitate and educate both adults and young people. He has also trained individuals to be effective in the areas of positive youth development and intervening with young people when it comes to risky behaviors. He has over 10 years of experience working with families in social services, mentoring, life coaching, and consultation. Pete holds a BA in Marketing, with a minor in Management. T.W. (Tom) Klaus Director of Capacity Building and Sustainability, Advocates for Youth Tom Klaus is a social change agent who builds the capacity of organizations to effectively facilitate cultural change. His work today is inspired by and focuses on the Advocates for Youth vision of adolescent sexual and reproductive health as embodied in the organization’s philosophy of Rights. Respect. Responsibility. As Director of Capacity Building and Sustainability at Advocates for Youth, Mr. Klaus provides organizational and leadership development training, coaching, and technical assistance to local, state, regional, and national organizations. Mr. Klaus came to Advocates for Youth in December, 2005, from Iowa, where he had been the Executive Director and a founding board member of Iowa’s statewide teen pregnancy prevention organization; a developer and master trainer of several teen pregnancy prevention programs; a writer of numerous articles, curricula, and books; a youth worker and counselor; and had held local, state, regional, national, and international leadership positions in both religious and public service organizations. Mr. Klaus is an alumnus of the Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute and a trained facilitator in Appreciative Inquiry, an asset-based change and development model for organizations. Mr. Klaus earned degrees in religion and English at William Penn University, a Master of Science degree in counseling from Drake University, and is a candidate for a Ph.D. in Non-Profit Organization Leadership at Eastern University in Philadelphia. 4 PRESENTER BIOGRAPHIES Glynis Shea Konopka Institute Glynis Shea, Communications Director for the Division of Adolescent Health at the University of Minnesota, has worked in the marketing communications field for 18 years. Ms. Shea brings a wealth of professional experience to her position. As a former Vice President at Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising San Francisco, Glynis managed the production of TV, print, and radio advertising; fielded national market research efforts; led new business presentations; pioneered new advertising approaches; and coordinated international account services. Ms. Shea’s communications experience spans many different markets and audiences. Her client list has included prominent corporations including Hewlett-Packard, Blue Diamond Almond Growers, and US West Communications (now Qwest). Of particular interest is Glynis’ work with the AIDS Legal Referral Panel. A pro bono client, Ms. Shea was able to apply the resources and talents of her agency team to the important work of this non-profit organization. In an effort to shift the focus of her career, Ms. Shea joined the Division staff to work on the Konopka Institute’s State Adolescent Health Resource Center. Since that time she has also been tapped to assist the Health Youth Development-Prevention Resource Center’s work on a Minnesota State Plan for Teen Pregnancy Prevention. Samantha Shinberg Program Associate, Advocates for Youth Samantha Shinberg has worked in the field of sexual health since high school, when she was a peer educator for Children’s Hospital’s youth group, Teens Against the Spread of AIDS (TASA) in her home city of Washington, DC. After her time with TASA, Sam continued to pursue her passion for sexuality education throughout her time at college, where she worked in the Sexual Health Department of the Student Wellness Center and became a certified HIV tester and counselor at Children’s Hospital in DC. At the end of her time at the University of Delaware, Sam earned a Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Family Studies. As a Project Associate for the Division of Adolescent Sexual Health at Advocates, Sam works to increase contraceptive access in high-risk communities through outreach, education, and new media strategies. She also worked with the Center for Disease Control to implement evidence-based programs through the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative in nine different sites around the country. Prior to joining Advocates, Sam worked at Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS) as a State Policy Intern. 5 This page intentionally left blank. 6 PRESENTATIONS Thursday, November 8 Importance of Parent/Child Communication Pete Key Ol’ Pete Key, Inc. Location: Museum Objectives: 1. Parents will learn the importance of parental involvement in every area of their child’s life. 2. Parents will learn effective communication techniques that enhance parent/child relationships. 3. Parents will learn the tools that help build healthy relationships and learn how to identify the warning signs that lead to unwanted pregnancies, HIV/AIDS, and other risky behaviors. 4. Parents will learn the importance of partnering with schools and community resources to build a healthy child through support systems. 5. Parents will learn ways to strengthen their child’s social competence, problem solving skills, and emotional state. Notes: 7 PRESENTATIONS Notes: 8 PRESENTATIONS Friday, November 9 Understanding Adolescence Jamie Keith Alabama Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy Glynis Shea Konopka Institute Location: Auditorium Objectives: 1. Review/remind ourselves about the stages and tasks of adolescent development. 2. Analyze the impact of the adolescent’s world on their development and the impact of their development on how they interact with their world. 3. Explore adolescent behavior from a developmental perspective. 4. Determine how a developmental perspective can be directly applied to our work with and/ or on behalf of young people. Notes: 9 PRESENTATIONS Notes: 10 Understanding Adolescence: Seeing youth through a developmental lens N ovem ber 9, 2012 10:00 a.m . – 2:00 p.m . setting the stage 10:00-10:45 Developm ental Tim eline 10:45 – 10:50 Break exploring adolescent development 10:50 – 12:00 Und erstand ing Ad olescents 12:00 – 1:00 Lunch & N etw orking applying adolescent development 1:00 – 2:00 Applying a Developmental Lens to Youth Issues 2:00 – 2:30 Sum m ary and Feed back Training goals: Review / rem ind ourselves about the stages and tasks of ad olescent d evelopm ent. Analyze the im pact of the ad olescent’s w orld on their d evelopm ent and the im pact of their d evelopm ent on how they interact w ith their w orld. Explore ad olescent behavior from a d evelopm ental perspective. Determ ine how a d evelopm ental perspective can be d irectly applied to our w ork w ith and / or on behalf of young people. Trainers: Jam ie L. Keith, Executive Director, Alabam a Cam paign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy***[email protected]***334-365-8004***w w w .acptp.org Glynis Shea, Com m unications Director, Konopka Institute for Best Practices in Ad olescent H ealth and H ealthy Youth Developm ent, Prevention Research Center at the University of Minnesota***sheax011@um n.ed u***621-624-3772 11 ! Presentation Notes Page ! Part 1: What is Adolescence All About? Change Understanding change through development • Infants Definition: Youth ages 10-24 Adolescents • Development as a “Backpack” Development as a “Roller Coaster Ride” Stages of Adolescence and Young Adulthood ! Early Adolescence ………. Age 10-14 ………. Late Elementary & Middle school ! ! ! ! Middle Adolescence ………. Age 15-17 ………. High school ! ! ! ! Late Adolescence/Young Adulthood ………. Age 10-14 ………. Post High school! ! ! ! Understanding Adolescence: seeing through a developmental lens ! 12 ! Presentation Notes Page ! ! Part 2: How do youth manage all this change? Answer “Life Questions” Accomplish “Developmental Tasks” ! PHYSICALLY CHANGING BODY 1. Adjust to new physical sense of self 2. Adjust to a sexually maturing body and feelings ! ! CHANGING SENSE OF SELF Brain Development 4. 3. Develop and apply abstract thinking skills Define a personal sense of identity ! Understanding Adolescence: seeing through a developmental lens ! 13 ! Presentation Notes Page ! CHANGING RELATIONSHIPS 5. Develop stable and productive ! peer relationships! 6. Renegotiate relationship with parents/caregivers ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Understanding Adolescence: seeing through a developmental lens ! 14 Understanding Adolescence: seeing youth through a developmental lens PRESENTATION DETAILS Why do young people do the things they do – argue, drive recklessly, make crazy decisions, have sex, have such an attitude? These are questions that many adults have about adolescents and young adults. Understanding the developmental changes of adolescence is the best way to start answering these questions and reframing our view of young people. Adolescent development gives the answers to what young people need to thrive. Defining Adolescence/Young Adulthood Young people between the ages of 10-24. • This builds on definitions from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations. “Big Picture” of Adolescent and Young Adult Development Change Change is what adolescent and young adult development is all about. Change is the most constant trait of this time in life. Change is part of life in general. But change is bigger at some times of life than others. • Time of life with most significant change: Infancy (1st year of life). • Time of life with the second most significant change: Adolescence and Young Adulthood Development as a “Backpack” When a child is born, he/she is given a backpack. Throughout their childhood, adults fill this backpack with the things that young people needs for a good life. When the child reaches adolescence, they take their backpack off and empty everything out. Throughout adolescence and young adulthood, young people go through all their backpack items - deciding what to put back in the backpack, in what order, in what format, revising, adding to and leaving things out. This is a good example of what adolescent development is all about. Stages of Adolescence and Young Adulthood Early Adolescence Age 10-14 Late elementary school and Middle school Middle Adolescence Age 15-17 High school Late Adolescence/ Young Adulthood Age 18-24 Post High School ! page 1 of 11 • july 2011 state adolescent health resource center • konopka institute for best practices in adolescent health University of Minnesota 15 Understanding Adolescence: seeing youth through a developmental lens PRESENTATION DETAILS Overview of Changes in Adolescence/Young Adulthood EARLY ADOLESCENCE Everything is new – the time when all the significant changes begin to start – life has been stable to this point. Now changes take off like a roller coaster going a full tilt. Youth plummet from top to bottom of the social ladder - think about the transition from elementary to middle school. • Elementary school is like a family environment in which youth (5th and 6th graders) are the oldest, wisest and more respected kids in the school. It’s an easy place to be known (tend to have a primary teacher who knows them well). And they know how things work, where things are, it’s their world and it’s manageable. By the end of elementary school, they’re the top kids on the block. • Middle School (Junior High) - in a course of 3 months (summertime), youth go back to the starting gate as they enter middle school. Everything is bigger and more complicated – more students, more teachers, more rules and expectations, more choices, more opportunities, more responsibilities, more, more, more. There’s a new and previously unknown pressures to perform and succeed. And young people’s relationships start changing – parents, family and peers. MIDDLE ADOLESCENCE The quintessential time of adolescence - this is the stage that many of adults think of they think “adolescent.” Time of refinement and testing - Youth have already experienced the first changes of adolescence. They’ve experienced significant changes in their bodies, brains, friends, and made the transition into a new school setting. They continue to experience these changes but now have experience from which to draw. So they go deeper in adapting, understanding, accepting these changes. They use this time to take these changes forward and test them out, to see what they mean, how they can be managed, how people will react to them, how they will react to themselves. Testing is a normal part of development. LATE ADOLESCENCE/YOUNG ADULTHOOD Time of life when nothing is normative. Again, everything changes – where they live, how they spend their time, who they spend their time with, decisions they make. As such, this is a time of frequent change and exploration. Our culture does not give most youth clear markers or rites of passage as to when they’ve entered adulthood. As a result, young people are not sure themselves – therefore, this is an age of “Feeling In-Between.” A survey of youth age 18-25 asked the question, “Do you feel that you have reached adulthood?” 60% responded “yes and no” based on the criteria they considered to be most important for becoming an adult: accepting responsibility for myself; making independent decisions; and becoming financially independent. (Arnett JJ. (2000). Emerging adulthood: A theory of development from late teens through the twenties. American Psychologist, 55(5), 469-480) ! page 2 of 11 • july 2011 state adolescent health resource center • konopka institute for best practices in adolescent health University of Minnesota 16 Understanding Adolescence: seeing youth through a developmental lens PRESENTATION DETAILS The Experience of Adolescence Development as a “Roller Coaster Ride.” The experience of going through the developmental changes of adolescence and young adulthood is much like that of a roller coaster ride: • Anticipation - you know you’re going somewhere fun but scary. • Out of control - you’re along for the ride; there’s not much you can do to control it. • There are lots of ups and downs but also times of calm before the next turn or drop. • You know you’re riding with others but feel really focused in on yourself. “Detailed Picture” of Adolescent and Young Adult Development Life Questions During adolescence and young adulthood, youth answer 3 life questions: 1. Who am I? 2. How (and where) do I fit in? 3. Where am I going? Developmental Tasks To answer these questions, youth work through and accomplish developmental tasks - tasks that will help them be successful in adolescence and enter adulthood prepared. It’s easy to understand these tasks in 4 groups: Tasks focused on the physically changing body 1. Adjust to physical sense of self 2. Adjust to sexually maturing body/feelings Tasks focused on a changing sense of self (figuring out who they are) 3. Develop/apply abstract thinking skills 4. Define personal sense of identity 5. Adopt personal values system Tasks focused on changing relationships 6. Renegotiate relationship with parents 7. Develop stable peer relationships Tasks focused on changing roles and how they fit into the world around them. 8. Meet demands of mature roles/responsibilities ! page 3 of 11 • july 2011 state adolescent health resource center • konopka institute for best practices in adolescent health University of Minnesota 17 Understanding Adolescence: seeing youth through a developmental lens PRESENTATION DETAILS PHYSCIALLY CHANGING BODY Task 1: Adjust to a new physical sense of self OVERVIEW: Most of these changes occur in: • Early Adolescence and • Early parts of Middle Adolescence • Although some young men can keep growing into Late Adolescence/Young Adulthood These are BIG changes that happen relatively quickly. These changes are out of a young person’s control – they just happen. Young people grow at varying rates and ways - so youth are often out of sync with peers. IMPACT: 1. Because these changes are totally out of their control, youth often feel chaotic, unbalanced, off kilter. 2. Young people are tired. They’re really not lazy! This is why they need more sleep. 3. Peers are used as their comparison standard – but young people are often out of sync with peers. The result - an intense concern about body image and self-focus. • Why do I look so different than my friends? • Worries about being normal 4. Another result – youth begin to desire and demand privacy. Early maturing girls: • Higher risk for depression, substance abuse, disruptive behaviors, eating disorders. Early maturing boys: • Higher risk for sexual activity, smoking, delinquency. Late maturing boys: • Higher risk for depression, conflict with parents, school problems. American Psychological Association. (2002) Developing Adolescents: A reference for professionals. PHYSCIALLY CHANGING BODY Task 2: Adjust to sexually maturing body OVERVIEW: Young people work on refining their sense of their sexual identity in response to their physically changing body. • Changing sense of masculinity, femininity. • Changes in how they look at themselves. • Changes in how other people react to them. • Adopting values about sexual behavior – What does it mean to be sexual? What are my values about my sexual behavior? What should I do and with whom? • Developing skills for romantic relationships. ! page 4 of 11 • july 2011 state adolescent health resource center • konopka institute for best practices in adolescent health University of Minnesota 18 Understanding Adolescence: seeing youth through a developmental lens PRESENTATION DETAILS IMPACT: Experimentation (sexual behaviors, language, ways of presenting/expressing themselves). Dating Early Adolescents: Dating tends to be done through or in relationship to peer groups. Middle Adolescents: Relationships change frequently; dating as couples; figuring out how to be in a relationship. Late Adolescents/Young Adults: Serious relationships or more serious about what they want in regards to relationships. Among 20-24 year olds: • 35% in non-residential romantic relationship • 24% not in a relationship • 20% in cohabitating relationship • 21% married Majority regard love, fidelity and lifelong commitment as very important to a successful relationship. (Child Trends Research Brief. (July 2009). Young Adult Attitudes About Relationships and Marriage: Times May Have Changed, But Expectations Remain High). PHYSCIALLY CHANGING BODY Brain development Teenage Brain… is not just an adult brain with fewer miles on it. It’s a paradoxical time of development. These are people with very sharp brains, but they’re not quite sure what to do with them. ~ Frances E. Jensen OVERVIEW: According to current science, huge brain growth occurs at 2 times in life: 1st few years of life. In a baby, the brain over-produces brain cells and connections between these cells and then starts pruning the connections back around the age of three. The process is much like the pruning of a tree. By cutting back weak branches, others flourish. Brain is 95% of adult size by age 6. Adolescence Starting at puberty and throughout adolescence, the 2nd wave of growth occurs in multiple parts of the brain – all at different rates. This includes over production of brain cells along with a pruning process. These changes improve the brain’s ability to efficiently transfer information between different regions of the brain. This integration across the brain undergirds the development of skills such as impulse control. Although young children can control their impulses, with age and brain development comes the ability to consistently use these skills. ! page 5 of 11 • july 2011 state adolescent health resource center • konopka institute for best practices in adolescent health University of Minnesota 19 Understanding Adolescence: seeing youth through a developmental lens PRESENTATION DETAILS The prefrontal cortex of the brain (the part of the brain that sits just behind the forehead) changes. This is important because it acts as the CEO of the brain to manage: • Planning • Strategizing As the prefrontal cortex matures, teenagers can: • Judgment • Reason better. • Working memory • Develop more control over impulses. • Organization • Make better judgments. • Regulating moods • Managing impulses. IMPACT: All this brain development can have noticeable effects on adolescent behavior: • Preference for physical activity. • Preference for high excitement and low effort activities. • Challenges in holding back or controlling emotions. • Inconsistent skills in planning and reasoning. • More risky, impulsive behaviors. This doesn’t mean that young people can never control their emotions, always opt for high excitement, always make bad decisions or always act impulsively. It means, their brain is not yet wired to do these functions routinely and consistently. As their brains develop, they gain the ability to do these executive functions more routinely. This brain development may also explain why teens often seem so maddeningly selfcentered. It’s easy to think of them as surly, rude, selfish people. Actually, it’s normal given their developmental stage. They aren't yet at that place where they're thinking about — or capable, necessarily, of thinking about the effects of their behavior on other people. That requires insight. And insight requires a fully connected frontal lobe. TAKE HOME MESSAGE • Young people need practice using their Parent’s guide to the teen brain brains. Kids who “exercise” their brains by (Partnership for a Drug-free America) learning to order their thoughts, analyze http://teenbrain.drugfree.org situations, make decisions, grapple with abstract concepts, explore their values, control their impulses are laying the neural foundations that will serve them for the rest of their lives. • Young people need guidance and opportunities to “try out” their developing brain capacity. It’s our role to help kids practice their executive function thinking. Think of how we help little children with new skills – like learning to walk. Do we expect them to be proficient at walking once they take their first step? No, we know that it takes practice and a safe environment. So, we move tables with sharp corners and close off areas with open stairs. We provide a supportive hand or help to scoot around couches and chairs. We walk with them. Youth need the same kind of supportive environments and assistance. ! page 6 of 11 • july 2011 state adolescent health resource center • konopka institute for best practices in adolescent health University of Minnesota 20 Understanding Adolescence: seeing youth through a developmental lens PRESENTATION DETAILS • Encourage and support teens to take healthy risks. Not only will participation in constructive activities - such as athletics or the arts - help then form positive lifestyle habits, it will help brain development as well. CHANGING SENSE OF SELF Task 3: Develop and apply abstract thinking skills OVERVIEW: Youth move from concrete thinking of childhood to abstract thought. With this change, young people are increasingly able to: • Understand and grapple with things that cannot be seen, heard, or touched (abstract ideas). Topics such as faith, love, trust, beliefs, peace, racism, as well as higher mathematics. • Think about possibilities - thinking about multiple options and possibilities pondering things hypothetically (the age-old “what if…?” questions), and following a logical thought process. • Think ahead. • Think about thinking – the ability to consider how they feel and what they are thinking; also involves being able to think about how one is perceived by others. • Take another’s perspective. This is an evolving ability that moves from: 1. There is only one perspective - mine (concrete thinker/early abstract thinker). 2. There are two perspectives - yours, and mine but I can only think about mine. (some skills in abstract thought). 3. There are multiple perspectives and I can think about all of them (full abstract thought). Adolescents are theoretical thinkers. • They are increasingly able to make abstract assumptions about the way things work – relationships, expectations from teachers, their role on a sports team – • But they don’t have a rich array of experiences within which to ground these assumptions. As a result, they test these assumptions in the real world through trial and experimentation. They gather together “tested knowledge” which helps them define their beliefs about how the world works and how they should position themselves within it. • Understood this way, the testing behaviors often called “adolescent rebelliousness” are really an important part of young people figuring out who they are. TAKE HOME MESSAGE Just like brain development, youth need repeated and ongoing opportunities to practice abstract thinking. A young person’s physical development is not an indicator of their ability to think abstractly. These two tasks are often not in sync with each other. Just because an adolescent looks physically mature (think of youth who mature early) does not mean they are advanced in their abstract thought. Adults often get mixed up on this point. ! page 7 of 11 • july 2011 state adolescent health resource center • konopka institute for best practices in adolescent health University of Minnesota 21 Understanding Adolescence: seeing youth through a developmental lens PRESENTATION DETAILS CHANGING SENSE OF SELF Task 4: Define and refine a personal sense of identity OVERVIEW: Young people come into adolescence with a sense of identity. They start with identities clearly tied to the adults around them (usually parents/caregivers). As they age, they begin to question who they are as: 1) an individual - figuring out what they think of themselves; and 2) a person connected to others - figuring out how they want to portray themselves to others. They do this by trying on “new hats” (experimentation with things like clothing, beliefs, cultural practices, music, foods, religions, vocations, sleeping schedules, peer choices, academic work, participation in activities, social issues, etc.). They work on figuring this out by answering questions such as: Who am I? Am I normal? How or where do I fit in? Am I lovable and loving? What are my strengths? IMPACT: Identity development is a lot like the “great unknown” – it can feel very overwhelming and chaotic to young people, especially younger youth who are still working hard on their brain development. They need adults who can give them some boundaries to bump up against and feel safe within (even thought they may not say they like this) and adults with whom they can think things through. CHANGING SENSES OF SELF Task 5: Adopt a personal value system OVERVIEW: Young people explore and grow their sense of personal values – what they believe in, stand for, what guides their lives. This task is all about a desire for meaning or wanting to know the “whys” of life and not just the “hows”. Most youth have a tremendous desire to know why events are happening to them. In fact, when teens are empowered with meaning and understand the “whys” of life, they are more able to negotiate the “hows” and the many challenges that life presents. This goes hand and glove with identity and cognitive development. Just like everything else, young people come into adolescence surrounded by a value system – from their families/caregivers, their community, culture, etc. Adolescence is the time (like the idea of the backpack) to take these values out, try them on, turn them around, question them, see what fits, what makes sense. They learn to understand these values differently than when they were children. In then end, they need to decide what fits for them and what they will live their lives by. Therefore, it’s a time of questioning and refining personal beliefs and values. ! page 8 of 11 • july 2011 state adolescent health resource center • konopka institute for best practices in adolescent health University of Minnesota 22 Understanding Adolescence: seeing youth through a developmental lens PRESENTATION DETAILS CHANGING RELATIONSHIPS Task 6: Develop stable and productive peer relationships OVERVIEW: Adolescence is a time when peers play an increasingly important role in the lives of youth. In many ways, these friendships are an essential component of development. Friendships change - develop friendships that are more complex, exclusive, intimate, intimate, and more constant than in earlier years. Often have multiple friends and belong to multiple groups. Teens begin to develop the capacity for very close, intimate, and deep friendships. Types of relationships change. Youth often have multiple friends and belong to multiple groups. Emergence of peer “crowds” and cliques. Romantic relationships. Peers become a stronger influence on self-concept. Teens spend more time with their peers than ever before and with less adult supervision. The peer group provides an opportunity for adolescents to: • Explore their identity and understand who they are. • Learn how to interact with and relate to others. • Find acceptance and a sense of belonging. • Have a safe place to try out new beliefs, roles and behaviors. • Have fun, provide excitement. • Practice communication and other social skills (problem-solving, relationship skills). “The young always have the same problem - how to rebel and conform at the same time. They have now solved this by defying their parents and copying one another.” ~Quentin Crisp, English writer IMPACT: Young people with close and supportive peer relationships tend to be: • More socially competent. • Better sense of self-worth. • Emotionally healthier. • More motivated and active in school. • Less involved in behavioral problems. Quality of peer relationships in childhood and adolescence may be one of the most important indicators of future psychological health (Hall-Lande JA, Eisenberg ME, Christenson SL, Neumark-Sztainer D. (Summer 2007). Social isolation, psychological health, and protective factors in adolescence. Adolescence. 42(166): 265-86). ! page 9 of 11 • july 2011 state adolescent health resource center • konopka institute for best practices in adolescent health University of Minnesota 23 Understanding Adolescence: seeing youth through a developmental lens PRESENTATION DETAILS Peer influence is complex: • Peer influence can be both positive and negative. • Teens tend to choose friends and peers who are similar to them. Youth are not passive recipients of influence from others. Those who become friends tend to already have a lot of things in common. So while it seems that teens and their friends become very similar to each other through peer influence, much of that similarity was present to begin with. • Teens who are socially isolated or lack good social skills are at risk. • Adolescent risk taking is more likely to occur in the presence of peers (as compared to adults). CHANGING RELATIONSHIPS Task 7: Renegotiate relationship with parents OVERVIEW: Young people grow and change in their relationship with parents or caregivers. The hallmarks of this change: 1) separating from parents; 2) redefining relationship with parents. The goal is not independence from parents – but a refined, interdependent relationship. Hopefully, when it’s all done, they still have a great relationship with their parents, just a different one. IMPACT: Teens want space but still need for parents – this is a conflict that’s challenging for youth. Teens are embarrassed by parents. This is a normal and sign of development. Parent-adolescent conflict tends to increase. Necessary part of gaining independence from parents while learning new ways of staying connected to them. • Interestingly, spontaneous conflict that occurs on a day-to-day basis seems to be more distressing to parents than adolescents; parents often give greater meaning to these conflicts (rejection of values, indicator of failure as parent) while teens may see the interaction as far less significant – just another way of showing parents they are individuals, way of blowing off steam. TAKE HOME MESSAGE A caring, supportive relationship with parents/caregivers is important. • Regardless of family form, a strong sense of bonding, closeness, and attachment to family has been found to be associated with better emotional development, better school performance, and engagement in fewer high-risk activities, such as drug use. As much as young people push away from parents, they need them more than ever. Parental influence is still strong, just different. Parents also need to adjust how they parent to adapt to their changing child. ! page 10 of 11 • july 2011 state adolescent health resource center • konopka institute for best practices in adolescent health University of Minnesota 24 Understanding Adolescence: seeing youth through a developmental lens PRESENTATION DETAILS CHANGING ROLES Task 8: Meet the demands of mature roles and relationships OVERVIEW: Young people figure out how to successfully take on the new roles and expectations of them as they move into adulthood. Adolescents gradually take on new roles and responsibilities as they do, they develop skills to manage these roles. • Education • Employment / work • Relationship/commitment • Citizenship. Summing up Adolescent/Young Adult Development “Many children grow through adolescence with no ripples whatever and land smoothly and predictably in the adult world with both feet on the ground. Some who have stumbled and bumbled through childhood suddenly burst into bloom. Most shake, steady themselves, zigzag, fight, retreat, pick up, take new bearings, and finally find their own true balance.” - Stella Chess (20th century), psychiatrist; and Jane Whitbread (20th century), writer. It’s our role as adults to help young people transition through their developmental changes. Adults need to: 1. Understand the developmental process - how it impacts young people, what they do and how they grow. 2. Act as the coaches, mentors, and guides for young people to make sure they have what they need to succeed. ! page 11 of 11 • july 2011 state adolescent health resource center • konopka institute for best practices in adolescent health University of Minnesota 25 Understanding Adolescence Seeing Through A Developmental Lens Developmental Tasks and Attributes of Early Adolescence (Ages 10 – 14 years) Adjust to new physical sense of self Adjust to a sexually maturing body and feelings Young adolescents experience rapid and profound physical changes triggered by hormones acting on different parts of their body. With the significant changes in adolescence, youth must adapt sexually and establish a sense of sexual identity. This includes incorporating a personal sense of masculinity or femininity into one’s personal identity; establishing values about sexual behavior; and developing skills for romantic relationships. n Rapid physical growth and body changes (including sexual maturation). n Uneven growth of bones, muscles, and organs can result in awkward appearance. n Often tired. n Intense concern with body image given rapid physical changes; may be self conscious about growth. n n Peers are often used as standard for normal. Worries about being normal. n Girls develop earlier than boys. n Shyness, blushing and modesty. n Greater interest in privacy. n Emerging sexual feelings and exploration. n Experimentation with body (masturbation). n Worries about being normal. n Opposite sex contact done in groups. Physical Growth & Puberty Growth starts (average) Males Females Age 14 (range 12–16) Age 12 (range 10–14) 4.1” 3.5” Age 11–12 (range 9–14) Age 10–11 (range 8–13) 1 year height change during growth spurt (average) Puberty starts (average) Length of Puberty (average) Progression of changes 3–4 years 4–5 years n Growth of testicles and penis; n First ejaculation (average age 13-14; range of ages 12-16); n Hair growth in pubic area and armpits; n Muscle growth, voice deepens, acne and facial hair develop. n Breast development; n Hair growth in pubic area and armpits; n Acne; n Menstruation (starts average age of 12-13; range of ages 10-16). Brain Development Although scientists have documented brain development in adolescence and young adulthood, they are less sure about what it means for changes in cognitive development, behavior, intelligence, and capacity to learn. By age 6 (on average), a young person’s brain is 95% of adult size. However, the brain continues to physically develop in the teen years and even into the 20s with a second growth spurt of gray matter (peaking at age 11 for girls and 12 for boys) followed by a “pruning” process in which connections among neurons in the brain that are not used wither away and those that are used remain. The front part of the brain, responsible for functions such as complex reasoning, problemsolving, thinking ahead, prioritizing, long-term planning, self-evaluation and regulation of emotion, begins to develop in early adolescence with a final developmental push starting at age 16 or 17. It is not that these tasks cannot be done before young adulthood, but rather that it takes more effort and requires practice. Gender Differences & Similarities Males n Physical growth spurt begins 1-2 years after girls and accelerates more slowly. n Continue to grow for about 6 years after 1st visible changes of puberty. n Physical development continues 3-4 years after most girls; may not finish until age 21. Females n Begin the process of physical growth and puberty about 1-2 years earlier than boys. n Attain adult height and reproductive maturity about 4 years after the 1st physical changes of puberty appear. Both n Girls and boys are both entering puberty at earlier ages than ever. n There is a wide range of normal. n Physical maturation has little correlation with cognitive development (e.g. youth that look physically older do not necessarily have higher levels of cognitive ability). 26 Develop and apply abstract thinking skills Adolescents experience significant changes in their capacity to think. In changing from concrete to abstract thought they are increasingly able to understand and grapple with abstract ideas, think about possibilities, think ahead, think about thinking, and “put themselves in another person’s shoes.” In general, this changes their ability to think about themselves, others and the world around them. This is a gradual process that spans adolescence and young adulthood. For example, early in the process youth are limited in their ability to hold more than one point of view – understanding something from one perspective but not another. n Concrete thinking dominates (“here and now”) with limited ability to extend logic to abstract concepts. n n Identity is influenced by relationships with family members, teachers, and increasingly by peers. Worries about being normal; peers are the standard for normal. n They often magnify their own problems: “No one understands.” n Daydreaming. n Imaginary audience. n Reject things of childhood. Adopt a personal value system Adolescents develop a more complex understanding of moral behavior and underlying principles of justice. They question and assess beliefs from childhood and restructure these beliefs into a personal ideology (e.g. more personally meaningful values, religious views, and belief systems to guide decisions and behavior). n Disdain for imaginative and illogical thinking of early childhood. n Begin to question and try out value systems. n Understanding of cause and effect relationships is underdeveloped. n n Gradual development of the ability to apply what they’ve learned (learned concepts) to new tasks. Move from thinking in terms of "What's in it for me" fairness (e.g., if you did this for me, I would do that for you), to wanting to gain social approval and live up to the expectations of people close to them-"golden rule" morality. As they become able to take the perspective of others, they may place the needs of others over their own self-interest. n Frequent interest in learning life skills (cooking, fixing things, etc.) from adults at home and elsewhere. Define a personal sense of identity Adolescents move from identifying themselves as an extension of their parents (childhood) to recognizing their uniqueness and separation from parents. They develop a sense of self as an individual and as a person connected to valuable people and groups. They refine their sense of identity around issues such as gender, physical attributes, sexuality, ethnicity. They explore issues such as Who am I? How do I fit in? Am I loveable and loving? How am I competent? One result of this is experimentation with different, temporary “identities” by means of alternative styles of dress, jewelry, music, hair, manner, and lifestyle. Teens may struggle to identify a true self amid seeming contradictions in the way they feel and behave in different situations, and with different levels of thought and understanding. Renegotiate relationship with parents/caregivers Adolescents negotiate a change in relationship with parents that begins to balance autonomy (independence) with connection. Overall, the adolescent’s task is one of separating in some ways, while maintaining and redefining connections in others, in order to make room for a more adult relationship that meets cultural expectations and provides necessary support. n Argumentative — often challenge parents. n Youth still tend to be closely attached to parental figures. n Parents commonly make most decisions affecting their early teen; youth become more involved in these decisions as they get older. n Parents’ listening skills become increasingly important. Develop stable and productive peer relationships Peer relationships change during adolescence to provide youth with more support and connections as they spend less time with adults and in supervised activity. Peer relationships often compete with parents and schools in influence on teen’s attitudes and behaviors. As networks with peers broaden, peer relationships become deeper and play an increasing role in shaping an individual teen’s self-concept and interaction. Adolescents experience three transformations in peer relationships: 1. Reorientation of friendships from activitybased relationships of childhood to more stable, affectively oriented friendships based on idea and value sharing. 2. Growth of romantic and sexually oriented relationships. 3. Emergence of peer “crowds.” Throughout adolescence, friendships become more stable, intimate and supportive; they provide a cornerstone for learning about adult relationships. n Increasing influence and connection to peers. n Youth begin to choose friendships based on affective characteristics (loyalty, trust, willingness to share confidences) rather than shared interests and activities. n Same-sex friends and group activities. n Beginning tendency for youth to label or group peers (e.g. cliques). n Fear of rejection. Meet demands of increasing mature roles and responsibilities Adolescents gradually take on the roles expected of them in adulthood. They learn the skills necessary for these roles and manage the multiple demands of the labor market as well as meet expectations regarding commitment to family, community and citizenship. n Mostly interested in the present and near future. n Vocational goals change frequently. This synthesis of adolescent development research was compiled by K. Teipel of the State Adolescent Health Resource Center, Konopka Institute, University of Minnesota. State Adolescent Health Resource Center is funded through Cooperative Agreement #U93 MC 00163-01 from the Maternal Child and Health Bureau - Health, Resources and Services Administration, Department of Health and Human Services. 2 27 Understanding Adolescence Seeing Through A Developmental Lens Developmental Tasks and Attributes of Middle Adolescence (Ages 15 – 17 years) Adjust to new physical sense of self Adjust to a sexually maturing body and feelings Young adolescents experience rapid and profound physical changes triggered by hormones acting on different parts of their body. With the significant changes in adolescence, youth must adapt sexually and establish a sense of sexual identity. This includes incorporating a personal sense of masculinity or femininity into one’s personal identity; establishing values about sexual behavior; and developing skills for romantic relationships. n Continuing physical and sexual changes. n Concern with appearance and body. n Often feel strange about their self and their body. n Sexual drives emerge. Brain Development n Excessive physical activity alternating with lethargy. n Begin to explore their ability to date and attract a partner. n Appetite increases during growth spurts and decreases markedly between them. n Concerns about sexual attractiveness. n n Increased need for sleep. Frequently changing relationships. n Feelings of love and passion. Although scientists have documented brain development in adolescence and young adulthood, they are less sure about what it means for changes in cognitive development, behavior, intelligence, and capacity to learn. Physical Growth & Puberty Growth starts (average) Males Females Age 14 (range 12–16) Age 12 (range 10–14) 4.1” 3.5” Age 11–12 (range 9–14) Age 10–11 (range 8–13) 1 year height change during growth spurt (average) Puberty starts (average) Length of Puberty (average) Progression of changes 3–4 years 4–5 years n Growth of testicles and penis; n First ejaculation (average age 13-14; range of ages 12-16); n Hair growth in pubic area and armpits; n Muscle growth, voice deepens, acne and facial hair develop. n Breast development; n Hair growth in pubic area and armpits; n Acne; n Menstruation (starts average age of 12-13; range of ages 10-16). By age 6 (on average), a young person’s brain is 95% of adult size. However, the brain continues to physically develop in the teen years and even into the 20s with a second growth spurt of gray matter (peaking at age 11 for girls and 12 for boys) followed by a “pruning” process in which connections among neurons in the brain that are not used wither away and those that are used remain. The front part of the brain, responsible for functions such as complex reasoning, problemsolving, thinking ahead, prioritizing, long-term planning, self-evaluation and regulation of emotion, begins to develop in early adolescence with a final developmental push starting at age 16 or 17. It is not that these tasks cannot be done before young adulthood, but rather that it takes more effort and requires practice. Gender Differences & Similarities Males n Physical growth spurt begins 1-2 years after girls and accelerates more slowly. n Continue to grow for about 6 years after 1st visible changes of puberty. n Physical development continues 3-4 years after most girls; may not finish until age 21. Females n Begin the process of physical growth and puberty about 1-2 years earlier than boys. n Attain adult height and reproductive maturity about 4 years after the 1st physical changes of puberty appear. Both n Girls and boys are both entering puberty at earlier ages than ever. n There is a wide range of normal. n Physical maturation has little correlation with cognitive development (e.g. youth that look physically older do not necessarily have higher levels of cognitive ability). 28 Develop and apply abstract thinking skills Adolescents experience significant changes in their capacity to think. In changing from concrete to abstract thought they are increasingly able to understand and grapple with abstract ideas, think about possibilities, think ahead, think about thinking, and “put themselves in another person’s shoes.” In general, this changes their ability to think about themselves, others and the world around them. This is a gradual process that spans adolescence and young adulthood. For example, early in the process youth are limited in their ability to hold more than one point of view – understanding something from one perspective but not another. n Growth in abstract thought; developing new thinking skills, such as thinking more about possibilities, thinking more about the process of thinking itself, thinking in multiple dimensions, and seeing things as relative rather than absolute. n Cause-effect relationships are better understood. n Practicing new thinking skills through humor and by arguing with parents and others. n n Focused on examining their inner experiences (may include journaling, etc.). n Continuing egocentrism. Often believes self to be invulnerable to negative events. Adopt a personal value system Adolescents develop a more complex understanding of moral behavior and underlying principles of justice. They question and assess beliefs from childhood and restructure these beliefs into a personal ideology (e.g. more personally meaningful values, religious views, and belief systems to guide decisions and behavior). n Development of ideals and selection of role models. n Interest in moral reasoning. n Increasingly able to take the perspective of others into account with their own perspective. n n In addition to concern about gaining social approval, morals begin to be based on respect for the social order and agreements between people: "law and order" morality. Begins to question social conventions and re-examine personal values and moral/ethical principles, sometimes resulting in conflicts with parents. Reverts to concrete thought under stress. Define a personal sense of identity Adolescents move from identifying themselves as an extension of their parents (childhood) to recognizing their uniqueness and separation from parents. They develop a sense of self as an individual and as a person connected to valuable people and groups. They refine their sense of identity around issues such as gender, physical attributes, sexuality, ethnicity. They explore issues such as Who am I? How do I fit in? Am I loveable and loving? How am I competent? One result of this is experimentation with different, temporary “identities” by means of alternative styles of dress, jewelry, music, hair, manner, and lifestyle. Teens may struggle to identify a true self amid seeming contradictions in the way they feel and behave in different situations, and with different levels of thought and understanding. n Very self-absorbed. n Self-involvement alternates between unrealistically high expectations and poor self-concept. Renegotiate relationship with parents/caregivers Adolescents negotiate a change in relationship with parents that begins to balance autonomy (independence) with connection. Overall, the adolescent’s task is one of separating in some ways, while maintaining and redefining connections in others, in order to make room for a more adult relationship that meets cultural expectations and provides necessary support. n Complaints that parents interfere with independence. n Conflict with family predominates due to ambivalence about emerging independence. n Periods of sadness as the psychological loss of parents takes place. Develop stable and productive peer relationships Peer relationships change during adolescence to provide youth with more support and connections as they spend less time with adults and in supervised activity. Peer relationships often compete with parents and schools in influence on teen’s attitudes and behaviors. As networks with peers broaden, peer relationships become deeper and play an increasing role in shaping an individual teen’s self-concept and interaction. Adolescents experience three transformations in peer relationships: 1. Reorientation of friendships from activitybased relationships of childhood to more stable, affectively oriented friendships based on idea and value sharing. 2. Growth of romantic and sexually oriented relationships. 3. Emergence of peer “crowds.” Throughout adolescence, friendships become more stable, intimate and supportive; they provide a cornerstone for learning about adult relationships. n Strong emphasis of the peer group. n Strong peer alliances – fad behaviors. n Increasing interest and involvement in opposite-sex relationships and friendships. n Increasing tendency for youth to label or group peers (e.g. cliques). Meet demands of increasing mature roles and responsibilities Adolescents gradually take on the roles expected of them in adulthood. They learn the skills necessary for these roles and manage the multiple demands of the labor market as well as meet expectations regarding commitment to family, community and citizenship. n Intellectual interests gain importance. n Greater capacity for setting goals. n Experience with short-term, part-time jobs. This synthesis of adolescent development research was compiled by K. Teipel of the State Adolescent Health Resource Center, Konopka Institute, University of Minnesota. The State Adolescent Health Resource Center is funded through Cooperative Agreement #U93 MC 0016301 from the Maternal Child and Health Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration, Department of Health and Human Services. 2 29 Understanding Adolescence Seeing Through A Developmental Lens Developmental Tasks and Attributes of Late Adolescence/Young Adulthood (Ages 18 – 24 years) This is a time of life when very little is normative. It is a period of frequent change and exploration that covers many aspects of their life: home, family, work, school, resources, and role. What is “normal” for a young adult? The process of becoming an adult is more gradual and varied today than in the past. Young people take longer to achieve economic and psychological autonomy and early adulthood experiences vary greatly by gender, race and ethnicity, and social class. Where do they live? Who do they live with? In school? Adjust to new physical sense of self While young adolescents experience rapid and profound physical changes triggered by hormones acting on different parts of their body, physical and sexual body changes are primarily complete. n n While most physical development is complete, young men may continue to physically grow until age 21. Greater acceptance of physical appearance. Adjust to a sexually maturing body and feelings With the significant changes in adolescence, youth must adapt sexually and establish a sense of sexual identity. This includes incorporating a personal sense of masculinity or femininity into one’s personal identity; establishing values about sexual behavior; and developing skills for romantic relationships. n Clear sexual identity. n Concerned with serious relationships and their potential for emotional and physical intimacy (What kind of person am I? What kind of person would suit me best as a partner?). n n Working? Serious intimate relationships begin to develop. Majority regard love, fidelity and lifelong commitment as very important to a successful relationship. Working and in school? In-between school and work? Most are sexually experienced. Unemployed? Close to parents? Develop and apply abstract thinking skills Parenting? Spouse or partner? Adolescents experience significant changes in their capacity to think. In changing from concrete to abstract thought they are increasingly able to understand and grapple with abstract ideas, think about possibilities, think ahead, think about thinking, and “put themselves in another person’s shoes.” Community member? Tax-payer? Voter? Citizen? In general, this changes their ability to think about themselves, others and the world around them. This is a gradual process that spans adolescence and young adulthood. For example, early in the process youth are limited in their ability to hold more than one point of view – understanding something from one perspective but not another. n considering many possibilities and logical outcomes of possible events. n Able to hold and manipulate clusters of abstract ideas and create systems for organizing abstract thoughts. n Greater ability to consider different points of view at the same time can result in increased empathy and concern for others, and new interest in societal issues for many. It also allows youth to better value the diversity of people (and their perspectives) and appreciate that there may be many right answers to a problem. n Philosophical and idealistic. Capacity for abstract thought becomes established; can think abstractly and hypothetically; can discern the underlying principles and apply them to new situations; and can think about the future, Brain Development Although scientists have documented brain development in adolescence and young adulthood, they are less sure about what it means for changes in cognitive development, behavior, intelligence, and capacity to learn. By age 6 (on average), a young person’s brain is 95% of adult size. However, the brain continues to physically develop in the teen years and even into the 20s with a second growth spurt of gray matter (peaking at age 11 for girls and 12 for boys) followed by a “pruning” process in which connections among neurons in the brain that are not used wither away and those that are used remain. The front part of the brain, responsible for functions such as complex reasoning, problem-solving, thinking ahead, prioritizing, long-term planning, selfevaluation and regulation of emotion, begins to develop in early adolescence with a final developmental push starting at age 16 or 17. It is not that these tasks cannot be done before young adulthood, but rather that it takes more effort and requires practice. 30 Define a personal sense of identity Renegotiate relationship with parents/caregivers Adolescents move from identifying themselves as an extension of their parents (childhood) to recognizing their uniqueness and separation from parents. They develop a sense of self as an individual and as a person connected to valuable people and groups. Adolescents negotiate a change in relationship with parents that begins to balance autonomy (independence) with connection. Overall, the adolescent’s task is one of separating in some ways, while maintaining and redefining connections in others, in order to make room for a more adult relationship that meets cultural expectations and provides necessary support. They refine their sense of identity around issues such as gender, physical attributes, sexuality, ethnicity. They explore issues such as Who am I? How do I fit in? Am I loveable and loving? How am I competent? One result of this is experimentation with different, temporary “identities” by means of alternative styles of dress, jewelry, music, hair, manner, and lifestyle. Teens may struggle to identify a true self amid seeming contradictions in the way they feel and behave in different situations, and with different levels of thought and understanding. n n Firmer sense of identity, although still a time of identity exploration (especially in areas of personal relationships, education, work, family). Age of feeling in-between – see themselves as neither an adolescent nor an adult . Adopt a personal value system Adolescents develop a more complex understanding of moral behavior and underlying principles of justice. They question and assess beliefs from childhood and restructure these beliefs into a personal ideology (e.g. more personally meaningful values, religious views, and belief systems to guide decisions and behavior). n Decisions and values are less influenced by peers. n Able to see multiple viewpoints, value the diversity of people and perspectives and appreciate that there can be many right answers to a problem. n Identify values and viewpoints that work for oneself while respecting viewpoints/values of others n Improved ability to see parents as individuals and take their perspectives into account. n Conflicts with parents often decrease with age. n Renegotiation in parent-child roles, especially for those who live at home (nearly half of all U.S. young adults in their late teens and early twenties still live with their parents). This is important as residential change is highest in late adolescent/young adulthood than any other age group (young people living at home, moving out and living independently or with peers/partners, moving back home, etc). Throughout adolescence, friendships become more stable, intimate and supportive; they provide a cornerstone for learning about adult relationships. n Relate to individual peers more than to peer group. n More mature style of peer relationships (stability, intimacy and supportiveness). n Increasingly more balance between the influence of family and peers on the young person. Meet demands of increasing mature roles and responsibilities Adolescents gradually take on the roles expected of them in adulthood. They learn the skills necessary for these roles and manage the multiple demands of the labor market as well as meet expectations regarding commitment to family, community and citizenship. n Stable interests. n Ability to compromise. n Self-reliance. n Greater concern for others. Develop stable and productive peer relationships n Higher level of concern for the future. n Thoughts about one’s role in life. Peer relationships change during adolescence to provide youth with more support and connections as they spend less time with adults and in supervised activity. n Transition to work, college, independent living. Participation in college education in young adulthood is nonlinear – frequently combined with work and periods of nonattendance in school. n Youth in general remain in school longer and marry later, but those from lessadvantaged households find it harder to adhere to an orderly and predictable sequence of education, full-time employment, home-leaving, cohabitation or marriage, and parenthood. n Work experiences become more focused on laying foundation for adult occupation Peer relationships often compete with parents and schools in influence on teen’s attitudes and behaviors. As networks with peers broaden, peer relationships become deeper and play an increasing role in shaping an individual teen’s self-concept and interaction. Adolescents experience three transformations in peer relationships: 1. Reorientation of friendships from activitybased relationships of childhood to more stable, affectively oriented friendships based on idea and value sharing. 2. Growth of romantic and sexually oriented relationships. 3. Emergence of peer “crowds.” This synthesis of adolescent development research was compiled by K. Teipel of the State Adolescent Health Resource Center, Konopka Institute, University of Minnesota. The State Adolescent Health Resource Center is funded through Cooperative Agreement #U93 MC 00163-01 from the Maternal Child and Health Bureau – Health Resources and Services Administration, Department of Health and Human Services. 2 31 Four Major Questions Facing Adolescents The growth of one's intellect from concrete to abstract thinking makes adolescence an intense time of selfdiscovery. In their quest to define themselves and their relationship to the world, adolescents begin to ask themselves four basic abstract questions: Who am I? (Pertaining to his or her sexuality and social roles) Am I normal? (Do I fit in with a certain crowd?) Am I competent? (Am I good at something that is valued by peers and parents?) Am I affectionate? (Do treat me and do I treat others in a caring way?) Adults who work with adolescents need to recognize that these questions are quite central to the concerns of adolescents and should give them a chance to explore their own beliefs and find their own answers to these questions. Guidelines for assisting adolescents in their quest to answer each of these questions follow below. Question Guidelines for Adults Who am I? Give them the freedom to explore their world. Only then can adolescents begin to answer this question. Give them room to be like their peers. Fitting in with peers helps adolescents feel "normal." Am I normal? Monitor youth activities by using the four "W" questions: • • • • Where are you going? With whom are you going? What are you doing? When will you be home? Assist adolescents with their problems and challenges but don’t solve them. Am I competent? Ask questions instead of telling, such as "What are things you could do?" Guide but do not direct. Am I affectionate? Adolescents develop best when they have supportive families and community life that include: • Caring and mutual respect • Serious and lasting interest of parents and other adults. • Adult attention to the changes they are experiencing. • Clear standards regarding discipline and close supervision. • Communication of high expectations for achievement and ethical behavior. • Democratic ways of dealing with conflict. 32 10 Myths About Adolescence 1. Adolescence starts with the teenage years. FACT: Adolescence begins with puberty, and puberty can begin as early as 8 or 9. Hormonal changes associated with puberty can start a couple years before physical changes. 2. Adolescents are bags of raging hormones. FACT: While the secretion of sex hormones effects every tissue of the body (including the brain), the effect is not as potent as most people believe and does not make adolescents inherently difficult. Adult expectations and behavior toward youth affect kids as much, if not more than, biology. 3. Adolescents are lazy and irresponsible. FACT: Young people have an enormous desire to be useful and needed. They seek tasks that challenge them and can make a difference. 4. Adolescents are vain and egotistical. FACT: Adolescent is a time of physical, emotional, and cognitive growth unmatched in the life cycle with the possible exception of infancy. What appears to be vanity is often an attempt to understand one’s rapid development. 5. Adolescents are dangerous. FACT: Adults are responsible for three-fourths of the recent increase in violent crimes. Four out of five juveniles murdered were killed by adults, including family members. 6. Adolescents are incapable of learning anything. FACT: Adolescents develop the ability to think abstractly, reflectively and critically. Young adolescents (age 10 – 15) enjoy a curiosity about the world unmatched in the life cycle. Older youth develop the capacity for moral thought. 7. Adolescents take risks because they think they are invulnerable. FACT: They take risks because they are supposed to. Exploration and risk taking, inherent to the species, are means of testing and learning about themselves. 33 8. Adolescents are negatively influenced by peers. FACT: Peers can often be beneficial. They listen, care, and encourage playfulness and exploration. They can also contribute to a young person’s self-esteem and desire for achievement. 9. Adolescents yearn to be independent of adults, particularly their parents. FACT: Only a minority of teenagers engage in wholesale rebellion against their parents. What most young people seek is not estrangement but a negotiated interdependence. 10. Adolescents don’t need regular health care. FACT: Young people today are adopting health patterns in adolescence that will have serious repercussions in later life: smoking, overeating and not getting enough exercise are examples. Adapted form: Stepp, Laura Sessions. “The Children’s Beat.” Casey Journalism Center for Children and Families 34 Insight on How Adolescents Think Yes, it’s normal for adolescents to… Argue for the sake of arguing. Adolescents often go off on tangents, seeming to argue side issues for no apparent reason; this can be highly frustrating to many adults. Keep in mind that, for adolescents, exercising their new reasoning capabilities can be exhilarating, and they need the opportunity to experiment with these new skills. Jump to conclusions. Adolescents, even with their newfound capacities for logical thinking, sometimes jump to startling conclusions. However, an adolescent may be taking a risk in staking out a position verbally, and what may seem brash may actually be bravado to cover his or her anxiety. Instead of correcting their reasoning, give adolescents the floor and simply listen. You build trust by being a good listener. Allow an adolescent to save face by not correcting or arguing with faulty logic at every turn. Try to find what is realistically positive in what is being said and reinforce that; you may someday find yourself enjoying the intellectual stimulation of the debates. Be self-centered. Adolescents can be very “me-centered.” It takes time to learn to take others’ perspectives into account; in fact, this is a skill that can be learned. Constantly find fault in adult’s positions. Adolescents’ newfound ability to think critically encourages them to look for discrepancies, contradictions, or exceptions in what adults (in particular) say. Sometimes they will be most openly questioning or critical of adults with whom they feel especially safe. This can be quite a change to adjust to, particularly if you take it personally or the youth idealized you in the past. Be overly dramatic. Everything seems to be a “big deal” to teens. For some adolescents, being overly dramatic or exaggerating their opinions and behaviors simply comes with the territory. Dramatic talk is usually best seen as a style of oration rather than an indicator of possible extreme action, unless an adolescent’s history indicates otherwise. Developing Adolescents: A Reference for Professionals. (2002). American Psychological Association. www.apa.org/pi/cyf/develop.pdf 35 Understanding teens’ new thinking skills… Teens enjoy practicing their budding enthusiasm for lively debate and for them, conflicts may just be a way of expressing themselves. Adults, on the other hand, tend to take arguments personally and might view them as intense and disruptive. Be patient when teens “test drive” their newly acquired reasoning skills and encourage healthy, respectful debate by setting norms and parameters. Disrespect should never be tolerated. Never correct or put down an adolescent’s logic; simply listen and acknowledge their feelings. A better strategy is to ask them how they got to the thoughts or conclusions they are expressing. Don’t take it personally when teens criticize adult opinions and behaviors. The may challenge you, but they still need you. Unless a teen has a history of problem behavior, do not worry if he or she demonstrates melodramatic tendencies. Remember, not every disagreement is a conflict. Healthy Adolescent Development Guide. (2009). Johns Hopkins Center for Adolescent Health 36 Tips for Talking with Adolescents Engage adolescents with non-threatening questions. Choosing only one or two questions at a given time, ask adolescents questions that help them to define their identities. For example, whom do you admire? What is it about that person that makes them admirable? What do you like to do in your free time? What do you consider to be your strengths? What are your hopes for the future? What have you done in your life that you feel proud of (even if just a little)? Listen non-judgmentally (and listen more than you speak). This enable the adolescents to realize that you value his or her opinions and thus to trust you more. Ask open-ended questions. Ask questions that require more than a yes or no response; this helps to adolescent think through ideas and options. Avoid “why’ questions. “Why” questions tend to put people on the defensive. Try to rephrase your questions to get at what the adolescent was thinking rather than the reason for something the adolescent had said or done. For example, instead of asking, “why did you say that?” say instead: “You seemed to be really trying to get across a point when you did that. Can you tell me about what you meant?” Match the adolescent’s emotional state, unless it’s hostile. If the adolescent seems enthusiastic or sad, let your responses reflect his or her mood. Reflecting someone’s mood helps the individual feel understood. Casually model rational decision-making strategies. Discuss how you once arrived at a decision. Explain, for example, how you (or someone you know well) defined the problem, generated options, anticipated positive and negative consequences, made the decision, and evaluated the outcome. Keep in mind that the adolescent has a relatively short attention span, so be brief. Choose a topic that is relevant to adolescents (e.g., deciding how to deal with an interpersonal conflict, identifying strategies for earning money for college). Discuss ethical and moral problems that are in the news. Encourage the adolescent to think through the issues out loud. Without challenging his or her point of view, wonder aloud about how others 37 might differ in their perspective on the issue and what might influence these differences Developing Adolescents: A Reference for Professionals. American Psychological Association. 2002. www.apa.org/pi/cyf/develop.pdf 38 LISTENING TO TEENS: Communication Skills to Keep the Conversation Going Mar 27, 2008 Susan Carney http://www.suite101.com/content/listening-to-teens-a48921 Using good listening skills helps kids feel heard and encourages them to share their experience. Teens commonly feel that no one understands or listens to them. There are several reasons for this, and many can be attributed to poor communication between kids and adults. Though adults are usually well-intentioned, there are things that they often do (or don’t do) in conversations with kids that have a negative impact on how successful they are at making the teen feel “heard.” When talking with teens, try to keep these points in mind. Be Patient Kids may not be ready to spill their guts the first time you sit down to talk. Let them go at their own pace, and don’t press them on issues they might not be ready to discuss. They are more likely to open up if they have the freedom to share when they are ready. Watch Your Body Language Nonverbal communication is often even more powerful than spoken words. Check your posture, facial expressions and gestures for the message they give. Are you focused on the conversation at hand or are you distracted? Be sure to give a teen your full attention, or they will feel that their issue is unimportant to you. Make eye contact and use cues like nodding to keep the conversation moving along. Use Reflective Listening Skills Periodically, paraphrase what you hear and offer it back to the teen to check for understanding. Summarize both the content and the feelings underneath. Example: “It sounds like you’re saying you’ve been really mad at your mom lately because she keeps disappointing you” or “You feel frustrated because your grades aren’t where you would like them to be.” If the teen says, “Yes.” and keeps talking, you know you’re on the right track. Conversely, they may say “No, that’s no it,” and restate the issue in a different way. Either way, communication is enhanced. Read on Don’t Give Advice This is often very challenging for adults who work with kids. The instinct to fix is so strong that it can be tough to sit back bite your tongue when the solution seems so obvious. But chiming in too quickly with suggestions is problematic for several reasons. First, you want to make sure that the teen has had the chance to fully express and explore the issue first. Otherwise, they will feel rushed and unimportant. Offering a quick solution can also have the unintended effect of minimizing dismissing the problem. In addition, the ultimate goal is for the teen to come up with his or her own solutions. Help Teach Problem Solving Start with some questions: “What have you already tried to solve this problem? What have you done to solve similar problems in the past?” The answers will give you a starting point from which to start brainstorming new or adjusted ideas. Teach kids a problem-solving model which helps them evaluate possibilities and outcomes. Using these techniques to pace and focus your conversation around the teen’s needs will help you be a better listener, develop trust, and keep the conversations flowing. 39 What Young People Need to Thrive Relationships with caring adults (adult connectedness). Youth need opportunities to develop and strengthen connections to caring, supportive, responsible adults, including parents, family members, and other adults. Young people need healthy relationships with a circle of people who listen, provide high expectations, support and guidance, provide positive role model. Strategies: When working with youth, spend time strengthening your relationship with them. Train staff and volunteers who work with youth in adolescent development, how to listen to youth and the importance of building strong relationship with youth clients. Supportive relationships with parents (parent connectedness). This is about strong bonds and relationships between youth and their parents or caregivers. It includes relationships in which youth feel close to and supported by their parents, perceive their parents care, feel loved and wanted, feel satisfaction with their relationship. Strategies: Conduct parent education programs for parents of pre-teens and teens to build their parenting skills and supports. Develop informal opportunities for parents of teens and emerging adults to share experiences with other parents. Provide parent education (formal, informal) to build parenting skills and knowledge. Provide opportunities in which parents can get to know and connect with other parents of adolescents (building a support network). Provide opportunities for youth and parents to have fun and/or work on projects together. Advocate for policies that support healthy family development (economic, employment, housing, education, etc.) Supportive peer network (peer connectedness). A network of supportive, pro-social peers is a critical part of successful development. In order to manage the changing relationships with peers in adolescents, young people need opportunities to develop and sharpen social skills such as an ability to understand emotions and practice self-discipline, work with others, develop decision-making and problem-solving skills, and develop effective communication skills. Strategies: Provide opportunities for young people to come together and have fun with a wide array of peers (guided and supported by adults). Help young people who are socially isolated to develop social bonds with peers. Provide opportunities for youth to work together with adults and peers on leadership projects (in the community, at school, faith organizations, youth programs, etc.). page 1 of 5 • july 2011 state adolescent health resource center • konopka institute for best practices in adolescent health University of Minnesota 40 What Young People Need to Thrive Positive connections to school (school connectedness). This refers to students’ beliefs that adults in their school care about them as students and as individuals. It also involves young people surrounded by high expectations for academic success, perceived support from school staff, and a safe school environment. Strategies: Provide training for school staff and school policies/procedure development that support staff to get to know and work with students as individuals, not just vessels of learning (i.e. building supportive relationships between school staff and students). Create school environments or school climates that are positive, safe, welcoming and which youth are known by name. Provide opportunities for youth to act as leaders in creating supportive, caring school environments. Provide fun opportunities for students to be active at school. Develop policies and opportunities for parents to be engaged in school. Provide supports for students during key educational transition times (entry into junior/middle school, high school, new students regardless of grade, students re-entering school following absences). Supportive communities (community connectedness). These are the communities that embrace, respect and value youth. For community connectedness, the most influential factors are relations between adults and adolescents, voice in the community, attitudes toward adolescents, and opportunities for youth to be creatively and actively youth involved in their community. Strategies: Train adults who work with and/or make decisions about youth in adolescent/emerging adult development. Positively advocate for youth in community settings in which youth issues are raised (for example - youth hanging out on street corners). Say hello and engage youth in conversation wherever you encounter them (bagging groceries at the grocery store, walking by your home, etc.). Advocate for and provide opportunities for youth to act as leaders in community initiatives (community clean-ups, strategic planning, resource evaluation, etc.). Train adults to work comfortably as youth leaders in community initiatives. Sense of spirituality (spiritual connectedness). Spirituality refers to an internal process, such as spiritual well-being, support, and coping. Spirituality has also been characterized as development and deepening of a sense of awe, wonder, and mystery about the world and the universe. Young people need opportunities to learn, explore and grow their sense of spirituality. Strategies: Talk with youth about issues of spirituality – beliefs, practices, rituals. Visit varying places of worship with you and discuss what they saw, liked, didn’t like, what it meant to them. Encourage youth to read about spirituality and discuss what they learned. Engage youth as leaders in faith communities (e.g. churches, synagogues, mosques). page 2 of 5 • july 2011 state adolescent health resource center • konopka institute for best practices in adolescent health University of Minnesota 41 What Young People Need to Thrive Opportunities to experiment in healthy ways. Experimentation is the process by which adolescents “try on” new behaviors, beliefs and values. Teens need opportunities to safely explore and experiment with their own identity, with relationships to other people, with ideas. They’re supported to try out various roles without having to commit themselves irrevocably. In addition, young people have the opportunity to try out and discuss conflicting values in a process of defining a personal value system and opportunities to reflect on themselves, in relation to others and discover self by looking outward as well as inward. Strategies: Work with youth to identify and offer opportunities for safe experimentation (rock climbing, skate parks, other physical recreation, theater, music, etc.). Talk with youth about their sense of identity (how it feels, what is strange, what is comfortable). When a young person changes their outward appearance, ask them about it in a non-judgmental way. Engage in friendly debates and discussions with youth about social issues. Opportunities for creativity and fun. Young people need the opportunities to find what they’re interested in, passionate about, gives them joy and sense of wellbeing. By tapping these areas, youth experience a sense of mastery, purpose and fulfillment. Strategies: Partner with youth to identify and offer opportunities for fun and recreation. Work with youth to evaluate existing youth recreation programs- revised and adapt as needed. Opportunities for authentic participation (youth leadership). This includes opportunities for leadership, for giving back to others and for participating in a full range of community life. Through these opportunities youth learn valuable skills, develop a sense of mastery. In addition, they develop a sense of citizenship, validation that they belong and can make a difference. Strategies: Teach youth leadership skills. Engage youth as leaders and advocates in any youth, community, education or social issue/program. Teach adults how to work with youth as youth leaders. Provide youth-driven service learning and volunteer opportunities for youth (be sure to provide opportunities for these youth to process what they’ve learned/gained from these experiences). page 3 of 5 • july 2011 state adolescent health resource center • konopka institute for best practices in adolescent health University of Minnesota 42 What Young People Need to Thrive Exposure the world of work. Young people need exposure to the work world through opportunities such as career training, volunteer community service and job experience. In addition, they need opportunities for active learning where they can develop critical thinking and reasoning skills that are needed in adult roles and responsibilities. Strategies: Engage youth in service learning and volunteer opportunities (be sure to provide opportunities for these youth to process what they’ve learned/gained from these experiences). Incorporate youth career exploration opportunities in your program (or partner with other organizations that provide these opportunities). Seek out and post youth employment, internship and volunteer/service learning opportunities for youth to see and explore. Work with businesses that employ youth and emerging adults to support their efforts in building basic job skills. Basic needs are met. Young people need stability including food, shelter and physical and psychological safety. Strategies: Advocate and ensure policies and programs that ensure safe communities, adequate housing, adequate nutrition, mental health services, opportunities for recreation, etc. Assess and ensure that all youth programs provide adequate structure and supervision so that all youth feel safe, secure and included. Provide food at youth gatherings. Partner with other organizations that provide basic services so that youth with basic needs can find easy access to community resources. Bernat DH and Resnick MD. (2009). Connectedness in the lives of adolescents. In Adolescent Health: Understanding and Preventing Risk Behaviors. DiClemente RJ, Santelli JS and Crosby RA, Eds. pp. 375389. Josset-Bass: San Francisco, CA. Catalano RF, Berglund ML, Ryan JAM, Lonczak HS and Hawkins JD. (2004). Positive Youth Development in the United States: Research Findings on Evaluations of Positive Youth Development Programs. Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Vol. 591(1), pp. 98-124. ChildTrends (2000). Preventing Problems vs. Promoting the Positive: What Do We Want for Our Children? Washington DC Gambone MA, Klem AM and Connell JP. (2002). Finding Out What Matters for Youth: Testing Key Links in a Community Action Framework for Youth Development. Youth Development Strategies, Inc., and Institute for Research and Reform in Education: Philadelphia. Hair EC, Jager J and Garrett SB. (2002). Helping Teens Develop Healthy Social Skills and Relationships: What the Research Shows about Navigating Adolescence. ChildTrends: Washington DC. Moore KA and Zaff JF. (2002). Building a Better Teenager: A Summary of “What Works” in Adolescent Development. ChildTrends: Washington DC. page 4 of 5 • july 2011 state adolescent health resource center • konopka institute for best practices in adolescent health University of Minnesota 43 What Young People Need to Thrive National Research Council and Institute of Medicine. (2002). Community Programs to Promote Youth Development. Committee on Community-Level Programs for Youth. Jacquelynne Eccles and Jennifer A.Gootman, eds. Board on Children, Youth, and Families, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Washington, DC: National Academy Press. Scales PC and Leffert N. (2004). Developmental Assets: A Synthesis of the Scientific Research on Adolescent Development (second edition). Search Institute: Minneapolis. Search Institute. (2003). Unique Strengths, Shared Strengths: Developmental Assets Among Youth of Color. Insights and Evidence Newsletter, Vol 1 (2). Silloway T, Connors-Tadros L and Marchand V. (2009). A Guide To Effective Investments In Positive Youth Development: Implications of Research for Financing and Sustaining Programs and Services for Youth. The Finance Project: Washington DC. page 5 of 5 • july 2011 state adolescent health resource center • konopka institute for best practices in adolescent health University of Minnesota 44 FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH SCHOOL CONNECTEDNESS THE SCHOOL • School size mattered… classroom size did not. • School type is not associated with connectedness… public, private, parochial. • Location of school is not associated with connectedness… urban, suburban, rural. TEACHERS • Teacher experience was not associated with connectedness SCHOOL CLIMATE • The single strongest association with connectedness was school climate. FRIENDSHIPS • Integrated social groups are associated with greater connection (gender integration, racial integration). • The greater the number of friends from within the school as student has, the more connected he/she is. • The more socially isolated, the less connected. • Where the “popular” kids are academically motivated, connectedness increases. CHARACTERISTICS OF WELL-MANAGED SCHOOLS AND CLASSROOMS 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Expectations are clear for individual responsibility and conflict resolution. Teachers consistently acknowledge all students. Students are actively involved in classroom management. Discipline is authoritative not authoritarian. Social integration of students in structured. TEACHERS: TEN STRATEGIES THAT FOSTER CONNECTIONS TO SCHOOL 1. Help students get to know each other’s (and your) strengths. 2. Involve students in planning, problem solving, identifying issues and assessing curriculum in the classroom. 3. Promote cooperation over competition. Post everyone’s best work. Offer opportunities for the class to work together to help everyone achieve their level of excellence. 4. Build strong relationship with each student. 5. Convey attentiveness to students and excitement about learning through nonverbal gestures. 6. Involve students in chores and responsibilities in the classroom. 7. Integrate concepts of discipline and respect for classmates through instruction. 8. Give students more say in what they will learn. 9. Involve students in developing the criteria by which their work will be assessed and provide guidelines so they clearly understand what’s expected of them. 10. Use first person plural (we, us, let’s) when presenting classroom activities. Improving the Odds: Untapped power of schools to improve the health of teens Robert Blum, MD, Ph.D, Professor and Director Center for Adolescent Health and Development/ University of MN National Technical Assistance Meeting, Washington DC, August 2002 45 FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH SCHOOL CONNECTEDNESS ADMINISTRATORS: TEN STRATEGIES THAT FOSTER CONNECTIONS TO SCHOOL 1. Brainstorm with students, faculty, staff and parents simple changes that could make school a more pleasant place to be. 2. Create policies that are based on student, family and neighborhood strengths and assets. 3. Turn mistakes into learning opportunities rather than failures meriting punishment. 4. Acknowledge and honor accomplishments and all types of competencies (helpfulness, good citizenship, most improved performance, volunteerism, participation in decision making, cessation of negative behavior). 5. Set high standards and challenge students to meet them. 6. Reinforce explicit expectations for positive behavior and academic success. 7. Encourage highly interactive teaching strategies. 8. Create a welcoming environment for all who come to the school. 9. Invite family and community members to take active and regular roles in the daily operation of the school. 10. Create a common vision of success and keep it visible. It’s the little things in the school environment that make the difference! Information is based on 2 sets of data analyses: NcNelly CA, Nonnemaker JM and Blum RW (2002). Promoting student attachment to school: Evidence from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. Journal of School Health, vol 72 (4). Moody J and Bearman P. Shaping school climate: School context, adolescent social networks and attachment to school (unpublished). Improving the Odds: Untapped power of schools to improve the health of teens Robert Blum, MD, Ph.D, Professor and Director Center for Adolescent Health and Development/ University of MN National Technical Assistance Meeting, Washington DC, August 2002 46 Mar 3, 2007 Susan Carney www.suite101.com/content/building-trust-with-teens-a14835 A trusting relationship takes time and dedication. What can you do to enhance the process? Show respect. Never ridicule or humiliate a child. Recognize each child’s differences, and adjust expectations accordingly. Don’t play favorites or otherwise allow a child to perceive that you don’t like him. Be careful with sarcasm. Be patient. With some kids, building strong rapport can seem to take forever. That’s okay. Kids need the freedom to develop relationships at a pace that’s comfortable for them. Take your cues from their timeline. Stay professional. Don’t let kids overhear you talking about other students. Most organizations have confidentiality rules that prohibit this. Besides, it’s just plain rude. Show respect to other adults as well, in how you address them and how you refer to them. Establish clear boundaries. Many youth workers make the mistakes of trying to be too “friendly” with kids. Make sure roles are well established and that it is clear that you are the adult. Don’t discuss your personal life or ask for advice from a child. Avoid with ambiguous physical contact. Be genuine. Don’t pretend to be something you’re not. Kids respect adults who are authentic, and see right through those who try to act like kids themselves in a misguided effort to be perceived as “cool.” We want kids to be proud of who they are and stay true to themselves: why should they expect any different from us? Stick to your word. If you say you’ll do it, do it. No questions asked. Kids often need to see your integrity in action before they can develop trust. Plus, you are setting a wonderful example of strong character. Kids need to know they can depend on you, whatever the circumstances. Be consistent. Kids do best within a regular structure. Knowing what to expect helps reduce anxiety and gives kids a sense of control over their environment. Also, be consistent with implementing limits. The consequence for misbehavior should be a function of the misbehavior, not of external factors like mood, time constraints, or patience level. Strive for balance. Not wanting to be a pushover can cause you to keep too tight a reign on kids. On the other hand, fear of being perceived as too “mean” could result in letting kids get away with too much. Try to find a reasonable middle ground. Recognize that you can be firm without sacrificing either your relationship or opportunities for growth. Listen. Many kids don’t have caring adults in their lives who take the time to pay attention to them and hear what they have to say. Genuinely listening to a child’s concerns, ideas, and dreams does wonders for relationship building. Avoid giving advice; instead, develop questioning skills that help kids solve their own problems. Show a little faith. Kids need strong advocates. Often, they doubt themselves and what they can do. Having an ally in the form of a caring, supportive adult can help kids achieve things they never dreamed. Letting them know you believe in them is the first step to teaching them how to believe in themselves. 47 RESEARCH BRIEF 4301 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 100, Washington, DC 20008 Phone 202-362-5580 Fax 202-362-5533 www.childtrends.org AMERICAN TEENS Publication #2002-57 A special look at “what works” in youth development in partnership with Building a Better Teenager: A Summary of “What Works” in Adolescent Development By Kristin Anderson Moore, Ph.D. and Jonathan F. Zaff, Ph.D. November 2002 O verview Most American adolescents are psychologically, socially, and physically healthy. A vast majority are good citizens who are free of major mental, behavioral, and addictive disorders;27 an increasing percentage volunteer in their communities; and declining numbers are violent, become pregnant, or smoke.28 Despite these encouraging facts, adolescence remains a time of considerable change and risk. One of the most obvious changes during adolescence, puberty, often coincides with entry into new schools with larger social networks. Not only are peer groups larger in middle and high schools, but also homework tends to be more intensive, class sizes are bigger, students are given more independence, and teachers are less accessible than in elementary school. There are changes at home, as well, as parents try to strike a balance between monitoring teens’ behavior and giving them more independence. Young people spend less time at home and more time alone or with friends, and most launch an identity search to figure out who they are. Exposure to risks, such as drugs, cigarettes, alcohol, and a range of sexual and other negative behaviors, accompanies these life changes. Young people need tools to navigate the inevitable challenges and opportunities of adolescence and the subsequent transition into adulthood. Effective initiatives to promote adolescent well-being can ease that transition, and research can suggest which strategies are best. To tackle the question of what works to promote well-being among America’s teens, Child Trends undertook a comprehensive review of the many contributing influences and programs that lead to positive behavior in seven areas: mental health, emotional well-being, educational adjustment and achievement, physical health and safety, reproductive health, social competency, and citizenship. In this executive summary of Child Trends’ American Teens series, we looked across these seven reviews, based on more than 1,100 research articles, to identify ten findings to help program designers, policy makers, and parents promote positive adolescent development. In brief, these findings suggest that relationships are key to adolescent well-being: parent-child interactions and bonding greatly influence adolescents’ choices and attitudes; peer relationships – including positive ties among teens – are important; and siblings, teachers, and mentors can provide additional support to young people. Significantly, research indicates that supportive relationships seem to trump lectures that simply tell teens “to do” or “not to do” something as a strategy to enhance adolescent development. Program developers and policy makers should view adolescents as whole people, not just as students, patients, or delinquents, and not expect a “silver bullet” solution to improve teens’ lives. They should also work to engage teens, target desired outcomes, start when adolescents are young, and ensure that programs are wellimplemented. Finally, those involved with youth need to overcome the tendency to think of young people solely in negative terms. Adolescent behaviors often cluster. Considerable evidence suggests that teens with one positive or negative characteristic have other corresponding characteristics. For instance, adolescents who are depressed often also have an anxiety disorder and use drugs or alcohol.29 And young people who drink alcohol, take drugs, and smoke cigarettes are also more likely to take part in risky sexual behaviors, have poor sleep habits, and be physically unhealthy.13 Likewise, teens who have one positive characteristic are more likely to have other positive characteristics. Thus, young people who are engaged in civic activities also tend to do better in school, to be in better psychological health, and to take part in fewer risky behaviors.30 These young people are also 48 more likely to have good social skills and be friends with other adolescents with similar positive characteristics.11 For program developers and policy makers, this clustering means that programs and policies can bring about change in a number of areas even if their primary focus is on one or two areas. Also, if an adolescent has one problem (like alcohol abuse), parents and program providers should be alert for additional problems (like risky sexual activity). Parent-child relationships are vital to adolescent well-being. Although the role parents play in children’s development is still being examined, and more rigorous research is needed about the cause-and-effect association between the two, numerous studies indicate that parent-child ties are strongly related to adolescent well-being. Four factors are key: ■ Relationships. Teens who have warm, involved, and satisfying relationships with their parents are more likely to do well in school, be academically motivated and engaged, have better social skills, and have lower rates of risky sexual behavior than their peers.11, 17, 24, 29 Conversely, teens with poor relationships with their parents are more likely to have psychological and other problems.29 Modeling. Teens whose parents demonstrate positive behaviors on a number of fronts are more likely to engage in those behaviors themselves,2, 30 and teens whose parents take part in risky behaviors are more likely to do the same.13, 17, 29 ■ Monitoring/Awareness. Parents who know about their children’s activities, friends, and behaviors, and monitor them in age-appropriate ways, have teens with lower rates of risky physical and sexual behaviors, as well as lower rates of drug, alcohol, and tobacco use than their peers.8, 13, 17, 29 And teens who perceive that their parents are taking on this monitoring role are more likely to do well academically and socially.11, 24 ■ Approach to Parenting. Research shows that teens whose parents are supportive and caring, but who also consistently monitor and enforce family rules, are more likely to be motivated and successful in school, as well as psychologically and physically healthy.3 In contrast, adolescents whose parents are overly strict and do not give them any independence are more likely to engage in risky behaviors.11, 17 Similarly, when parents are warm but permissive, adolescents tend to be impulsive and engage in risky behaviors.11 ■ These findings suggest that parents need to remain actively and positively involved in the lives of their teenagers, while also allowing adolescents to take 2 on greater independence for their conduct, as appropriate for their ages. Moreover, program developers should be aware of the influence parents have on adolescent development and incorporate parents in programs and activities, when possible. Peer influences are important and can be positive. Many adults think peers can only be negative influences, but the evidence suggests that adolescents often influence each other positively, by either modeling behaviors or pressuring each other to behave in certain ways or adopt certain attitudes and goals. However, the direction of this association is not as obvious as is often thought. For example, “bad kids” seem likely to seek out other “bad kids,” while “good kids” seem more likely to seek out other “good kids.” In addition, peer acceptance is probably more likely for teens whose attitudes and behaviors correspond to those of the group. At the very least, research suggests that peer relationships perpetuate adolescents’ behaviors. Teens whose friends smoke, drink alcohol, take drugs, engage in other deviant behaviors, and engage in sexual intercourse are more likely to take part in those behaviors themselves, while adolescents whose friends have high educational aspirations, achieve academically, and engage in other positive and healthy behaviors tend to behave similarly.11, 13, 17, 24, 29 An important research note: In our review, we examined the psychological, physical, and social components of adolescent health and well-being, analyzing findings from more than 1,100 rigorous studies. For our examination of what works, we restricted our review to studies that used a randomized experimental-control group design (the gold standard for making conclusions about cause-and-effect). To suggest promising approaches or “best bets,” we also examined quasi-experimental comparison studies (studies whose participants were not randomly assigned); longitudinal, multivariate design studies (longterm analyses involving several variables); or, in some cases, cross-sectional design studies with large sample sizes and multiple relevant control variables (for example, controlling for characteristics like race and socioeconomic status). Our review produced a series of succinct “What Works” tables that summarize what works and what doesn’t work to bring about various adolescent behaviors and offer some promising best bet strategies. These tables can be found at www.childtrends.org. 49 Siblings, teachers, and other adults and mentors can provide additional support. Aside from parents and peers, adolescents often have connections with other people who may play influential roles in their lives: The atmosphere of schools – for instance, whether they place an emphasis on achievement, the level of per-student expenditure, and the overall attitude of teachers – is associated with various measures of academic achievement and skills.24 ■ ■ Siblings can act as models for positive behaviors, such as physical activity, and negative behaviors, such as drug use.13, 29 Sibling relationships are also a good training ground for conflict resolution and negotiation skills necessary in other parts of adolescents’ lives.11 ■ And adolescents from poor families and poor neighborhoods are more likely to get pregnant, less likely to succeed in school, and more likely to be injured unintentionally.13, 17, 24 Mentors can offer friendship, guidance, and assistance, as well as serve as positive role models. Research has found that close, long-term mentoring relationships are associated with reduced rates of drug and alcohol use and increased rates of high school graduation, volunteering, and tolerance.14 Mentoring can also teach social skills that are useful in a variety of settings. Experimental evaluations have repeatedly shown that didactic programs that lecture to young people fail to change behavior, whether targeting smoking, drugs, gun violence, or teen pregnancy.6, 16, 18, 25 On the other hand, many experimental evaluations find that adolescents who take part in programs that build relationships, engage young people, and provide well-implemented and structured activities tend to have lower rates of pregnancy and drug, alcohol, and tobacco use, and higher rates of civic engagement and school achievement.11, 13, 17, 24, 29, 30 Programs that engage teens also teach important social and life skills through activities that are either specific (e.g., resistance to peer pressure) or nonspecific (e.g., sports) to a particular program’s goals.5 Moreover, taking part in these activities during the high-risk hours of 3 to 8 p.m. gives teens something positive to do in a safe and supportive environment and leaves less time for getting into trouble.21 ■ Teachers and adults who act as surrogate family members can also serve as role models, teach social skills, and provide support that may not be available at home.11 ■ More research is needed on these relationships, however, since most of the findings are based on small sample sizes or cross-sectional designs (that is, data are collected at only one point in time). Also, more research needs to be done to determine how an adolescent’s cultural background affects his or her development. Teens should be viewed as whole people, more than just students, patients, or delinquents. Program providers and policy makers need to take a more complete and balanced approach to youth development and be aware of the many factors associated with adolescent well-being. Schools, communities, socioeconomic status, the media, and public policies, among other factors, all have implications for adolescent development. Here are a few examples: ■ The price of cigarettes influences teen smoking, with higher prices being associated with lower smoking rates.7 Moving children and adolescents out of highpoverty neighborhoods into low-poverty areas is associated with improvements in physical and mental health, delinquent behaviors, and behavior problems.9 ■ Service-learning programs that incorporate volunteer activities reduce adolescents’ sexual activity and risk of pregnancy.17 ■ Engage young people. Successful programs specifically target desired outcomes. Successful youth development programs tend to include a component that specifically targets desired outcomes. This may sound obvious, but it is frequently overlooked. For example, if a program meant to increase academic achievement contains all of the promising practices mentioned above (e.g. engaging youth and treating teens as whole people) but lacks a focus on increasing academic skills, it is not assured that the program will have the desired effect.24 This is also the case for programs geared to promote positive reproductive health, physical and mental health, positive citizenship, and social competence in teens.11, 13, 17, 29, 30 It helps to start early and sustain the effort. Although it is not too late to implement youth development programs and policies when children enter adolescence, starting earlier in a child’s life can have impacts throughout the teenage years and into adulthood. Since the psychological, behavioral, and academic problems that start in 50 3 childhood often continue for years, this strategy makes theoretical sense.24, 29 Intensive preschool programs, such as the Perry Preschool program and the Abecedarian program, confirm this approach; they are associated not only with educational advances, but also with reduced pregnancy and childbearing years later.12 Implementation is critical. Although relatively little experimental evaluation research exists on the implementation of programs to promote adolescent well-being, insights derived from practitioners, qualitative evaluations, and correlational research (data collected at one point in time) can be instructive in this area. For example, available evidence suggests that the best program and policy ideas are unlikely to be effective if, among other considerations, they do not include proper staff training, a well-developed infrastructure, and buy-in from parents and teens, including involving teens in program development.10, 14, 15, 20 In addition, committed, involved staff seem essential; staff turnover undermines adolescents’ relationships with staff. Yet, program implementation is often ignored or understudied. If program staff and evaluators do not know how well their program was implemented, or what components were or were not implemented adequately, they will not be able to say why the program’s design has been effective or ineffective. Nor will program providers know which components to keep and which to change. Think positively about teens. There is a tendency to view adolescents negatively – to see them as potential problems and to design programs for teens to prevent problems from occurring. However, an accumulating body of research suggests that taking a positive approach, that is, promoting skills and assets instead of preventing deficits, seems more likely to engage adolescents and to help them realize their potential and avoid negative influences.19, 23, 26 Such a youth development approach has been found in several experimental studies to reduce the likelihood that teens will have sex or become pregnant.1, 16, 22 Given the lack of rigorous studies on positive development, there is an acute need for more and better research on positive mental health, positive civic engagement, and emotional well-being in teens.4, 29, 30 NEXT STEPS FOR RESEARCH Although Child Trends examined more than 1,100 empirical studies that employed rigorous research standards across the seven areas of adolescent development, there remains much to be learned in this field. The research community needs to: ■ Conduct more long-term research that looks at multiple variables. More high-quality, rigorous research is needed to provide more conclusive information on the factors that promote adolescent well-being. Certain aspects of adolescents’ lives and their environment have been more extensively researched than others. This imbalance points to a need for further study of the lessresearched areas, as well as a need to examine the joint and interactive effects of influences in different areas of adolescent well-being ■ Evaluate program interventions with experimental studies. Experimental studies represent the gold standard for determining cause-and-effect relationships and more such studies are needed to determine the true effectiveness of youth development programs. However, even most existing experimental evaluations follow adolescents across short time periods (e.g., a month to two years). Since the goal of youth development programs and policies is to support young people through adolescence and into adulthood, it is important both to conduct experimental studies and to track impacts over time. ■ Examine the whole set of factors that influence adolescents. Researchers need to incorporate multiple layers of an adolescent’s environment – family, school, community, media, and so forth – into their study designs. In that same vein, the national and state data systems are split among agencies focused on health, education, and welfare. Education reform, for instance, is headquartered in the U.S. Department of Education, but parents, peers, communities, and other elements of society also play a role in academic achievement. The same approach is seen in many research studies of public policies and youth programs. Researchers need to explicitly include and examine the varied factors that affect adolescent development. ■ Increase the research base on cultural influences on adolescent development. The culture in which an adolescent is raised, whether it revolves around a family’s ethnic, national, or regional heritage, may socialize the adolescent to value different social norms than his or her peers who are from other cultures or regions of the country. Few researchers have looked at these differences. 51 4 CONCLUSION Though growing up in a complex and challenging world, adolescents often have positive attitudes and engage in positive behaviors. But many of the programs targeting teens are designed simply to squelch negative behaviors and often focus on stopping one single problem behavior. Addressing and enhancing positive influences deserves more attention, given evidence that information-only and problem-focused approaches have only small and scattered effects on teen behavior. Research increasingly indicates that, as a nation, we should also try to build and reinforce teens’ positive behaviors, instead of only targeting problems. And to be more comprehensive and effective, researchers and program and policy developers may want to approach their work with a holistic view of teens, rather than focusing exclusively on a single aspect of adolescents’ lives. Moreover, program developers and policy makers have a more complicated task than just addressing the various components of adolescents’ lives (which is no easy task in itself). They also need to develop activities that engage adolescents and that are ageappropriate, and they must create a social and physical infrastructure to sustain the initiatives. While these goals are challenging, available research suggests that the payoff may be significant. These reviews provide a starting point for researchers, parents, practitioners, and policy makers to begin thinking about ways to enhance adolescent development. This Research Brief summarizes seven longer reports on adolescent development prepared for the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Kristin Anderson Moore, Ph.D., is the Principal Investigator and Jonathan Zaff, Ph.D., is the Project Director. The brief was prepared by Anne Bridgman and was edited by Amber Moore, Kristin Moore, Harriet J. Scarupa, Elizabeth Hair, and the studies’ authors. For more information on the reports, call the Child Trends’ publications office, 202-362-5580. Publications may also be ordered from Child Trends’ Web site, www.childtrends.org. Child Trends, founded in 1979, is an independent, nonpartisan research center dedicated to improving the lives of children and their families by conducting research and providing science-based information to the public and decision-makers. For additional information on Child Trends, including a complete set of available Research Briefs, please visit our Web site. Child Trends gratefully acknowledges the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation for support of this special series of Research Briefs on American Teens. 5 References 1Allen, J.P., Philliber, S., Herrling, S., & Kumerminc, G.P. (1997). Preventing teen pregnancy and academic failure: Experimental evaluation of a developmentally-based approach. Child Development, 64(4), 729-742. 2Bandura, A., Grusec, J.E., & Menlove, F.L. (1967). Some social determinants of selfmonitoring reinforcement. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 5, 449-455. 3Baumrind, D. (1966). Effects of authoritative control on child behavior. Child Development, 37, 889-907. 4Bridges, L., Margie, N.G., & Zaff, J.F. (2001). Background for community-level work on emotional health in adolescence: A review of antecedents, programs, and investment strategies. Report prepared for the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Washington, DC: Child Trends. 5Heath, S.B., Soep, E., & Roach, A. (1998, November). Living the arts through language and learning: A report on community-based youth organizations. Americans for the Arts Monographs. Washington, DC: Americans for the Arts, 2(7),1-20. 6Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (1994). Guidelines for school health programs to prevent tobacco use and addiction. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 43(RR-2), 1-19. 7Chaloupka, F.J., & Pacula, R.L. (1999). Sex and race differences in young people’s responsiveness to price and tobacco control policies. Tobacco Control, 8, 373-377. 8Cox, M. (in press). Parent-child relationships. In M. Bornstein, C. Keyes, K. Moore, and L. Davidson (Eds.), Well-being: Positive development across the lifespan. NY: Lawrence Earlbaum. 9Del Conte, A., & Kling, J. (2001, January/February). A synthesis of MTO research on self-sufficiency, safety and health, and behavior and delinquency. Poverty Research News, 5(1), 3-6. 10Garvey, J., McIntyre-Craig, C., & Myers, C. (2000). Youth voice: The essential element of service-learning. In C. Myers and M. Bellener (Eds.) Embedding servicelearning into teacher education: Issue briefs. Indianapolis, IN: The Center for Youth as Resources. 11Hair, E., Jager, J., & Garrett, S. (2002). Background for community-level work on social competency in adolescence: A review of antecedents, programs, and investment strategies. Report prepared for the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Washington, DC: Child Trends. 12Halle, T., Zaff, J.F., Calkins, J., & Margie, N. (2000). Background for communitylevel work on school readiness: A review of definitions, assessments, and investment strategies. Report prepared for the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Washington, DC: Child Trends. To obtain more information on early childhood programs, please see www.highscope.org for Perry Preschool, and www.fpg.unc.edu/~abc for the Abecedarian program. 13Hatcher, J., & Scarpa, J. (2001). Background for community-level work on physical health and safety in adolescence: A review of antecedents, programs, and investment strategies. Report prepared for the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Washington, DC: Child Trends. 14Jekielek, S., Hair, E., & Moore, K. (2001). Mentoring programs and youth development: A synthesis. Prepared for the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation. Washington, DC: Child Trends. 15Katula, M.C. (2000). Successful characteristics of service-learning: Results from the field. In C. Meyers and M. Bellner (Eds.) Embedding service-learning into teacher education: Issue briefs. Indianapolis, IN: The Center for Youth as Resources. 16Kirby (2001). Emerging answers: Research findings on programs to reduce teen pregnancy. Washington, DC: National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. 17Manlove, J., Terry-Humen, E., Papillo, A.R., Franzetta, K., & Ryan, S. (2002). Background for community-level work on positive reproductive health in adolescence: A review of antecedents, programs, and investment strategies. Report prepared for the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Washington, DC: Child Trends. 18McKnight, A.J., & McPherson, K. (1986). Evaluation of peer intervention training for high school alcohol safety education. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 18(4), 339-347. 19Moore, K. & Halle, T. (1999). Preventing problems vs. promoting the positive: What do we want for our children? Research Brief. Washington, DC: Child Trends. 20Morgan, W., & Streb, M. (2001, August 1). Building citizenship [on-line]. Available: http://serve.indiana.edu/publications/buildcit5.htm. 21National Research Council and Institute of Medicine. (2000). After-School Programs to Promote Child and Adolescent Development: Summary of a Workshop. Committee on Community-Level Programs for Youth. J.A. Gootman (Ed.). Board on Children, Youth, and Families, Commission on Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Washington, DC: National Academy Press. 22Philliber, S., Kaye, J., & Herrling, S. (2001). The national evaluation of the Children’s Aid Society Carrera-Model to prevent teen pregnancy. Accord, NY: Philliber Research Associates. 23Pittman, K. J., & Cahill, M. (1991). A new vision: Promoting youth development. Washington, DC: Center for Youth Development and Policy Research, Academy for Educational Development. 24Redd, Z., Brooks, J. & McGarvey, A. (2002). Background for community-level work on educational adjustment, achievement and attainment in adolescence: A review of antecedents, programs, and investment strategies. Report prepared for the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Washington, DC: Child Trends. 25Ringwalt, C., Greene, J., Ennett, S., Iachan, R., Clayton, R., & Leukfeld, C. (1994). Past and future directions of the DARE program: An evaluation review. Draft of final report. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice. 26Scales, P.C., & Leffert, N. (1999). Developmental assets: A synthesis of the scientific research on adolescent development. Minneapolis: Search Institute. 27Shaffer, D., Fisher, P., Dulcan, M. K., Davies, M., Piacentini, J., Schwab-Stone, M. E., Lahey, B. B., Bourdon, K., Jensen, P. S., Bird, H. R., Canino, G., & Regier, D. A. (1996). The NIMH Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children Version 2.3 (DISC2.3): Description, acceptability, prevalence rates, and performance in the MECA Study. Methods for the Epidemiology of Child and Adolescent Mental Disorders 52 Study. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 35, 865–877. 28U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation. (1999). Trends in the well-being of America’s children and youth. Washington, DC: Author. 29Zaff, J.F., & Calkins, J. (2001). Background for community-level work on mental health in adolescence: A review of antecedents, programs, and investment strategies. Report prepared for the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Washington, DC: Child Trends. 30Zaff, J.F., & Michelsen, E. (2001). Background for community-level work on positive citizenship in adolescence: A review of antecedents, programs, and investment strategies. Report prepared for the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Washington, DC: Child Trends. AMERICAN TEENS SERIES Preventing Teenage Pregnancy, Childbearing, and Sexually Transmitted Diseases: What the Research Shows Encouraging Teens to Adopt a Safe, Healthy Lifestyle: A Foundation for Improving Future Adult Behaviors Helping Teens Develop Healthy Social Skills and Relationships: What the Research Shows about Navigating Adolescence Educating America’s Youth: What Makes a Difference Promoting Positive Mental and Emotional Health in Teens: Some Lessons from Research Encouraging Civic Engagement: How Teens Are (or Are Not) Becoming Responsible Citizens Building a Better Teenager: A Summary of “What Works” in Adolescent Development (Research Briefs and “What Works” tables are posted on www.childtrends.org). © 2002 Child Trends ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED 4301 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 100 Washington, DC 20008 Washington, D.C. Permit No. 1897 PAID U.S. POSTAGE 53 NONPROFIT 2 CHAPTER Tailoring Pregnancy Prevention Programs to Stages of Adolescent Development Stages of adolescent development Although adolescence is often discussed as one phase, teens actually pass through three distinct stages on their path to adulthood—early, middle, and late adolescence. Specific physical, cognitive, and social and emotional developments mark each of these stages. The changes that occur and the timing of those changes differ for boys and girls and vary greatly among individuals. However, in general, early adolescence is from the ages of 9-13, middle adolescence is from 13-16, and late adolescence is 16 and older. Early adolescence Physical changes and characteristics Early adolescence is marked by significant physical changes. Girls develop breasts, grow underarm and pubic hair, and begin menstruating. Boys develop deeper voices, grow hair under the arms and around the genitals, and begin to show other physical signs of sexual maturity. In response to these physical changes, young adolescents— girls in particular—begin to be treated in a new way by their families and by society. As their sexuality becomes more apparent, girls begin to feel differently about themselves and they engender new reactions from those around them. They may no longer be seen as just children, but as sexual beings to be protected—or targeted. Parents may become overprotective or begin to allow greater freedom. EARLY ADOLESCENCE 9-13 years old MIDDLE ADOLESCENCE 13-16 years old LATE ADOLESCENCE 54 16 years old and older 29 STAGES OF ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT Adolescence can be summed up in one word: change. Only infants grow and change as rapidly and extensively as do adolescents. Understanding adolescent development—how children mature between the ages of 9 and 21, how those changes affect their families and other people around them, and how the surrounding culture and society influences that development—is critical to planning and implementing programs that can give teens the tools and skills they need to make and carry out responsible decisions. FOCUSING ON THE KIDS These changes are complicated by the fact that girls mature at different ages. 30 Boys tend to receive less information about the physical changes that accompany their transition to manhood than do girls about their maturation. For example, school classes and parents will explain menstruation, but often leave out mention of wet dreams, erections, and ejaculation when talking to boys out of fear that these topics are too sexual or controversial. Boys may start to face pressure to differentiate themselves from their mothers and from female behavior. In addition, boys often face ridicule from peers if they are slower to develop physically. Whatever the response from the people around them, girls and boys are treated differently as they move into adolescence because they look grown up and society has specific social expectations for how young men and women should behave. KEYS TO EARLY ADOLESCENCE • significant physical/sexual maturation • concrete thinking • increasing influence of peers • growing independence in decision-making • transition from elementary to middle or junior high school These pressures can be difficult for teens to deal with, especially without guidance and support from caring, competent adults. To further complicate this transition, recent studies have found that for some girls, adolescence is starting earlier. While the average age of onset of menstruation is close to 12.5 years, a small but growing minority of girls, particularly African American girls, are actually beginning to menstruate as early as age 8 (Marano, 1997). For these children, the shift in how they are treated by the people around them may be even more difficult to cope with. New data from the National Longitudinal Study on Adolescent Health has found that looking older than one actually is constitutes a risk factor for early intercourse, although it does not place one at higher risk of teen pregnancy (Blum and Rinehart, 1997). Cognitive changes and characteristics Most early adolescents still think predominantly in concrete terms. They relate information and experiences to what they currently know and have a hard time thinking about the future or about things they have never been exposed to. Their ability to think abstractly—to project into the future and to understand 55 KEYS TO MIDDLE ADOLESCENCE • continuing physical/sexual changes • intense focus on body image • beginning of capacity to think abstractly • enormous influence of peers/school environment • risk-taking intangible concepts—develops as adolescence progresses. Social and emotional changes and characteristics In the early teen years, the values that children have learned from their parents begin to be tested by peers. Peers start to exert a stronger influence, and young teens will begin to be preoccupied with how their peers dress and behave. Young adolescents will start to experiment with their identity, trying out different ways of acting and seeing how people around them react to these various strategies. Young teens also begin to enjoy more freedom to make their own decisions and may receive less ongoing supervision. Because they have little experience with the consequences of their Young adolescents may also experience a transition within the school setting from elementary school to middle and junior high school. Middle and junior high school brings with it increased responsibility and independence for which some young people are not prepared. For some young teens, a difficult transition to middle school and an unsuccessful middle school experience increases the likelihood that they will drop out of school. This is associated with a higher risk of teen pregnancy. Young people experiencing difficulty in school merit special attention. Middle adolescence Physical and cognitive changes and characteristics Middle adolescents are portrayed most frequently in the media and thought of by most adults as the “typical teenager.” In this stage, the physical changes continue. Middle adolescents begin to develop the capacity to think abstractly, but it will be several years before those habits of thought are firmly established. 56 31 STAGES OF ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT The fact that most early adolescents cannot think abstractly has important implications for program planning and necessitates different program approaches than would be created for older adolescents. For example, pregnancy prevention programs that ask early adolescents to picture what future opportunities would be lost by becoming a teen parent will not be very effective with young people. actions, early adolescence can be a time when risks are taken unknowingly. These young teens may not appreciate the potential impact of their actions. FOCUSING ON THE KIDS One day a middle teen is able to think long-term and project his or her thinking far into the future. The next day, he or she is back at a very concrete level, focused on the here and now, the day to day. 32 Social and emotional changes and characteristics Teen girls, in particular, become extremely susceptible to the cultural messages they receive about appropriate body size and grooming. One observer of contemporary teen women comments: “In the twentieth century, the body has become the central personal project of American girls” (Brumberg, 1997). While a large percentage of American girls report dieting behavior as early as the 4th grade, middle adolescents sometimes develop eating disorders and other body image disturbances. Increasingly, boys in our society are also receiving pressure to look a certain way and some boys are also experiencing eating disorders and other body image problems. FIELD NOTES Tips for working effectively with teens Ensure that program staff are trained in adolescent development, are comfortable with adolescents, and refrain from stereotyping teens. Be sure program hours are convenient and that appropriate stipends, food, transportation money, or incentives are offered for participation. Allow teens to develop outreach and marketing materials for programs. This will ensure that posters, flyers, and advertisements are in teen-friendly language and are culturally appropriate. Assure confidentiality to teens, and let them know up front if something cannot stay confidential. Teens are more likely to open up to adults when they trust that what they say or do will remain confidential. Appreciate the pressures and issues faced by today’s teens. Provide opportunities to discuss these broad struggles and not just the single issue on which a program focuses. Coordinate efforts with other youth-serving providers to try to eliminate duplication of services and to give young people the comprehensive information, skills, and opportunities they need to successfully negotiate adolescence. 57 Teens’ focus on physical attractiveness is heightened by the huge effect of peers on one another during this stage of development. Parents and their beliefs now may be secondary to the norms and pressures—both positive and negative—of a teenager’s peer group. Research has found that groups of friends have a greater influence than a best friend and that teens who choose positive peer groups fare much better than those who choose groups that may influence them to engage in negative behaviors. For many teens at this stage of development, school can become a less hospitable place. More than 80 percent of public school students in grades 8-11 say that they have been the recipient of unwelcome sexual comments or advances, usually from another student (Blum and Rinehart, 1997). More than 12 percent of students report that they have carried a weapon to This is particularly problematic because “school connectedness” —a student’s school attendance and perceptions that she or he gets along with and is close to teachers and students, and feels that other students are not prejudiced—can protect against many harmful behaviors, such as too early intercourse, emotional distress, suicidal thoughts and attempts, violence, cigarette use, alcohol use, and marijuana use (Blum and Rinehart, 1997). Young people who are being harassed or fear violence in school settings are less likely to remain connected and feel positive about that setting and are at risk for dropping out. This, in turn, puts young people at higher risk of early and unprotected sex. Risk-taking is often associated with middle adolescence. Adults who work with youth must keep in mind that risk-taking behavior has positive as well as negative aspects. Adolescence is an appropriate time for trying new things and taking new risks. However, adolescents have often been portrayed as taking extreme, ill-considered risks. In fact, research shows that adolescents are about as good at assessing the actual risks of a situation or action as are their parents. This recent work 58 33 STAGES OF ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT Parents can also have an effect on how teens deal with friendships. An effective parenting style in helping to moderate peers’ influence is an “authoritative parenting style” that combines control and warmth (McIntosh, 1996)—that is, parents who maintain a close, warm relationship with their teen and who set and monitor reasonable limits for his or her behavior. school in the past month (Blum and Rinehart, 1997). KEYS TO LATE ADOLESCENCE • physical/sexual changes complete • capacity for abstract thought in place • adult cognitive functioning • family influence in balance with peer influences FOCUSING ON THE KIDS • transition to work, college, independent living 34 suggests that helping parents to be better judges of risk will also help young people. Late adolescence Physical, social, emotional, and cognitive changes and characteristics Late adolescence is often thought of as early adulthood in our culture. Teens in this stage are beginning to take on adult roles and responsibilities and may be living independently from their families. The physical changes of adolescence are complete. At this stage, family influence comes into balance with messages from peers. Most older adolescents have developed a sense of identity and a sense of both their similarities and their differences from parents. Late adolescents are firmly rooted in abstract thinking. They are thinking about the future and functioning, cognitively, as adults. Reaching all teens: programs and educational strategies Experience over many years and types of programs has shown that a few key program techniques and basic education strategies can help to increase the effectiveness of a teen pregnancy prevention effort. Helpful program characteristics Provide both single and mixed-gender settings Many communities have debated the pros and cons of programs that work exclusively with girls or boys rather than dealing with sexuality and related issues in mixed-gender settings. Those who promote single-gender programs point out the studies on girls in the classroom, which show that young women are often interrupted by young men or are not called on to speak as frequently. Those who advocate mixed-gender settings point out that for young people to successfully navigate their relationships with each other, they must be given opportunities to practice communicating in program settings. Without these opportunities, 59 young women may be left without the skills they need to deal with real-life situations. Include a diversity of teens in programs as participants and peer educators One key skill needed by adolescents is the ability to deal with difference and diversity in an increasingly pluralistic world. Programs that use a diversity of peer educators will appeal to a wider range of young people in the community. Sexually active youth, abstinent youth, and teen parents all have powerful messages to send to other young people. Role models for young people can help young women resist messages about passivity and stereotypical feminine behavior, and young men resist messages that emphasize conquest. Girl Power!, an initiative of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, seeks to give young women a positive set of role models and a sense of broad possibilities. Program components, which include public service announcements and other materials featuring female athletes and other role models, were developed nationally but can be used locally in communities to begin building support for strong, assertive behavior on the part of young women. Youth Education and Development Program, a school-linked initiative sponsored by the Urban League, credits his four young male staffers—who dress in suits and ties, speak professionally, and do not raise their voices—with attracting to the program young men who seek to emulate them. Help teens postpone sexual intercourse Postponing sexual intercourse is an important goal for any program that seeks to reduce teen pregnancy. Programs that have been most successful in achieving this goal are those that begin working with youth before they become sexually active, starting as early as late elementary or early middle school. Reducing the Risk was one of the first sexuality education curricula to be rigorously evaluated. The evaluation found that among students who had not initiated intercourse before the class, the curriculum significantly reduced the likelihood that they would have had intercourse 18 months later. Among these students, effects seem to have extended across a variety of subgroups, including whites and Latinos, and lower-risk and higher-risk youths. 60 35 STAGES OF ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT Give teens strong role models The director of the Boston’s Promising educational strategies Many promising strategies and techniques can be used to develop educational components for pregnancy prevention programs. FOCUSING ON THE KIDS Involve teens in their own learning 36 Experiential learning techniques that get participants to role play, engage in small group discussion and decision-making, or require them to experience some activity are more effective than traditional educational approaches that rely on lectures. Help teens examine their values and beliefs Adolescents need opportunities to examine their own beliefs and attitudes. They also need a chance to develop the skills they will need to adopt healthy behaviors. Many programs simply provide information. In order to prevent pregnancy, young people need to explore their values and attitudes about relationships, sexuality, and personal goals and to have those beliefs challenged by people who care about them. They also need the skills to refuse unwanted sexual behavior and to communicate with THE BOTTOM LINE OF SUCCESSFUL PROGRAMS Make them participant-centered, not planner-centered. members of the opposite sex. They must be able to carry out their decision to avoid sex or to obtain and use contraception. Effective education will give young people the opportunity to practice refusal, communication, and negotiation skills. It will also give them the chance to think about what they would do if faced with a sexual situation. Make materials and examples relevant to the audience Some curricula give examples of what young people can do on dates, such as go to the mall or go out to dinner, but these examples will not help people living in certain areas or people who do not have any money. Other programs have scripted role-plays that may use language that adolescents find silly. Programs need to be adapted to fit the age, geographical area, and teen culture of the participants. Even more important, programs should be ethnically appropriate and relevant. Use instructors who are comfortable with the course material Educators may need additional training related to sexuality, pregnancy prevention, or the particular groups with whom 61 People remember about 10 percent of what they read and 20 percent of what they hear, but they remember nearly 90 percent of what they do. they will work. Any program that deals with pregnancy prevention will bring up questions and issues related to sexuality. Educators must be comfortable dealing with the topics and providing referrals for further information when these issues arise. Work with what participants already know Match written materials to the literacy level of participants Written materials for lower literacy groups should include many illustrations and appropriate vocabulary. If written materials are used as part of an exercise, the facilitator should read the selection out loud or suggest that someone in each group read aloud so that any participants who are unable to read can still get the benefit of the activity. Reaching early, middle, and late adolescents: programs and educational strategies Young people will turn to whatever opportunities exist that give them a feeling of being connected, important, and valued. When positive outlets do not exist, it is more likely that teens will look to less socially desirable ways of meeting their needs. Successful youth development and enrichment programs that focus on sexuality and pregnancy prevention need to be structured around the techniques and strategies outlined above. They also need to be focused on the specific needs and characteristics of the teens they serve. The following table describes strategies that programs can use to focus on early, middle, and late adolescents. 62 37 STAGES OF ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT Repeating information that is already familiar to teens or jumping into information without laying a foundation will be ineffective. Programs should set up a mechanism for finding out about the group in advance or develop a quick assessment that can be used at the beginning of a workshop to get a feel for what people already know and what they want to learn. FOCUSING ON THE KIDS STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESSFUL PROGRAMS 38 Early adolescents Middle adolescents Start programs younger. The groundwork for prevention must be laid in the early adolescent years. Early adolescents need tools and skills to deal with the messages they are already hearing. Use peer educators. Given the importance of peers for this group, peer educators can help create social norms around abstinence and contraception. Their modeling of good coping, negotiating, and decision-making behaviors can have a strong impact. Take concrete thinking into account. Focus on familiar, real-life situations, not abstract future possibilities (such as “what would your life be like if you had a baby”). Ask young teens to practice communication, decision-making, and negotiation skills using the situations they face every day. Give the same information to boys and girls. Young teens need information about the other gender as well as their own. One reason for inappropriate language or activity around sexuality issues is that a person may be seeking answers to questions. Teach about healthy and unhealthy relationships. This is a good time to help young teens think about the qualities friends should have, what healthy and hurtful friendships look like, and how to choose enhancing, not risky relationships. Program examples: Best Friends and S.N.E.A.K.E.R.S. (See Resources). Include opportunities for safe risk-taking. Programs can provide protected settings for middle teens to take physical risks (ropes courses, field trips to new places, new types of activities) and emotional risks (role plays). These opportunities can help teens build relationships and learn about trust, responsibility, sharing feelings, expressing needs, and weighing and taking risks. Program example: Outward Bound (See Resources). Help parents stay connected to their teens. Middle teens need independence as well as careful supervision. Parents struggle with finding this balance and with a sense of loss as their child grows up. Programs should allow parents to vent these feelings and provide opportunities for adults and teens to be together. Program example: Growing Together (See Resources). Take cognitive changes into account. Programs need to be attuned to middle teens’ shifts between concrete and abstract thinking. Hands-on learning is good; lectures are ineffective. 63 Conclusion Late adolescents Reach 18- and 19-year-olds where they are. Look beyond colleges. Reach late adolescents through their workplaces, churches, community organizations. Use the media. TV, radio, advertising, print, and the Internet can be used to reach this audience and to illustrate the importance of establishing oneself before becoming a parent. Use media to publicize pregnancy prevention services and resources. The key is to assess what the young people in a particular target population need, try out an intervention, and then continuously evaluate whether the program is meeting participants’ needs and moving toward goals consistent with delaying pregnancy. When programs match the developmental needs of adolescents and make use of effective teaching techniques, working with youth can be rewarding, powerful, and effective in reducing adolescent pregnancy. 64 39 STAGES OF ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT Re-cast ages 18 and 19 as part of adolescence. Most concern about teen pregnancy focuses on girls younger than 17. However, most teen pregnancies occur to 18and 19-years-olds. Older adolescents also need the message that it is better to wait until one is established before having a baby. A clear understanding and appreciation of adolescent development is necessary to implement effective prevention efforts. “One size fits all” programs are not as effective. When planning, programs need to consider the age range of participants. While the chronological ages in this chapter are general guidelines, particular teens will vary from this framework based on their experiences and background. References FOCUSING ON THE KIDS Blum, R., & Rinehart, P.M. (1997). Reducing the risk: Connections that make a difference in the lives of youth. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Health. 40 Brumberg, J.J. (1997). The body project. New York: Random House. Marano, H.E. (1997, July 1). Puberty may start at 6 as hormones surge. New York Times, pp. C1. McIntosh, H. (1996, June). Adolescent friends not always a bad influence. APA Monitor. National Commission on Adolescent Sexual Health. (1995). Facing facts: Sexual heath for America’s adolescents. New York: SIECUS. Programs mentioned in this chapter Best Friends The Best Friends Foundation Ann Hingston, National Program Director 4455 Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite 310 Washington, DC 20008 (202) 822-9266 Fax: (202) 822-9276 www.bfriends.org Best Friends is a nationwide program that teaches adolescent girls about the importance of friendship and abstinence from sex, drugs, and alcohol. Girl Power! Eileen R. Frueh, Campaign Manager U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information P.O. Box 2345 Rockville, MD 20847-2345 (800) 729-6686 Fax: (301) 468-7374 www.health.org/gpower Girl Power! is a national public education campaign sponsored by the Department of the Health and Human Services to help encourage and empower 9- to 14-year-old girls to make the most of their lives. Growing Together Girls Inc.—National Resource Center Bernice Humphrey, Director, Healthy Girls Initiative 441 West Michigan St. Indianapolis, IN 46202 (317) 634-7546 Fax: (317) 634-3024 www.girlsinc.org Girls Inc., a national youth development program, has created Growing Together, a four- to five-session curriculum that seeks to delay the onset of teen sexual activity by fostering mother/daughter communication. S.N.E.A.K.E.R.S. Crystal Holland, Program Director Florence Crittendon Services of Greater Washington 815 Silver Spring Ave. Silver Spring, MD 20910 (301) 565-9333 Fax: (301) 565-0872 S.N.E.A.K.E.R.S. uses small group work to build relationships between participants and explores a variety of 65 aspects of growing up and forming friendships and romantic relationships. Outward Bound 0110 Southwest Bancroft St. Portland, OR 97201-4050 (800) 547-3312 Fax: (503) 274-7723 www.pcobs.org Outward Bound provides many opportunities for rigorous outdoor experiences that teach young people about taking physical risks and learning about trust and responsibility. Youth Education and Development Program Urban League E. Franklin Miller Program Director Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts 88 Warren St. Roxbury, MA 02119 (617) 442-4519 Reducing the Risk ETR Associates PO Box 1830 Santa Cruz, CA 95061-1830 (408) 438-4060 www.etr.org Reducing the Risk: Building Skills to Prevent Pregnancy, STD, and HIV is a classroom-tested program emphasizing that teens should avoid unprotected intercourse through abstinence or consistent and effective use of protection. 41 STAGES OF ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT 66 The Adolescent Brain: The Dana Guide Sandra J. A ckerman N ovember 2007 w w w .dana.org/ new s/ brainhealth/ detail.aspx?id=10056 The years betw een childhood and adulthood are a stage of life that brings out strong feelings in just about everyone. For the young person ready to dash full speed ahead into adolescence, as w ell as for the adult getting ready to see adolescence from the other side as a parent, the prospect stirs up a mixture of impatience, anxiety, excitement, and just plain curiosity. The next several years w ill include many “ firsts” : receiving a driver’s license (or sitting in the passenger seat w hile your baby daughter drives); landing a real job (or seeing your self-effacing son brandish his first paycheck); suddenly being (or w elcoming) the new est participant in dinnertable discussions of w orld politics; experiencing (or reliving) the terrors and the bliss of a first love. Perhaps no amount of reading can prepare adolescents and their families for the explosive grow th ahead, but some understanding of the brain in adolescence can offer a helpful perspective. Research into adolescent brain development now makes use of such techniques as brain imaging and very precise hormonal probes, plus new methods to make observations and analyze information in w ays that are sensitive to the context in w hich the information is collected. Sophisticated, long-term investigation promises a w ealth of findings yet to come, but today’s scientific understanding already provides the outlines of the picture. Sorting Out Adolescence from Puberty What can a 20-year-old brain do that a 14-year-old brain cannot, and w hat takes place in betw een those ages to make the difference? A lthough the answ er to this basic question is still incomplete, one point that has been firmly established in recent years is that, despite our inclination to think of adolescence and puberty as a single stage of development, each has its ow n timetable and its ow n distinct effects on mind and body. The series of biological changes called puberty is concerned w ith ushering in our reproductive ability and begins w ell before the teenage years, often as early as age 8 or 10. This is w hen the adrenal glands (best know n for producing the heartracing, artery-tightening hormone adrenaline) reach maturity and sharply increase their production of the hormone dehydroepiandrosterone (DH EA ), w hich is geared tow ard sexual development. M eanw hile, the hypothalamus, a small but pow erful structure that regulates heart rate, appetite, and other vital systems, sends a chemical message in the form of gonadotropin-releasing hormone to the pituitary gland, just below it. The pituitary gland then sends the hormones know n as gonadotropins to the gonads (the ovaries or testes). Interestingly, the same chemical message produces parallel results in the tw o sexes: in the female, egg cells begin to develop into fertilizable eggs and the ovaries begin to produce estrogen, w hile in the male, the testes begin to produce both sperm and testosterone. The rising levels of estrogen or testosterone bring about some of the more noticeable changes in an adolescent’s body: breast development, pubic hair, and a fuller figure in females; more muscular development, voice change, pubic hair, and, finally, facial hair in males. In contrast to puberty, the process of adolescence is aimed tow ard mental and emotional 67 adulthood, and it is all but invisible because it takes place entirely w ithin the brain. Inside that confined space, a great transformation is under w ay. A n adolescent w ho may outw ardly appear disorganized and inconsistent is actually undergoing important physical changes w ithin the skull, all taking place in precise coordination throughout billions of brain cells. Biological changes in the brain (w hich w e w ill discuss in more detail below ) lay the groundw ork for new modes of thinking and behaving, at the same time the young person is striving in school and outside of it to master more abstract concepts, more nuanced explanations, and a greater perspective on life in general. Behind the Scenes in the Adolescent Brain A large part of adolescent development takes place in the frontal lobes, w hich house an incredible number of faculties that w e use many times each day. H ere are the brain sites that enable us to make sense of the floods of information constantly being gathered by our five senses; to know w hen w e are experiencing an emotion, and even to think about it w hile w e feel it; to understand and keep track of the passage of time; and to hold a thought or object briefly in the forefront of our mind w hile w e proceed w ith another thought (an ability know n as w orking memory). A ccording to a recent animal study of frontal lobe development, several different “ transporter” molecules, w hich help the neurons to take in neurotransmitter molecules and break them dow n for reuse, either increase in density during adolescence or reach a plateau, w hich in turn alters some signaling pathw ays and stabilizes others. Partly from refinements in the signal circuits of the frontal lobes and partly through accumulated experience, adolescence gradually brings greater independence along w ith new capacities to plan, to consider the possible consequences of an action, and to take responsibility for the conduct of one’s life. N ot surprisingly for a major executive center, the frontal lobes must reorganize to meet new demands, and they do so at more than one level in the years leading up to adulthood. One of the most significant changes (w hich actually continues w ell into adulthood) is a major increase in the myelination, or insulation, of the nerve fibers going both into and out of the frontal lobes. Greater insulation here means faster signaling, and perhaps more highly branched signaling pathw ays, betw een frontal lobe neurons and those in any distant region of the brain. This is a development that w e can understand on an everyday level. Clearly, the more information the executive center can gather in various modes—visual signals, the emphatic tone of someone’s voice, the emotions of the moment—the more nuanced and appropriate the brain’s responses can be. A t a day-to-day level, adolescents encounter increasing demands on their attention. For starters, entering middle school or high school means a lot more to keep track of. Instead of being w ith one teacher in one classroom all day, students move among a half-dozen different classrooms, w ith a homeroom somew here else and a locker at yet another place. A nd, typically today, it quickly becomes necessary to juggle various homew ork assignments and projects and to balance them against sports or after-school activities, paid or volunteer w ork, and an ever more complicated social life. Is it any w onder that researchers, psychologists, and sociologists alike are becoming concerned about the long-term effects of these very crow ded schedules on the young, developing brain? Some experts w arn that our society may be over-encouraging the development of quick responses and mental multitasking in young people, at the expense of equally valuable life skills: planning, thinking things through, and predicting the consequences of actions. 68 Whether such trade-offs are taking place on a large scale, and how they may affect the brain and behavior throughout adulthood, w ill become clear only w ith studies that can follow young people for a decade or more. M eanw hile, today’s adolescents have their hands full trying to manage conflicting demands on their time, energy, and attention. Which w ould be a better use of time—attending an extra soccer practice in order to start in next w eek’s game or finishing a history project now to avoid having to w ork on it over the w eekend? Is being in charge of your family’s recycling as w orthw hile as volunteering tw o hours a w eek at a local soup kitchen? Young adolescents may resent or shy aw ay from making such decisions, aw are only of the appeal of each option. This behavior, although frustrating to others, is not really surprising, since their prefrontal cortex (the furthest-front portion of the brain) is not yet mature enough to offer much help either in setting priorities or in w eighing the likelihood that it may not be possible to do everything at once. Fortunately, a brain development that begins in the midteens, just in time to help w ith such difficulties, is the maturing of the anterior cingulate gyrus, a ridge in the middle of the frontal lobes that controls our ability to maintain attention, or to shift attention from one object to another. A young person may gradually notice an ability to focus thoughts more sharply than before or keep his or her mind on topics for longer periods. Others w ill also be struck w ith this development as they hear the adolescent delve into more complex w ays of thinking. In making plans, for example, adolescence means getting better at allow ing for the unexpected (“ But if I’m not going to be there by 12, I’ll call you” ), and in conflicts, particularly w here a friend is involved, it means considering a situation from more than one perspective (“ I know he’s angry, but he shouldn’t take it out on his girlfriend” ). Tw o brain structures involved in feeling and thinking—the amygdala, w hich plays an important role in the processing of emotions, and the hippocampus, crucial for the formation of memories—increase in volume up to age 18, adding many new synapses to enhance cell-to-cell communication. Intriguingly, the amygdala grow s proportionately larger in males, w hich may explain w hy young men often seem to gain an extra measure of irritability and aggressiveness in early adolescence (although young w omen can certainly show these traits as w ell). In contrast, the hippocampus increases proportionately more in females, perhaps laying the groundw ork for their special adeptness at remembering complex social relationships, an ability that may have helped to promote the survival of our human ancestors. M eanw hile, the corpus callosum, the thick bundle of nerve fibers best know n for transporting signals betw een the left and right hemispheres, also undergoes physical change, increasing in size up to about age 18. The nerve fibers take on more myelin, a fatty w hite matter that acts as insulation, so that the speed of signaling betw een the hemispheres and among many sites w ithin each region increases many times. In the hemispheres themselves, a w ave of grow th adds more nerve fibers to the “ association” cortex, w here the brain translates the data from our five senses into mental perceptions, and to the regions concerned w ith language. Taken together, these changes both enable and support an adolescent’s sense of experiencing life w ith greater intensity, w hile he or she reaches for new language w ith w hich to convey this sense. Contrary to w hat w e’d expect, some of our mental abilities develop in adolescence not by the adding of new synapses, but by means of the process scientists have labeled pruning— eliminating synapses that are w eak or underused. A study of pubertal monkeys, aged about 15 to 20 months, observed a significant loss of one particular type of synapse in the prefrontal 69 cortex. These synapses, w hich allow rapid communication w ith nearby cells but not w ith distant ones, are distributed in a pattern that looks like stripes, and the authors of the study suggest that the narrow ing of these stripes is responsible for the notable improvement in shortterm, or w orking, memory that usually takes place by the end of adolescence. Pubertal hormones appear to play a role in synaptic pruning. The general effect is to refine and reinforce, rather than replace, the brain’s signal pathw ays, through w hich the nerve cells exchange chemical and electrical messages. When this intricate process unfolds in normal fashion, the rew ards are considerable. A young person w ill have gained a new capacity for abstract thinking, the ability not only to dream but also to plan, and the consolidation of a core identity, w hich in turn opens the w ay for deeper love relationships and for enduring satisfaction in w ork, friendships, and many other areas of life. If young teenagers sometimes appear to be throw n off course by their hearts and their hormones, they have good reason. Because puberty is usually w ell under w ay, urging young people tow ard romantic and sexual relationships several years before the brain developments of adolescence begin to take root, people at this age lack the moderating influence of the frontal lobes that they w ill later come to rely on. With little impulse control, critical judgment, or a steady self-image, it is no w onder that young loves or young flings seem to blossom so suddenly and fade so quickly. To add to the confusion, puberty, the biological stage of development, comes to some young people earlier than to their peers, creating an uncomfortable “ maturity gap.” Parents may see a youngster’s physical and emotional changes outstripping mental development, w hich runs on a timeline more closely linked to age or experience. Young people going through puberty early may spend years moving about in the adolescent w orld w ith a sexually mature body and hormonally activated brain, but still lacking the mental skills to meet adult-level challenges such as defusing anger and hostility (in themselves or in others), foreseeing the consequences of their actions, or delaying immediate gratification for the sake of a long-term goal. To a lesser extent, a feeling of being out of phase—w ith body, brain, and social self all at odds w ith one another—is a feature of adolescence for almost everyone. H aving both one’s physical and mental self in flux is w hat makes puberty and adolescence such a unique stage of life. These years have their perils, but they also bring great opportunities to explore, to w iden horizons, and to start taking charge of one’s ow n future. The Real Role of H ormones If a teenager is moody, goofy, or infatuated, people often attribute that behavior to hormones. It is important to keep in mind, though, that hormones circulate in our bloodstream not just during adolescence but throughout our lives, and they serve many purposes beyond those of sexuality and reproduction. For example, every evening a gradual rise in the hormone melatonin entices us to sleep; in the morning, peak levels of the hormone cortisol help get us up and moving. Our w eight and energy levels, along w ith fat storage, are subject to fine-tuning by a hormone know n as leptin. In fact, a rise in leptin is one of the hallmarks of puberty for both sexes. But w hereas in girls this rise is dramatic and sustained, bringing along w ith it an increase in body fat, in boys the increase in leptin is soon suppressed by the much greater production of testosterone—w hich in turn brings about the dramatic increase of muscle mass often seen in boys during puberty. 70 A t the cerebral level, pubertal changes in hormones represent a set of new challenges to a brain system that has successfully maintained regular hormone levels for years. The hypothalamus and the pituitary gland, the brain sites that coordinate and oversee hormonal systems, need time to mature and to adjust to new cycles and baselines. With the many interactions and biochemical feedback loops that take shape at this time, the brain’s hormone-regulating system is like a living-room thermostat that has been adjusted to exactly the right temperature and then must suddenly contend w ith the lighting of a hearty blaze in the fireplace. Just as males and females differ in the nature of their hormonal shifts and in their age of onset, they are also affected by hormones in different w ays. These variations are possible because hormones do their job not by circulating passively in the blood but by binding to specific receptor molecules in various tissues: muscle, skin, fat, larynx, and so on. This is w hy the same chemical message delivered to receptors in different tissues can produce any number of different but complementary effects, such as the increasing muscle mass and deepening voice of a teenage boy, the filling out of the figure of a teenage girl, and the grow th of underarm and pubic hair in both sexes. M ajor hormonal shifts can affect the mind as w ell as body, of course, and in adolescence some of the most familiar effects occur in the realm of mood—w itness the stereotype of a teen w ho’s alw ays bouncing from despair to elation and back again. In a less exaggerated w ay, almost all adolescents find that their feelings seem to have gained a new intensity and that they change and reverse themselves more often than before. M ost evidence from the research attributes this not only to surges in the sex hormones themselves, w hich can act as mood-altering neurotransmitters in the brain, but also to the strengthening of signal circuits w ithin “ emotional” brain sites such as the hippocampus and the amygdala. Within these circuits, the signal receptors themselves respond not to overall levels of hormones, but to changes in levels. During puberty this response becomes more pronounced, ow ing to an increase in the density of receptors. Tow ard the end of puberty, at about the age of 15 or 16, this system comes under the moderating influence of the frontal lobes, as signaling pathw ays betw een the tw o regions take on new layers of myelin to insulate the nerve fibers. With a sharp rise in signaling from the brain’s executive center, adolescents of both sexes begin to gain the ability to moderate the pow erful effects of hormones on their emotions and behavior. This crucial development can take years or even a decade, but the outcome lasts for many decades more. A lthough w e never become fully able to choose and direct our ow n feelings (and how strange life w ould be if w e could do this!), reaching adulthood brings more expertise in directing one’s ow n behavior—that is, w hat w e choose to do w ith our feelings. The complicated mental and emotional shifts involved in a transition from childhood to maturity usually have a strong impact not only on the adolescent but on those around her or him. While the young person may be most aw are of changing feelings and physical states—a greater need for sleep, inability to concentrate, or overriding preoccupation w ith one idea or project at a time—others in the family are more likely to notice and to be affected by intense and changeable moods, perhaps irritability, and often some w ithdraw al from family life (w ith greater attention to social life). 71 H ealthy Risks In the context of adolescence, the term risk all too often has alarming association: unprotected sex, drug use, drinking and driving, and more. But risk isn’t alw ays bad; in fact, human development w ould be impossible w ithout it. Even our first baby steps came w ith a strong possibility of bumps and falls, yet w e all took that risk w illingly. A hallmark of maturity is the ability not to avoid risks but to w eigh them carefully and manage them w ell. Risk taking is a normal part of adolescence, most researchers agree. A ccording to one school of thought, novel or slightly dangerous experiences stimulate the release of dopamine, bringing great pleasure through the circuits of the brain’s “ rew ard system.” A s the chief neurotransmitter in the rew ard system, dopamine is also responsible for feelings of motivation. But thrill seeking and the love of novelty do not carry equal w eight in every teenager—several studies suggest that up to 60 percent of a person’s tendency to act on impulse is inherited in the genes and may therefore exist to a similar degree in other members of a family. M any of the risks w e expect adolescents to take—creating romantic relationships, finding and keeping a responsible job, perhaps traveling far from home for schooling or to live on their ow n for the first time—obviously are positive, major steps tow ard independence. A t the same time, from the adult perspective, other risks, involving physical recklessness (say, stunt driving) or flouting the law (for example, experimenting w ith drugs), may appear not only dangerous but foolish. It’s often said that young people embrace this kind of risk because “ they think they’re immortal,” or at least immune from the consequences of their actions. But w hat may really be at w ork here is a crucial gap betw een w hat young people rationally know and w hat know ledge they use in making decisions—a gap that fills in gradually as they learn more from the outcome of each decision. Sports For a great many adolescents, of course, the greatest and most w idely assorted kinds of thrill seeking are found in sports. Particularly in the early teen years, one or tw o sports may become the overriding preoccupation and organizing principle of a young person’s life—and for many good reasons. Team sports such as football and soccer, and even relatively solitary sports such as tennis and cross-country, offer the satisfaction of both physical challenge and mental skill building, all w ith a built-in social netw ork and a demanding yet sympathetic mentor or tw o. Persistent effort is rew arded, thus building up motivation (via the dopamine-based rew ard system discussed above), w hich in turn promotes more effort, and so on, in a gratifying and healthy cycle. There is even evidence to suggest that participating in sports may help reduce other kinds of risk taking: for example, a study of female adolescents found that few er than one fourth (21 percent) of those w ho took part in sports w ere sexually active, as compared w ith half (50 percent) of those w ith no athletic activities. H ow ever, very intense athletic involvement carries its ow n risks: another study show ed the likelihood of eating disorders increasing along w ith the level of competition in a given sport. Unhealthy Risks Risk taking in itself is normal and even necessary for learning to live in the w orld, but it becomes a problem w hen carried out in excess, or w hen it persists in the face of clear w arnings about significant, needless danger. Some experts in this area point out that adolescents are most prone to risky behavior in situations presenting new , unexpected challenges—not because of 72 some w eak or trouble-seeking character, but simply because they are inexperienced. A desire to experience something new doesn’t necessarily guarantee that w e w ill know how to handle it. We all understand the dangers of, say, reckless driving, but young people may be less adept at keeping those rather impersonal, statistical w arnings in mind w hen they suddenly have to make a real live decision w ith friends and peers looking on. This is one reason that practice w ith risk-carrying situations, especially talking them over beforehand w ith people an adolescent trusts, can be very helpful. Forethought and discussion also put decisions into better context, enabling a teenager to take into account the thoughts of people close to them but detached from the immediate situation. The N ational Longitudinal Study on A dolescent H ealth, w hich surveyed more than 12,000 high school students throughout the country, has noted that feelings of “ connectedness” (feeling close to people at school, fairly treated by teachers, and loved and w anted at home) helped significantly to low er an individual’s likelihood of emotional distress, early sexual activity, substance abuse, violence, and suicide. Kaleidoscope of Changes Common sense tells us that periods of major development, like that of the brain in adolescence, must include a certain amount of disruption and inconsistency. For this reason, “ normal” adolescence is easier to recognize by its successful outcome than by any of the ups and dow ns of a few days or a few w eeks. The many different societies of the w orld define adolescence in their ow n w ay: some as the beginning of adult life, others as a distinct age that bridges childhood and adulthood. But w hether a society marks this stage of life w ith an arranged marriage, training as a w arrior, or the aw arding of a driver’s license, the message is that the young person w ill now take on more w eighty responsibilities along w ith greater independence. The shifting expectations of people surrounding a new adolescent w ill create some of the frustrating constraints, as w ell as many of the most exciting opportunities, that aw ait him or her in the next several years. A ll the restructuring and rew iring in the brain that has been discussed in this chapter has one essential purpose: to provide the physical basis for the remarkable mental grow th that is the w ork of adolescence. Childhood’s “ w indow s” of optimal time for certain kinds of learning (foreign languages, superior athletic or musical skills) have been left behind, but the w indow s for other, more far-reaching kinds of learning now appear. By late adolescence the brain has achieved the ability to sustain attention but also to manage several demands at once; to experience all the physical impulses and drives of an adult but also to decide consciously w hen to act on them; to think more precisely but also more profoundly. A nd the best is yet to come. Capable as the brain has now become, it w ill continue to grow and develop for many years more. 73 The Center for Adolescent Health proudly announces the publication of our new book THE TEEN YEARS explained by Dr. Clea McNeely and Jayne Blanchard Science-based and accessible, this practical guide to healthy adolescent development is an essential resource for parents and all people who work with young people. 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Center for Adolescent Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. www.jhsph.edu/adolescenthealth Morgan, E and !Huebner A (2008). Adolescent Growth and Development. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Cooperative Extension. http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/family/350-850/350-850.html National Research Council, Institute of Medicine, and Transportation Research Board. (2007). Preventing Teen Motor Crashes: Contributions from the Behavioral and Social Sciences, Workshop Report. Program Committee for a Workshop on Contributions from the Behavioral and Social Sciences in Reducing and Preventing Teen Motor Crashes. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. Ozretich, RA and Bowman, SR. (2001). Middle Childhood and Adolescent Development. Oregon. State University Extension Service. http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/html/ec/ec1527/ Perkins, DF. (2001). Adolescence: Developmental Tasks. FCS 2118. Gainesville, FL: University of Florida Extension. Rumbaut RG. (2006). Young Adults in the United States. Network on Transitions to Adulthood, Working Paper 4. http://www.transad.pop.upenn.edu/downloads/Young%20Adults%20in%20the% 20United%20States%20-%20A%20Profile.pdf Resource Center for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention. (2003). Topics in Brief: Adolescent Development. www.etr.org/recapp/index.cfm?fuseaction=pages.TopicsInBrief Detail&PageID=38 Schorr LB and Marchand V. (2007). Pathway to successful young adulthood.W.K Kellogg Foundation. http://sccounty01.co.santacruz.ca.us/prb/media%5Cpathway%20to%20successful %20young%20adulthood.pdf state adolescent health resource center university of minnesota page 2 76 ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT bibliography Scott ME, Schelar E, Manlove J and Cui C. (2009). Young adult attitudes about relationships and marriage: Times may have changed but expectations remain high. Washington, DC: Child Trends. www.childtrends.org/Files/Child_Trends2009_07_08_RB_YoungAdultAttitudes.pdf Setterseten Jr. RA and Ray B. (Spring 2010). What’s Going on with Young People Today? The Long and Twisting Path to Adulthood. Future of Children- Transition to Adulthood, 20(1), 19-41. www.futureofchildren.org/futureofchildren/publications/journals/journal_details /index.xml?journalid=72. Simpson, A. Rae. (2001). Raising Teens: A Synthesis of Research and a Foundation for Action. Center for Health Communication, Harvard School of Public Health. www.hsph.harvard.edu/chc/parenting/raising.html Steinberg L. (2006 online). Risk taking in adolescence: What changes and why. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, Vol. 1021, 51-58. Steinberg L. (2009). Should the science of adolescent brain development inform public policy? American Psychologist, 64(8), 739-750. U.S. Bureau of Census. (2000). Geographic mobility: March 1997-1998.ˆ (Current Population Reports, Series P-20, No. 520). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. http://www.census.gov/prod/2000pubs/p20-520.pdf U.S. Bureau of Census. (2004). Geographic mobility: March 2002 to March 2003. Washington D.C. http://www.census.gov/prod/2000pubs/p20-520.pdf Wald M and Martinez T. (2003). Connected by 25: Improving the life chances of the country’s most vulnerable 14-24 year olds. William and Flora Hewlett Foundation: Menlo Park, CA. state adolescent health resource center university of minnesota page 3 77 This page intentionally left blank. 78 One new thing I learned today w as …. In w hat w ay(s) did the training change the w ay you see adolescents? Too much of… Too little of … I know w hat I can do in my job (actions, strategies, policies) to support the development of young people. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Not really 9 10 Yes, definitely! One w ay that I w ill apply w hat I learned today w ill be… One w ay that this training could be improved… 79 This page intentionally left blank. 80 PRESENTATIONS Friday, November 9 Breakout Session A: Become an Ask-Able Adult Stacey Dallas and Anitra Henderson MCHD ThinkTeen! Initiative Location: Museum Objectives: 1. Recognize the need for Ask-able Adults to help teens make healthy decisions about contraception and safer sex. 2. Explore the legal, professional and ethical criteria for defining their boundaries when helping a teen. 3. Review data on adolescent sexual behavior, decision-making, adolescent development and sexuality education needs pertinent to contraception and safer sex. 4. Consider how personal history, values and attitudes affects the work one does with youth around sexuality issues and being an Ask-able Adult. 5. Specify and suggest referrals for teens for contraceptives and safer sex needs. 6. Discuss communication skills necessary for being an Ask-able Adult. 7. Practice being an Ask-able Adult. Notes: 81 PRESENTATIONS Notes: 82 PRESENTATIONS Friday, November 9 Breakout Session C: Adults Empowering Youth Tom Klaus and Samantha Shinberg Advocates for Youth Location: Auditorium Objectives: 1. Define the elements of effective youth-adult partnerships in regard to sexual health programs and role of the Youth Leadership Team (YLT). 2. Recognize one’s own values and perceptions regarding youth-adult partnerships. 3. Identify benefits, barriers, and effective strategies for youth-adult partnerships in YLT programmatic efforts. 4. Assist participants in gaining additional skills for integrating youth-adult partnerships in their interactions and efforts with YLT members. Notes: 83 PRESENTATIONS Notes: 84 PRESENTATIONS Friday, November 9 Breakout Session D: Sex Education in Schools Elainer Jones Alabama State Department of Education Location: Classroom inside Museum Objectives: 1. Participants will be able to interpret the Alabama Health Course of Study and Alabama’s Sex Education Law. 2. Participants will recognize and interpret the importance of reinforcing positive health behaviors in school, home, and the community. Notes: 85 PRESENTATIONS Notes: 86 Our Mission: Provide statewide leadership on the issue of teen pregnancy prevention through collaboration, education, training and advocacy; thereby reducing teen pregnancy and improving the well-being of Alabama's children, families and communities. About the Campaign The Alabama Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy (ACPTP) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization focused on the issue of teen pregnancy prevention. ACPTP is founded on the belief that reducing the rate of teen pregnancy is one of the most direct means available to improve overall child wellbeing, ensure a healthy adolescence and adulthood, and to reduce persistent poverty. ACPTP works throughout Alabama to raise awareness about the complexities of teen pregnancy and teen childbearing and promotes the review and implementation of evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention programs. Campaign Activities Promote understanding and awareness of the issue of teen pregnancy through the publication of newsletters and issue specific fact sheets. Provide knowledge about the importance of a coordinated approach to teen pregnancy prevention through workshops, seminars, and speaking engagements. Participate in local coalition building initiatives focusing on the needs of children and youth. Offer technical assistance and training on program and curricula evaluation. Create and maintain a resource library of books, reports, brochures, videos, and curricula pertaining to teen pregnancy and adolescent health. Research and analyze teen pregnancy data in Alabama counties. Sponsor annual teen pregnancy prevention conference. Establish collaborative partnerships with state and community organizations to promote teen pregnancy prevention efforts. Serve as a liaison between Alabama and national organizations about teen pregnancy prevention in Alabama. Vision and Value Statements Vision Statement: ACPTP envisions healthy youth with the skills as adults to build strong families and communities. Value Statements: ACPTP values the investment in teen pregnancy prevention and services. ACPTP values access to medically-accurate and complete reproductive health information and care. ACPTP values the diversity of opinion and the power of working in partnership. ACPTP values youth as assets in our communities. ACPTP values the participation of parents, caregivers, community based organizations, schools, faith communities and policy makers. Alabama Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy 412 N. Hull Street * Montgomery, AL 36104 334-265-8004 (ph) * 334-265-8033 (fax) acptp.org * facebook.com/acptp * twitter.com/AlabamaCampaign 87 Alabama Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy Resource Menu Evidence-Based Programs County and State Specific Information The Alabama Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy has a number of evidence-based programs that are available for review in the Campaign’s Resource Library. Programs include: Be Proud! Be Responsible! Reducing the Risk SiHLE Teen Outreach Program (TOP) Easy-to-read graphs and reports detailing teen pregnancy and teen childbearing in Alabama can be found by clicking on the state map on our website. Information includes: Ten year teen pregnancy rate graphs State maps detailing teen pregnancy rates covering years 2005-2010 Links to ADPH for estimated teen pregnancies and births (Females aged 10-19) Alabama At-A-Glance estimated teen pregnancies and births (Females aged 15-19) For more information on evidence-based programs and to view the complete list of programs available for review, visit the Evidence-Based Programs tab on our website. Workshops/Presentations/Trainings Annual Conference ACPTP hosts an annual conference in the spring of each year. The conference focuses on a wide-range of topics pertaining to teen pregnancy, including: Reframing Youth Issues The 17 Characteristics of Effective Sex and STD/ HIV Education Programs Positive Youth Development For more information on past conferences, please visit the Training tab on our website. For information on our next conference, please visit the website regularly or sign up for our eNews. Resources The Alabama Campaign offers a variety of resources for loan. They may be accessed by visiting the Resources tab on our website and clicking on the ACPTP Resource Library link. Resources include: Books Tapes Videos Evidence-Based Curricula Web Links Campaign staff and partners offer training and outreach on a variety of topics related to teen pregnancy prevention. Examples of workshops/presentations/ trainings may be found at the Training tab on the website and include: Training of Educators (TOE) on several evidencebased curricula, including Reducing the Risk, Making a Difference, and Making Proud Choices Introduction to Evidence-Based Approaches and Programs to Prevent Teen Pregnancy Media Influence on Adolescent Sexual Behavior Myths and Realities of Teenage Motherhood and Marriage Teen Pregnancy and Teen Childbearing in Alabama Risk and Protective Factors – Defining the Characteristics of Effective Programs Customized trainings can be created in order to meet organizational needs eNews and Social Networking To receive regular updates from the Campaign, sign up for our eNews by visiting our website at acptp.org. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Alabama Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy 412 N. Hull Street * Montgomery, AL 36104 334-265-8004 (ph) * 334-265-8033 (fax) acptp.org * facebook.com/acptp * twitter.com/AlabamaCampaign 88 80.4 U.S. 76.0 75.7 2002 73.7 75.3 72.2 75.5 70.6 72.0 71.5 75.8 * 75.6 * 74.1 2008 * 71.5 2009 * 61.4 45.3 U.S. 42.9 52.1 2002 41.6 52.2 41.1 52.3 40.5 49.6 41.9 53.3 42.5 53.8 41.5 52.0 2008 37.9 50.7 2009 34.3 43.5 2010 8,808 8,420 2002 8,075 8,096 7,755 8,507 8,640 8,408 2008 8,204 2009 7,336 2010 1 National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy 2 Alabama Dept. of Public Health, Center for Health Statistics Alabama Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy 412 North Hull Street * Montgomery, AL 36104 * 334-265-8004 (ph) * 334-265-8033 (fax) * www.acptp.org facebook.com/acptp * twitter.com/AlabamaCampaign NOTES: National trends in teen pregnancy and teen childbearing are calculated based upon the occurrence of an event in the population of girls aged 15-19. The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) reports teen pregnancy and teen birth statistics from the population of girls aged 10-19. The Alabama Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy recalculated data from ADPH to determine the teen pregnancy and teen birth rates for girls aged 15-19 in Alabama. The most current pregnancy and birth rates are reflected on this fact sheet. Alabama 2001 Number of Births (Females aged 15-19) 2 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Number of Births to Teens: In Alabama the number of births to teens aged 15-19 decreased in 2010 to 7,336, down from 8,204 in 2009. 54.8 Alabama 2001 Teen Birth Rate (Females aged 15-19) 1, 2 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Teen Birth Rate: In Alabama, the teen birth rate among females aged 15-19 decreased to 43.5 in 2010, down from the rate of 50.7 in 2009. Nationally, the teen birth date declined 9%, a record decline for the nation. *Teen pregnancy rate data is not available for the U.S. from 2007-2010. 80.7 Alabama 2001 Teen Pregnancy Rate (Females aged 15-19) 1 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2010 2010 Alabama At-A-Glance Teen Pregnancy Rate: In Alabama the teen pregnancy rate among females aged 15-19 decreased to 61.4 in 2010, down from the rate of 71.5 in 2009. 89 This page intentionally left blank. 90 April 29, 2012 91 Alabama Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy 412 N. Hull Street * Montgomery, AL 36104 334-265-8004 (ph) * 334-265-8033 (fax) www.acptp.org * facebook.com/acptp * twitter.com/AlabamaCampaign To provide statewide leadership on the issue of teen pregnancy prevention through collaboration, education, training, and advocacy; thereby reducing teen pregnancy and improving the well-being of Alabama’s children, families, and communities. Our Mission 92 The Cost 6 in 10 sexually active Alabama teens used a condom during last sexual intercourse. 3 in 10 Alabama teens have had four or more sexual partners in their lifetime. 6 in 10 Alabama teens have ever had sexual intercourse in their life. 32.5. $61 million $38 million $192 million on teen childbearing. $25 million $33 million $35 million In 2008, the state of Alabama spent 2 Lack of investment in medically-accurate, age-appropriate, evidence-based sexual health education programs has real economic costs. Almost Almost Almost 7,446. The 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Survey indicates that : 1 The actual number of teen births in 2010 was In 2010, the Alabama teen pregnancy rate for girls aged 10 to 19 was The Evidence In Alabama, a lack of investment in medically-accurate, age-appropriate, evidence-based sexual health education has resulted in some of the highest teen pregnancy and teen childbearing rates in the United States. The Concern National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unintended Pregnancy, Counting It Up: http:// www.thenationalcampaign.org/costs/default.aspx 2 The Endnotes: 1 CDC, Office of Adolescent and School Health: http:// www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/yrbs/index.htm Mobile County—Community Wide Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative Montgomery County—Making a Difference in Montgomery Public Schools Macon County—Tier 1 Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program, Making A Difference Alabama Department of Public Health—Promoting Responsible Education Program (PREP), Reducing the Risk in Jefferson, Montgomery and Tuscaloosa Counties Boys & Girls Clubs—Making Proud Choices in Elmore, Lee, Madison, and Montgomery counties AIDS Alabama—Making Proud Choices in Sumter County Alabama receives federal funds and community organizations invest private funds to implement EBPs across the state. Below are some examples of EBPs in our state... Evidence-based programs (EBP) provide young people with medically-accurate and age-appropriate sexual health education. These programs are effective at changing four sexual risk-taking behaviors: 1. EBP can delay sexual debut. 2. EBP can decrease the frequency of sex. 3. EBP can increase condom &/or contraceptive use for sexually-active young people. 4. EBP can decrease the number of sexual partners. The Solution National Sexuality Education Standards Core Content and Skills, K–12 93 Special thanks to the following organizations for their partnership in developing and disseminating the National Sexuality Education Standards: Content and Skills, K–12: The American Association of Health Education (www. aahperd.org/aahe) serves educators and other professionals who promote the health of all people through education and health promotion strategies. The American School Health Association (www.ashaweb. org) works to build the capacity of its members to plan, develop, coordinate, implement, evaluate and advocate for effective school health strategies that contribute to optimal health and academic outcomes for all children and youth. The National Education Association – Health Information Network (www.neahin.org) works to improve the health and safety of the school community through disseminating information that empowers school professionals and positively impacts the lives of their students. The Society of State Leaders of Health and Physical Education (www.thesociety.org) utilizes advocacy, partnerships, professional development and resources to build the capacity of school health leaders to implement effective health education and physical education policies and practices that support success in school, work and life. The Future of Sex Education (FoSE) Initiative is a partnership between Advocates for Youth, Answer and the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the U.S. (SIECUS) that seeks to create a national dialogue about the future of sex education and to promote the institutionalization of comprehensive sexuality education in public schools. To learn more, please visit www.futureofsexed.org. This publication was generously supported by a grant from an anonymous source and The George Gund Foundation. The partners wish to thank Danene Sorace, consultant to the FoSE Initiative for her hard work and dedication. ©2011 the Future of Sex Education Initiative Suggested citation: Future of Sex Education Initiative. (2012). National Sexuality Education Standards: Core Content and Skills, K-12 [a special publication of the Journal of School Health]. Retrieved from http://www.futureofsexeducation. org/documents/josh-fose-standards-web.pdf 94 Table of Contents National Sexuality Education Standards: Core Content and Skills, K–12 Advisory Committee 4 Additional Reviewers 5 Introduction and Background 6 Rationale for Sexuality Education in Public Schools 7 The National Sexuality Education Standards 8 Role of Education Standards 8 Goal of the National Sexuality Education Standards 9 Guiding Values and Principles 9 Theoretical Framework 9 Topics and Key to Indicators 10 Standards by Grade Level 12 Standards by Topic Area 24 National Resources 37 For Teachers 36 For School Administrators 38 For Parents 38 For Middle and High School Students 38 Glossary 39 References 41 95 National Sexuality Education Standards National Sexuality Education Standards: Core Content and Skills, K–12 Advisory Committee Laurie Bechhofer, MPH HIV/STD Education Consultant Michigan Department of Education Robert McGarry, EdD Director of Training and Curriculum Development Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) Nora Gelperin, MEd Director of Training Answer Linda Moore Acting Executive Director American Association for Health Education Eva Goldfarb, PhD, LHD (hon) Professor Montclair State University Linda Morse, RN, NJ-CSN, MA, CHES President Elect American School Health Association Mal Goldsmith, PhD, MCHES, FASHA, FAAHE Professor Emeritus Southern Illinois University Buzz Pruitt, EdD Professor Texas A&M University Debra Hauser, MPH Executive Vice President Advocates for Youth Monica Rodriguez, MS President & CEO Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS) Nora L. Howley, MA Manager of Programs National Education Association–Health Information Network Deborah Roffman, MS, CSE Sexuality Educator and Consultant The Park School of Baltimore Barbara Huberman, RN, BSN, MEd Director of Education and Outreach Advocates for Youth Elizabeth Schroeder, EdD, MSW Executive Director Answer Leslie M. Kantor, MPH Director of National Education Initiatives Planned Parenthood Federation of America Jennifer Heitel Yakush Director of Public Policy Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS) Kyle Lafferty, MPH, MST, CHES HIV Program Director The Society of State Leaders of Health and Physical Education 4 Danene Sorace, MPP Consultant, Future of Sex Education Initiative 96 Additional Reviewers Additional Reviewers Drafts of the sexuality education core content and skills document were reviewed by a diverse group of professionals with expertise in sexuality, public education, public health, child and adolescent medicine, and psychology. We wish to thank these individuals for their work: Nancy Hudson, RN, MS, CHES, Council of Chief State School Officers JeNeen Anderson, MPH, National Association of State Boards of Education Emily Kitchen, Indiana University Student Deborah Arrindell, American Social Health Association Elissa M. Barr, PhD, University of North Florida Heather Boonstra, Guttmacher Institute Diane Brown, EdD, Widener University Kim Robert Clark, DrPH, San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools, CA Linda Juszczak, National Assembly on School-Based Health Care Maureen Kelly, Planned Parenthood of the Southern Finger Lakes Douglas Kirby, PhD, ETR Associates Cynthia Lam, Sex, Etc. Teen Editorial Staff Jessica Lawrence, MS, Bogli Consulting, Inc. Konstance McCaffree, PhD, CFLE, CSE, Widener University Ronna Popkin, MS, Columbia University Valerie Rochester, Black Women’s Health Imperative Stephen Conley, PhD, American School Health Association John Santelli, MD, MPH, Columbia University Sam Dercon, Sex, Etc. Teen Editorial Staff Debra Shapiro, Society for Public Health Education Bonnie J. Edmondson, EdD, Connecticut State Department of Education Samantha Shinberg, Advocates for Youth Intern Barb Flis, Parent Action for Healthy Kids, MI Veronica Bayetti Flores, National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health Elizabeth Gallun, MA, Prince George’s County Public Schools, MD Melissa Grigal, East Brunswick School District, NJ The Rev. Debra W. Haffner, MPH, M.Div., Religious Institute Bonni C. Hodges, PhD, State University of New York College at Cortland Heather Holaday, District of Columbia Public Schools Susan Telljohann, HSD, CHES, University of Toledo Melanie Tom, Asian Communities for Reproductive Justice Al Vernacchio, MSEd, Friends’ Central School, PA Jenna Weiss, University Middle School, NJ David Wiley, PhD, Texas State University Kelly Wilson, PhD, CHES, Texas State University Pam Wilson, MSW, Sexuality Educator and Trainer Susan N. Wilson, MSEd, Sexuality Education Consultant Michael Young, PhD, FAAHB, New Mexico State University Mark Huffman, MTS, Independent Trainer and Consultant Pete Hunt, MPH, MEd, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),Division of Adolescent and School Health The reviewers above provided many valuable comments to the draft documents. Organizational affiliations are included for identification purposes only. 97 5 National Sexuality Education Standards Introduction and Background The goal of the National Sexuality Education Standards: Core Content and Skills, K–12 is to provide clear, consistent and straightforward guidance on the essential minimum, core content for sexuality education that is developmentally and age-appropriate for students in grades K–12.The development of these standards is a result of an ongoing initiative, the Future of Sex Education (FoSE). Forty individuals from the fields of health education, sexuality education, public health, public policy, philanthropy and advocacy convened for a two-day meeting in December 2008 to create a strategic plan for sexuality education policy and implementation. A key strategic priority that emerged from this work was the creation of national sexuality education standards to advance the implementation of sexuality education in US public schools. • Provide a clear rationale for teaching sexuality education content and skills at different grade levels that is evidence-informed, age-appropriate and theorydriven. • Support schools in improving academic performance by addressing a content area that is both highly relevant to students and directly related to high school graduation rates. • Present sexual development as a normal, natural, healthy part of human development that should be a part of every health education curriculum. • Offer clear, concise recommendations for school personnel on what is age-appropriate to teach students at different grade levels. • Translate an emerging body of research related to school-based sexuality education so that it can be put into practice in the classroom. Specifically, the National Sexuality Education Standards were developed to address the inconsistent implementation of sexuality education nationwide and the limited time allocated to teaching the topic. Health education, which typically covers a broad range of topics including sexuality education, is given very little time in the school curriculum. According to the School Health Policies and Practices Study, a national survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of Adolescent School Health to assess school health policies and practices, a median total of 17.2 hours is devoted to instruction in HIV, pregnancy and STD prevention: 3.1 hours in elementary, 6 hours in middle and 8.1 hours in high school.1 The National Health Education Standards2 (NHES) heavily influenced the development of the National Sexuality Education Standards. First created in 1995 and updated in 2007, the NHES were developed by the Joint Committee on National Health Education Standards of the American Cancer Society and widely adopted by states and local school districts. The NHES focus on a student’s ability to understand key concepts and learn particular skills for using that content. These standards were developed to serve as the underpinning for health education knowledge and skills students should attain by grades 2, 5, 8 and 12. The NHES do not address any specific health content areas, including content for sexuality education. Given these realities, the National Sexuality Education Standards were designed to: • Outline what, based on research and extensive professional expertise, are the minimum, essential content and skills for sexuality education K–12 given student needs, limited teacher preparation and typically available time and resources. • Assist schools in designing and delivering sexuality education K–12 that is planned, sequential and part of a comprehensive school health education approach. The National Sexuality Education Standards were further informed by the work of the CDC’s Health Education Curriculum Analysis Tool (HECAT)3; existing state and international education standards that include sexual health content; the Guidelines for Comprehensive Sexuality Education: Kindergarten – 12th Grade4; and the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Mathematics5, recently adopted by most states. 6 98 Rationale for Sexuality Education in Public Schools Rationale for Sexuality Education in Public Schools For years, research has highlighted the need to provide effective, comprehensive sexuality education to young people. The US has one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in the industrialized world.6 Each year in the US, more than 750,000 women ages 15–19 become pregnant,7 with more than 80 percent of these pregnancies unintended.8 Furthermore, while young people in the US ages 15–25 make up only one-quarter of the sexually active population, they contract about half of the 19 million sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) annually. This equates to one in four sexually active teenagers contracting a sexually transmitted disease each year.9 And young people ages 13–29 account for about one-third of the estimated 50,000 new HIV infections each year, the largest share of any age group.10 There is also a pressing need to address harassment, bullying and relationship violence in our schools, which have a significant impact on a student’s emotional and physical well-being as well as on academic success. According to the 2009 National School Climate Survey, nearly 9 out of 10 lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) students reported being harassed in the previous year. Two-thirds of LGBT students reported feeling unsafe and nearly one-third skipped at least one day of school because of concerns about their personal safety. LGBT students who reported frequent harassment also suffered from lower grade point averages.11 Similarly, teen relationship violence continues to be a pressing problem. Although frequently under-reported, ten percent of teens are physically harmed by their boyfriend or girlfriend in a given year.12 Studies have repeatedly found that health programs in school can help young people succeed academically. The most effective strategy is a strategic and coordinated approach to health that includes family and community involvement, school health services, a healthy school environment and health education, which includes sexuality education.13 14 15 In fact, an extensive review of school health initiatives found that programs that included health education had a positive effect on overall academic outcomes, including reading and math scores.15 Evaluations of comprehensive sexuality education programs show that many of these programs can help youth delay the onset of sexual activity, reduce the frequency of sexual activity, reduce the number of sexual partners, and increase condom and contraceptive use.16 17 Researchers recently examined the National Survey of Family Growth to determine the impact of sexuality education on sexual risktaking for young people ages 15-19, and found that teens who received comprehensive sexuality education were 50 percent less likely to report a pregnancy than those who received abstinence-only education.18 The CDC has also repeatedly found that student health behaviors and good grades are related, stating: “…students who do not engage in health-risk behaviors receive higher grades than their classmates who do engage in health-risk behaviors.”19 Further, studies show that physical and emotional healthrelated problems may inhibit young people from learning by reducing their motivation to learn; diminishing their feelings of connectedness to school; and contributing to absenteeism and drop out.13 20 An example related to sexuality education is teen pregnancy. Teen pregnancy often takes a particular toll on school connectedness for both partners, representing a major disruption in many teens’ lives and making it difficult to remain in and/or engaged in school. Many pregnant and parenting teens experience lower grades and higher dropout rates than their non-parenting peers. In fact, research shows that only 51 percent of pregnant and parenting teens graduate from high school as compared to 89 percent of their non-pregnant and parenting peers.21 Given the evidence that connects lower risk behaviors to academic success, schools clearly have as vested an interest in keeping students healthy as do parents and other community members. In providing comprehensive sexuality education programs, schools support student health and as such further foster young people’s academic achievement. Parents overwhelmingly favor comprehensive sexuality education in public school at the national and state 99 7 National Sexuality Education Standards levels.22 23 24 25 In 2004, National Public Radio (NPR), the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Kennedy School of Government released a poll that indicated: • Ninety-three percent of parents of junior high school students and 91 percent of parents of high school students believe it is very or somewhat important to have sexuality education as part of the school curriculum. • Ninety-five percent of parents of junior high school students and 93 percent of parents of high school students believe that birth control and other methods of preventing pregnancy are appropriate topics for sexuality education programs in schools. • Approximately 75 percent of parents believed that the topic of sexual orientation should be included in sexuality education programs and “discussed in a way that provides a fair and balanced presentation of the facts and different views in society.” • Eighty-eight percent of parents of junior high school students and 85 percent of parents of high school students believe information on how to use and where to get contraceptives is an appropriate topic for sexuality education programs in schools.26 The National Sexuality Education Standards set forth minimum, essential sexuality education core content and skills responsive to the needs of students and in service to their overall academic achievement and sexual health. They fulfill a key recommendation of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy’s National HIV and AIDS Strategy for the United States, which calls for educating all Americans about the threat of HIV and how to prevent it. This recommendation includes the goal of educating young people about HIV and emphasizes the important role schools can play in providing access to current and accurate information. The strategy notes that it is important to provide access to a baseline of information that is grounded in the benefits of abstinence and delaying or limiting sexual activity, while ensuring that youth who make the decision to be sexually active have the information they need to take steps to protect themselves.27 In addition, the National Sexuality Education Standards satisfy a key recommendation of the Office of the Surgeon General’s National Prevention and Health Promotion Strategy, which calls for the provision of effective sexual health education, especially for adolescents. This strategy notes that medically accurate, developmentally appropriate, and evidence-based sexual health education provides students with the skills and resources that help them make informed and responsible decisions.28 National Sexuality Education Standards The Role of Education Standards Educational standards are commonplace in public education and are a key component in developing a rich learning experience for students. The purpose of standards in general is to provide clear expectations about what students should know and be able to do by the conclusion of certain grade levels. Other equally important components of the student learning experience include pre-service teacher training, professional development and ongoing support and mentoring for teachers, clear school policies that support sexuality education implementation and the teachers who deliver sexuality education, a sequential, age-appropriate curriculum that allows students to practice key skills and assessment tools for all of these elements. Standards are an important part of the educational process, but they do not provide specific guidance on how a topic area should be taught. They also generally do not address special needs students, students for whom English is their second language, or students with any of the other unique attributes of a given classroom or school setting. In addition, although recommendations made here are based on grade level, children of the same age often 8 develop at different rates and some content may need to be adapted based on the needs of the students. Sexuality education standards specifically should accomplish the following: • Provide a framework for curriculum development, instruction and student assessment. • Reflect the research-based characteristics of effective sexuality education. • Be informed by relevant health behavior theories and models. • Focus on health within the context of the world in which students live. • Focus on the emotional, intellectual, physical and social dimensions of sexual health. • Teach functional knowledge and essential personal and social skills that contribute directly to healthy sexuality. • Focus on health promotion, including both abstinence from and risk reduction pertaining to unsafe sexual behaviors. • Consider the developmental appropriateness of material for students in specific grade spans. • Include a progression from more concrete to higherorder thinking skills. 100 National Sexuality Education Standards • Allow for the integration of more general health content as appropriate.2 Goal of the National Sexuality Education Standards The goal of the National Sexuality Education Standards: Core Content and Skills, K–12 is: To provide clear, consistent and straightforward guidance on the essential minimum, core content for sexuality education that is age-appropriate for students in grades K–12. Guiding Values and Principles The National Sexuality Education Standards are informed by the following guiding values and principles based on current theory, research in the field and the National Health Education Standards Review and Revision Panel: 1. Academic achievement and the health status of students are interrelated, and should be recognized as such. 2. All students, regardless of physical or intellectual ability, deserve the opportunity to achieve personal health and wellness, including sexual health. 3. Instruction by qualified sexuality education teachers is essential for student achievement. 4. Sexuality education should teach both information and essential skills that are necessary to adopt, practice, and maintain healthy relationships and behaviors. 5. Students need opportunities to engage in cooperative and active learning strategies, and sufficient time must be allocated for students to practice skills relating to sexuality education. 6. Sexuality education should encourage the use of technology to access multiple valid sources of information, recognizing the significant role that technology plays in young people’s lives. 7. Local curriculum planners should implement existing or develop new curricula based on local health needs. 8. Students need multiple opportunities and a variety of assessment strategies to determine their achievement of the sexuality education standards and performance indicators. 9. Improvements in public health, including sexual health, can contribute to a reduction in health care costs. 10. Effective health education can contribute to the establishment of a healthy and productive citizenry.2 Theoretical Framework The National Sexuality Education Standards seek to address both the functional knowledge related to sexuality and the specific skills necessary to adopt healthy behaviors and reflect the tenets of social learning theory, social cognitive theory and the social ecological model of prevention. From social learning theory, which recognizes that CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE SEXUALITY EDUCATION Focuses on specific behavioral outcomes. Addresses individual values and group norms that support health-enhancing behaviors. Focuses on increasing personal perceptions of risk and harmfulness of engaging in specific health risk behaviors, as well as reinforcing protective factors. Addresses social pressures and influences. Builds personal and social competence. Provides functional knowledge that is basic, accurate and directly contributes to health- promoting decisions and behaviors. Uses strategies designed to personalize information and engage students. Provides age-and developmentallyappropriate information, learning strategies, teaching methods and materials. Incorporates learning strategies, teaching methods and materials that are culturally inclusive. Provides adequate time for instruction and learning. Provides opportunities to reinforce skills and positive health behaviors. Provides opportunities to make connections with other influential persons. Includes teacher information and plan for professional development and training to enhance effectiveness of instruction and student learning.2 “learning occurs not merely within the learner but also in a particular social context,”29 there are several key concepts addressed within the National Sexuality Education Standards, including: Personalization. The ability of students to perceive the core content and skills as relevant to their lives increases the likelihood that they will both learn and retain them. Ensuring that students see themselves represented in the materials and learning activities used can assist in furthering personalization. 101 9 National Sexuality Education Standards Susceptibility. It is widely understood that many young people do not perceive that they are susceptible to the risks of certain behaviors, including sexual activity. Learning activities should encourage students to assess the relative risks of various behaviors, without exaggeration, to highlight their susceptibility to the potential negative outcomes of those behaviors. Self-Efficacy. Even if students believe they are susceptible, they may not believe they can do anything to reduce their level of risk. Helping students overcome misinformation and develop confidence by practicing skills necessary to manage risk are key to a successful sexuality education curriculum. Social Norms. Given that middle and high school students are highly influenced by their peers, the perception of what other students are, or are not, doing influences their behavior. Debunking perceptions and highlighting positive behaviors among teens (i.e., the majority of teens are abstinent in middle school and early high school and when they first engage in sexual intercourse many use condoms) can further the adoption of health-positive behaviors. Skills. Mastery of functional knowledge is necessary but not sufficient to influence behaviors. Skill development is critical to a student’s ability to apply core content to their lives.29 In addition to social learning theory, social cognitive theory (SCT) is reflected throughout the National Sexuality Education Standards. Like social learning theory, SCT emphasizes self-efficacy, but adds in the motivation of the learners and an emphasis on the affective or emotional learning domain, an invaluable component of learning about human sexuality.30 Finally, the social ecological model of prevention also informed the development of these standards. This model focuses on individual, interpersonal, community and society influences and the role of these influences on people over time. Developmentally, the core content and skills for kindergarten and early elementary focus on the individual student and their immediate surroundings (e.g., their family). At the middle and high school levels, core content and skills focus on the expanding world of students that includes their friends and other peers, the media, society and cultural influences.31 Topics and Key Indicators There are seven topics chosen as the minimum, essential content and skills for K–12 sexuality education: Anatomy and Physiology (AP) provides a foundation for understanding basic human functioning. Puberty and Adolescent Development (PD) addresses a pivotal milestone for every person that has an impact on physical, social and emotional development. Identity (ID) addresses several fundamental aspects of people’s understanding of who they are. Pregnancy and Reproduction (PR) addresses information about how pregnancy happens and decision-making to avoid a pregnancy. Sexually Transmitted Diseases and HIV (SH) provides both content and skills for understanding and avoiding STDs and HIV, including how they are transmitted, their signs and symptoms and testing and treatment. Healthy Relationships (HR) offers guidance to students on how to successfully navigate changing relationships among family, peers and partners. Special emphasis is given in the National Sexuality Education Standards to the increasing use and impact of technology within relationships. Personal Safety (PS) emphasizes the need for a growing awareness, creation and maintenance of safe school environments for all students. These seven topics are organized following the eight National Health Education Standards. 10 102 Topics and Key Indicators The National Sexuality Education Standards present performance indicators – what students should know and be able to do by the end of grades 2, 5, 8, and 12 – based on the eight National Health Education Standards listed in the following table. In addition, the standards are divided into seven specific sexuality education topics. The key to reading the indicators appears to the right. The tables on the following pages present the standards and performance indicators first by grade level and then by topic areas. Key To Indicators AP.2.CC.2 Topic Abbreviation Grade Level (i.e., by end of grade 2, 5, 8, 12) NHES Standard Item Number Abbreviation National Health Education Standards Core Concepts CC Standard 1 Students will comprehend concepts related to health promotion and disease prevention to enhance health. Analyzing Influences Standard 2 Students will analyze the influence of family, peers, culture, media, technology and other factors on health behaviors. Accessing Information Standard 3 Students will demonstrate the ability to access valid information and products and services to enhance health. Interpersonal Communication Standard 4 Students will demonstrate the ability to use interpersonal communication skills to enhance health and avoid or reduce health risks. Decision-Making Standard 5 Students will demonstrate the ability to use decision-making skills to enhance health. Goal–Setting Standard 6 Students will demonstrate the ability to use goal-setting skills to enhance health. Self Management SM Standard 7 Students will demonstrate the ability to practice health-enhancing behaviors and avoid or reduce health risks. Advocacy Standard 8 Students will demonstrate the ability to advocate for personal, family and community health. INF AI IC DM GS ADV 103 11 12 AP.2.CC.1 Use proper names for body parts, including male and female anatomy Analyzing Influences INF ID.2.CC.1 Describe differences and similarities in how boys and girls may be expected to act ID.2.INF.1 Provide examples of how friends, family, media, society and culture influence ways in which boys and girls think they should act By the end of the 2nd grade, students should be able to: HR.2.IC.2 HR.2.CC.2 HR.2.IC.1 Demonstrate ways to show respect for different types of families Interpersonal Communication IC Identify healthy ways for friends to express feelings to each other Accessing Information AI Describe the characteristics of a friend HR.2.CC.1 Identify different kinds of family structures Healthy Relationships No items Explain that all By the end of living things the 2nd grade, students should reproduce PR.2.CC.1 be able to: Sexually Transmitted Diseases and HIV Pregnancy and Reproduction By the end of the 2nd grade, students should be able to: Identity No items Puberty and Adolescent Development By the end of the 2nd grade, students should be able to: Anatomy & Physiology CC Core Concepts Grade K-2 DM Decision-Making Standards by Grade Level GS Goal Setting SM Self-Management Advocacy ADV National Sexuality Education Standards 104 By the end of the 2nd grade, students should be able to: PS.2.CC.3 Explain why bullying and teasing are wrong PS.2.CC.2 Explain what bullying and teasing are PS.2.CC.1 Explain that all people, including children, have the right to tell others not to touch their body when they do not want to be touched Personal Safety CC Core Concepts Analyzing Influences INF PS.2.AI.2 Identify parents and other trusted adults they can tell if they are being bullied or teased PS.2.AI.1 Identify parents and other trusted adults they can tell if they are feeling uncomfortable about being touched Accessing Information AI PS.2.IC.2 Demonstrate how to respond if someone is bullying or teasing them PS.2.IC.1 Demonstrate how to respond if someone is touching them in a way that makes them feel uncomfortable Interpersonal Communication IC DM Decision-Making GS Goal Setting PS.2.SM.1 Demonstrate how to clearly say no, how to leave an uncomfortable situation, and how to identify and talk with a trusted adult if someone is touching them in a way that makes them feel uncomfortable SM Self-Management Advocacy ADV Standards by Grade Level 105 13 14 AP.5.CC.1 Describe male and female reproductive systems including body parts and their functions Analyzing Influences INF By the end of the 5th grade, students should be able to: Identity By the end of the 5th grade, students should be able to: ID.5.CC.1 Define sexual orientation as the romantic attraction of an individual to someone of the same gender or a different gender PAD.5.CC.3 Describe how puberty prepares human bodies for the potential to reproduce ID.5.AI.1 Identify parents or other trusted adults of whom students can ask questions about sexual orientation PD.5.AI.2 PD.5.CC.2 PD.5.AI.1 PD.5.INF.1 Identify parents or other trusted adults of whom students can ask questions about puberty and adolescent health issues Identify medicallyaccurate information and resources about puberty and personal hygiene Describe how friends, family, media, society and culture can influence ideas about body image AP.5.AI.1 Identify medicallyaccurate information about female and male reproductive anatomy Accessing Information AI Explain how the timing of puberty and adolescent development varies considerably and can still be healthy PD.5.CC.1 Explain the physical, social and emotional changes that occur during puberty and adolescence Puberty and Adolescent Development By the end of the 5th grade, students should be able to: Anatomy & Physiology CC Core Concepts Grade 3-5 Interpersonal Communication IC DM Decision-Making GS Goal Setting ID.5.SM.1 Demonstrate ways to treat others with dignity and respect PD.5.SM.1 Explain ways to manage the physical and emotional changes associated with puberty SM ID.5.ADV.1 Demonstrate ways students can work together to promote dignity and respect for all people Self-Management Advocacy ADV National Sexuality Education Standards 106 Analyzing Influences INF PR.5.CC.1 Describe the process of human reproduction SH.5.CC.1 Define HIV and identify some age appropriate methods of transmission, as well as ways to prevent transmission HR.5.CC.1 Describe the characteristics of healthy relationships By the end of the 5th grade, students should be able to: PS.5.CC.2 Define sexual harassment and sexual abuse PS.5.CC.1 Define teasing, harassment and bullying and explain why they are wrong Personal Safety By the end of the 5th grade, students should be able to: Healthy Relationships By the end of the 5th grade, students should be able to: PS.5.INF.1 Identify parents or other trusted adults they can tell if they are being sexually harassed or abused PS.5.AI.2 Identify parents and other trusted adults they can tell if they are being teased, harassed or bullied PS.5.AI.1 HR.5.AI.1 HR.5.INF.1 Explain why people tease, harass or bully others Identify parents and other trusted adults they can talk to about relationships Accessing Information AI Compare positive and negative ways friends and peers can influence relationships Sexually Transmitted Diseases and HIV By the end of the 5th grade, students should be able to: Pregnancy and Reproduction CC Core Concepts PS.5.IC.2 Demonstrate refusal skills (e.g. clear “no” statement, walk away, repeat refusal) PS.5.IC.1 Demonstrate ways to communicate about how one is being treated HR.5.IC.1 Demonstrate positive ways to communicate differences of opinion while maintaining relationships Interpersonal Communication IC DM Decision-Making GS Goal Setting PS.5.SM.1 Discuss effective ways in which students could respond when they are or someone else is being teased, harassed or bullied HR.5.SM.1 Demonstrate ways to treat others with dignity and respect SM PS.5.ADV.1 Persuade others to take action when someone else is being teased, harassed or bullied Self-Management Advocacy ADV Standards by Grade Level 107 15 16 AP.8.CC.1 Describe male and female sexual and reproductive systems including body parts and their functions Analyzing Influences INF ID.8.CC.2 Explain the range of gender roles ID.8.CC.1 Differentiate between gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation PD.8.CC.1 Describe the physical, social, cognitive and emotional changes of adolescence ID.8.INF.1 By the end of the 8th grade, students should be able to: PR.8.CC.2 Define sexual abstinence as it relates to pregnancy prevention PR.8.CC.1 Define sexual intercourse and its relationship to human reproduction 108 PR.8.INF.1 Examine how alcohol and other substances, friends, family, media, society and culture influence decisions about engaging in sexual behaviors ID.8.AI.1 Access accurate information about gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation PD.8.AI.1 PD.8.INF.1 Analyze external influences that have an impact on one’s attitudes about gender, sexual orientation and gender identity Identify medicallyaccurate sources of information about puberty, adolescent development and sexuality AP.8.AI.1 Identify accurate and credible sources of information about sexual health Accessing Information AI Analyze how friends, family, media, society and culture can influence selfconcept and body image Pregnancy and Reproduction By the end of the 8th grade, students should be able to: Identity By the end of the 8th grade, students should be able to: Puberty and Adolescent Development By the end of the 8th grade, students should be able to: Anatomy and Physiology CC Core Concepts Grades 6-8 PR.8.IC.1 Demonstrate the use of effective communication skills to support one’s decision to abstain from sexual behaviors ID.8.IC.1 Communicate respectfully with and about people of all gender identities, gender expressions and sexual orientations Interpersonal Communication IC PD.8.DM.1 Demonstrate the use of a decisionmaking model and evaluate possible outcomes of decisions adolescents might make DM GS Decision-Making Goal Setting SM Self-Management ID.8.ADV.1 Develop a plan to promote dignity and respect for all people in the school community Advocacy ADV National Sexuality Education Standards Analyzing Influences INF PR.8.CC.6 Identify prenatal practices that can contribute to a healthy pregnancy PR.8.CC.5 Describe the signs and symptoms of a pregnancy PR.8.CC.4 Define emergency contraception and its use PR.8.CC.3 Explain the health benefits, risks and effectiveness rates of various methods of contraception, including abstinence and condoms By the end of the 8th grade, students should be able to: 109 SH.8.CC.2 Compare and contrast behaviors, including abstinence, to determine the potential risk of STD/HIV transmission from each SH.8.CC.1 Define STDs, including HIV, and how they are and are not transmitted SH.8.INF.1 Analyze the impact of alcohol and other drugs on safer sexual decisionmaking and sexual behaviors Sexually Transmitted Diseases and HIV By the end of the 8th grade, students should be able to: Pregnancy and Reproduction (continued) CC Core Concepts SH.8.AI.1 Identify medicallyaccurate information about STDs, including HIV PR.8.AI.3 Identify medicallyaccurate sources of pregnancy-related information and support including pregnancy options, safe surrender policies and prenatal care PR.8.AI.2 Identify medicallyaccurate information about emergency contraception PR.8.AI.1 Identify medicallyaccurate resources about pregnancy prevention and reproductive health care Accessing Information AI SH.8.IC.1 Demonstrate the use of effective communication skills to reduce or eliminate risk for STDs, including HIV PR.8.IC.2 Demonstrate the use of effective communication and negotiation skills about the use of contraception including abstinence and condoms Interpersonal Communication IC PR.8.DM.1 Apply a decisionmaking model to various sexual health decisions DM SH.8.GS.1 Develop a plan to eliminate or reduce risk for STDs, including HIV GS Decision-Making Goal Setting SH.8.SM.1 Describe the steps to using a condom correctly PR.8.SM.1 Describe the steps to using a condom correctly SM Self-Management Advocacy ADV Standards by Grade Level 17 18 Analyzing Influences INF Accessing Information AI SH.8.CC.3 Describe the signs, symptoms and potential impacts of STDs, including HIV By the end of the 8th grade, students should be able to: HR.8.INF.1 HR.8.CC.1 Demonstrate effective skills to negotiate agreements about the use of technology in relationships HR.8.IC.3 Analyze the impact of technology and social media on friendships and relationships HR.8.INF.2 Describe the advantages and disadvantages of communicating using technology and social media HR.8.CC.5 HR.8.IC.2 HR.8.CC.4 HR.8.IC.1 Demonstrate communication skills that foster healthy relationships Demonstrate effective ways to communicate personal boundaries and show respect for the boundaries of others SH.8.AI.2 Identify local STD and HIV testing and treatment resources Interpersonal Communication IC Describe a range of ways people express affection within various types of relationships HR.8.CC.3 Analyze the similarities and differences between friendships and romantic relationships HR.8.CC.2 Describe the potential impacts of power differences such as age, status or position within relationships Analyze the ways in which friends, family, media, society and culture can influence relationships Compare and contrast the characteristics of healthy and unhealthy relationships Healthy Relationships By the end of the 8th grade, students should be able to: Sexually Transmitted Diseases and HIV (continued) CC Core Concepts Grades 6-8 (continued) DM Describe strategies to use social media safely, legally and respectfully HR.8.SM.2 HR.8.GS.1 HR.8.SM.1 Explain the criteria for evaluating the health of a relationship SM Self-Management Develop a plan to stay safe when using social media GS Decision-Making Goal Setting Advocacy ADV National Sexuality Education Standards 110 By the end of the 8th grade, students should be able to: PS.8.CC.4 Explain why a person who has been raped or sexually assaulted is not at fault PS.8.CC.3 Explain that no one has the right to touch anyone else in a sexual manner if they do not want to be touched PS.8.CC.2 Discuss the impacts of bullying, sexual harassment, sexual abuse, sexual assault, incest, rape and dating violence and why they are wrong PS.8.CC.1 Describe situations and behaviors that constitute bullying, sexual harassment, sexual abuse, sexual assault, incest, rape and dating violence Personal Safety CC Core Concepts Analyzing Influences INF PS.8.AI.1 Identify sources of support such as parents or other trusted adults that they can go to if they are or someone they know is being bullied, harassed, abused or assaulted Accessing Information AI PS.8.IC.1 Demonstrate ways to communicate with trusted adults about bullying, harassment, abuse or assault Interpersonal Communication IC DM GS Decision-Making Goal Setting PS.8.SM.2 Demonstrate ways they can respond when someone is being bullied or harassed PS.8.SM.1 Describe ways to treat others with dignity and respect SM Self-Management PS.8.ADV.1 Advocate for safe environments that encourage dignified and respectful treatment of everyone Advocacy ADV Standards by Grade Level 111 19 20 AP.12.CC.1 Describe the human sexual response cycle, including the role hormones play Analyzing Influences INF ID.12.CC.2 Distinguish between sexual orientation, sexual behavior and sexual identity ID.12.CC.1 Differentiate between biological sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity and expression PD.12.CC.1 Analyze how brain development has an impact on cognitive, social and emotional changes of adolescence and early adulthood ID.12.INF.1 Analyze the influence of friends, family, media, society and culture on the expression of gender, sexual orientation and identity PD.12.INF.1 Analyze how friends, family, media, society and culture can influence selfconcept and body image By the end of the 12th grade, students should be able to: 112 PR.12.CC.1 Compare and contrast the advantages and disadvantages of abstinence and other contraceptive methods, including condoms Access medicallyaccurate information about contraceptive methods, including abstinence and condoms PR.12.AI.1 PR.12.INF.1 Accessing Information AI Analyze influences that may have an impact on deciding whether or when to engage in sexual behaviors Pregnancy and Reproduction By the end of the 12th grade, students should be able to: Identity By the end of the 12th grade, students should be able to: Puberty and Adolescent Development By the end of the 12th grade, students should be able to: Anatomy and Physiology CC Core Concepts Grades 9-12 PR.12.IC.1 Demonstrate ways to communicate decisions about whether or when to engage in sexual behaviors Interpersonal Communication IC PR.12.DM.1 Apply a decisionmaking model to choices about contraception, including abstinence and condoms PD.12.DM.1 Apply a decisionmaking model to various situations relating to sexual health DM Decision-Making GS Goal Setting PR.12.SM.1 Describe the steps to using a condom correctly ID.12.SM.1 Explain how to promote safety, respect, awareness and acceptance SM Self-Management ID.12.ADV.1 Advocate for school policies and programs that promote dignity and respect for all Advocacy ADV National Sexuality Education Standards Analyzing Influences INF By the end of the 12th grade, students should be able to: PR.12.CC.6 Compare and contrast the laws relating to pregnancy, adoption, abortion and parenting PR.12.INF.3 PR.12.CC.5 PR.12.AI.4 Access medicallyaccurate information about prenatal care services PR.12.AI.3 PR.12.INF.2 Analyze factors that influence decisions about whether and when to become a parent Access medicallyaccurate information about pregnancy and pregnancy options Describe prenatal practices that can contribute to or threaten a healthy pregnancy PR.12.CC.4 Describe the signs of pregnancy PR.12.CC.3 Analyze internal and external influences on decisions about pregnancy options PR.12.AI.2 PR.12.CC.2 Identify the laws related to reproductive and sexual health care services (i.e., contraception, pregnancy options, safe surrender policies, prenatal care) Access medicallyaccurate information and resources about emergency contraception Accessing Information AI Define emergency contraception and describe its mechanism of action Pregnancy and Reproduction (continued) CC Core Concepts Interpersonal Communication IC PR.12.DM.2 Assess the skills and resources needed to become a parent DM Decision-Making GS Goal Setting SM Self-Management Advocacy ADV Standards by Grade Level 113 21 22 Analyzing Influences INF SH.12.CC.3 Describe the laws related to sexual health care services, including STD and HIV testing and treatment SH.12.CC.2 Evaluate the effectiveness of abstinence, condoms and other safer sex methods in preventing the spread of STDs, including HIV SH.12.CC.1 Describe common symptoms of and treatments for STDs, including HIV By the end of the 12th grade, students should be able to: 114 HR.12.CC.3 Define sexual consent and explain its implications for sexual decisionmaking HR.12.CC.2 HR.12.INF.2 Analyze factors, including alcohol and other substances, that can affect the ability to give or perceive the provision of consent to sexual activity HR.12.INF.1 HR.12.CC.1 Describe a range of ways to express affection within healthy relationships Explain how media can influence one’s beliefs about what constitutes a healthy sexual relationship HR.12.AI.1 Demonstrate how to access valid information and resources to help deal with relationships SH.12.AI.2 SH.12.INF.1 HR.12.SM.1 SH.12.SM.2 Describe the steps to using a condom correctly SH.12.SM.1 Analyze individual responsibility about testing for and informing partners about STDs and HIV status SM Self-Management HR.12.IC.2 SH.12.GS.1 Develop a plan to eliminate or reduce risk for STDs, including HIV GS Goal Setting Demonstrate respect for the boundaries of others as they relate to intimacy and sexual behavior SH.12.DM.1 Apply a decisionmaking model to choices about safer sex practices, including abstinence and condoms DM Decision-Making Demonstrate effective ways to communicate personal boundaries as they relate to intimacy and sexual behavior HR.12.IC.1 Demonstrate effective strategies to avoid or end an unhealthy relationship SH.12.IC.1 SH.12.AI.1 Access medicallyaccurate prevention information about STDs, including HIV Demonstrate skills to communicate with a partner about STD and HIV prevention and testing Interpersonal Communication IC Explain how to access local STD and HIV testing and treatment services Accessing Information AI Analyze factors that may influence condom use and other safer sex decisions Describe characteristics of healthy and unhealthy romantic and/or sexual relationships Healthy Relationships By the end of the 12th grade, students should be able to: Sexually Transmitted Diseases and HIV CC Core Concepts Grades 9-12 (continued) SH.12.ADV.1 Advocate for sexually active youth to get STD/HIV testing and treatment Advocacy ADV National Sexuality Education Standards HR.12.CC.4 Evaluate the potentially positive and negative roles of technology and social media in relationships By the end of the 12th grade, students should be able to: 115 PS.12.CC.4 Explain why a person who has been raped or sexually assaulted is not at fault PS.12.CC.3 Explain why using tricks, threats or coercion in relationships is wrong PS.12.INF.2 Analyze the external influences and societal messages that impact attitudes about bullying, sexual harassment, sexual abuse, sexual assault, incest, rape and dating violence PS.12.INF.1 PS.12.AI.2 Demonstrate ways to access accurate information and resources for survivors of sexual abuse, incest, rape, sexual harassment, sexual assault and dating violence Analyze the laws related to bullying, sexual harassment, sexual abuse, sexual assault, incest, rape and dating violence PS.12.CC.2 PS.12.AI.1 PS.12.CC.1 Accessing Information AI Access valid resources for help if they or someone they know are being bullied or harassed, or have been sexually abused or assaulted Describe potential impacts of power differences (e.g., age, status or position) within sexual relationships Analyzing Influences INF Compare and contrast situations and behaviors that may constitute bullying, sexual harassment, sexual abuse, sexual assault, incest, rape and dating violence Personal Safety By the end of the 12th grade, students should be able to: Healthy Relationships CC Core Concepts PS.12.IC.2 Identify ways in which they could respond when someone else is being bullied or harassed PS.12.IC.1 Demonstrate effective ways to communicate with trusted adults about bullying, harassment, abuse or assault Interpersonal Communication IC DM Decision-Making Goal Setting GS HR.12.SM.2 Describe strategies to use social media safely, legally and respectfully SM Self-Management PS.12.ADV.1 Advocate for safe environments that encourage dignified and respectful treatment of everyone Advocacy ADV Standards by Grade Level 23 24 Analyzing Influences INF Accessing Information AI AP.5.AI.1 Identify medicallyaccurate information about female and male reproductive anatomy AP.8.AI.1 Identify accurate and credible sources about sexual health AP.12.CC.1 Describe the human sexual response cycle, including the role hormones play By the end of the 12th grade, students should be able to: AP.8.CC.1 Describe male and female sexual and reproductive systems including body parts and their functions By the end of the 8th grade, students should be able to: AP.5.CC.1 Describe male and female reproductive systems including body parts and their functions By the end of the 5th grade, students should be able to: AP.2.CC.1 Use proper names for body parts, including male and female anatomy By the end of the 2nd grade, students should be able to: CC Core Concepts Anatomy and Physiology Interpersonal Communication IC DecisionMaking DM Standards by Topic Area GS Goal Setting SM Self-Management Advocacy ADV National Sexuality Education Standards 116 Analyzing Influences INF Accessing Information AI PD.8.INF.1 PD.8.CC.1 PD.8.AI.1 Identify medicallyaccurate sources of information about puberty, adolescent development and sexuality 117 PD.12.CC.1 Analyze how brain development has an impact on cognitive, social and emotional changes of adolescence and early adulthood PD.12.INF.1 Analyze how peers, media, family, society, religion and culture influence self-concept and body image By the end of the 12th grade, students should be able to: Analyze how peers, media, family, society and culture influence self-concept and body image Describe the physical, social, cognitive and emotional changes of adolescence By the end of the 8th grade, students should be able to: PD.5.CC.3 Describe how puberty prepares human bodies for the potential to reproduce PD.5.AI.2 PD.5.CC.2 PD.5.AI.1 PD.5.INF.1 Identify parents or other trusted adults of whom they can ask questions about puberty and adolescent health issues Identify medicallyaccurate information and resources about puberty and personal hygiene Describe how peers, media, family, society and culture influence ideas about body image Explain how the timing of puberty and adolescent development varies considerably and can still be healthy PD.5.CC.1 Explain the physical, social, and emotional changes that occur during puberty and adolescence By the end of the 5th grade, students should be able to: No items By the end of the 2nd grade, students should be able to: CC Core Concepts Interpersonal Communication IC Puberty and Adolescent Development PD.12.DM.1 Apply a decisionmaking model to various situations relating to sexual health PD.8.DM.1 Demonstrate the use of a decision- making model to evaluate possible outcomes of decisions adolescents might make DecisionMaking DM Goal Setting GS PD.5.SM.1 Explain ways to manage the physical and emotional changes associated with puberty SM Self-Management Advocacy ADV Standards by Topic Area 25 26 Analyzing Influences INF Provide examples of how friends, family, media, society and culture influence ways in which boys and girls think they should act Describe differences and similarities in how boys and girls may be expected to act Accessing Information AI ID.2.INF.1 ID.5.AI.1 Identify parents or other trusted adults to whom they can ask questions about sexual orientation ID.8.INF.1 Analyze external influences that have an impact on one’s attitudes about gender, sexual orientation and gender identity ID.8.AI.1 Access accurate information about gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation 118 ID.12.CC.2 Distinguish between sexual orientation, sexual behavior and sexual identity ID.12.CC.1 Differentiate between biological sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity and expression ID.12.INF.1 Analyze the influence of peers, media, family, society, religion and culture on the expression of gender, sexual orientation and identity By the end of the 12th grade, students should be able to: ID.8.CC.2 Explain the range of gender roles ID.8.CC.1 Differentiate between gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation By the end of the 8th grade, students should be able to: ID.5.CC.1 Define sexual orientation as romantic attraction to an individual of the same gender or of a different gender By the end of the 5th grade, students should be able to: ID.2.CC.1 By the end of the 2nd grade, students should be able to: CC Core Concepts Identity ID.8.IC.1 Communicate respectfully with and about people of all gender identities, gender expressions and sexual orientations Interpersonal Communication IC DecisionMaking DM GS Goal Setting ID.12.SM.1 Explain how to promote safety, respect, awareness and acceptance ID.5.SM.1 Demonstrate ways to treat others with dignity and respect SM Self-Management ID.12.ADV.1 Advocate for school policies and programs that promote dignity and respect for all ID.8.ADV.1 Develop a plan to promote dignity and respect for all people in the school community ID.5.ADV.1 Demonstrate ways students can work together to promote dignity and respect for all people Advocacy ADV National Sexuality Education Standards Analyzing Influences INF Accessing Information AI 119 PR.8.CC.4 Define emergency contraception and its use PR.8.CC.3 Explain the health benefits, risks and effectiveness rates of various methods of contraception, including abstinence and condoms PR.8.CC.2 Define sexual abstinence as it relates to pregnancy prevention PR.8.CC.1 Define sexual intercourse and its relationship to human reproduction PR.8.INF.1 Examine how alcohol and other substances, peers, media, family, society and culture influence decisions about engaging in sexual behaviors PR.8.AI.2 Identify medicallyaccurate information about emergency contraception PR.8.AI.1 Identify medicallyaccurate resources about pregnancy prevention and reproductive health care By the end of the 8th grade, students should be able to: PR.5.CC.1 Describe the process of human reproduction By the end of the 5th grade, students should be able to: PR.2.CC.1 Explain that all living things reproduce By the end of the 2nd grade, students should be able to: CC Core Concepts Pregnancy and Reproduction PR.8.IC.2 Demonstrate the use of effective communication and negotiation skills about contraception including abstinence and condoms PR.8.IC.1 Demonstrate the use of effective communication skills to support one’s decision to abstain from sexual behaviors Interpersonal Communication IC PR.8.DM.1 Apply a decisionmaking model to various sexual health decisions DecisionMaking DM GS Goal Setting PR.8.SM.1 Describe the steps to using a condom correctly SM Self-Management Advocacy ADV Standards by Topic Area 27 28 Analyzing Influences INF Accessing Information AI PR.8.AI.3 Identify medicallyaccurate sources of pregnancy-related information and support including pregnancy options, safe surrender policies and prenatal care PR.12.CC.3 Identify the laws related to reproductive and sexual health care services (i.e., contraception, pregnancy options, safe surrender policies, prenatal care) PR.12.AI.2 PR.12.CC.2 PR.12.AI.1 Access medicallyaccurate information about contraceptive methods, including emergency contraception and condoms Access medicallyaccurate information and resources about emergency contraception PR.12.INF.1 Analyze influences that may have an impact on deciding whether or when to engage in sexual behaviors Define emergency contraception and describe its mechanism of action PR.12.CC.1 Compare and contrast the advantages and disadvantages of abstinence and other contraceptive methods, including, condoms By the end of the 12th grade, students should be able to: PR.8.CC.6 Identify prenatal practices that can contribute to a healthy pregnancy PR.8.CC.5 Describe the signs and symptoms of a pregnancy By the end of the 8th grade, students should be able to: CC Core Concepts PR.12.IC.1 Demonstrate ways to communicate decisions about whether or when to engage in sexual behaviors Interpersonal Communication IC PR.12.DM.1 Apply a decisionmaking model to choices about contraception, including abstinence and condoms DecisionMaking DM Pregnancy and Reproduction (continued) GS Goal Setting PR.12.SM.1 Describe the steps to using a condom correctly SM Self-Management Advocacy ADV National Sexuality Education Standards 120 Analyzing Influences INF Analyze internal and external influences on decisions about pregnancy options Describe the signs of pregnancy Accessing Information AI PR.12.CC.6 Compare and contrast the laws relating to pregnancy, adoption, abortion and parenting PR.12.CC.5 Describe prenatal practices that can contribute to or threaten a healthy pregnancy PR.12.CC.4 PR.12.INF.3 Analyze factors that influence decisions about whether and when to become a parent PR.12.INF.2 PR.12.AI.4 Access medicallyaccurate information about prenatal care services PR.12.AI.3 Access medicallyaccurate information about pregnancy options By the end of the 12th grade, students should be able to: CC Core Concepts Interpersonal Communication IC PR.12.DM.2 Assess the skills and resources needed to become a parent DecisionMaking DM GS Goal Setting SM Self-Management Advocacy ADV Standards by Topic Area 121 29 30 Analyzing Influences INF Accessing Information AI SH.8.INF.1 Analyze the impact of alcohol and other drugs on safer sexual decisionmaking and sexual behaviors SH.8.AI.2 Identify local STD and HIV testing and treatment resources SH.8.AI.1 Identify medicallyaccurate information about STDs, including HIV SH.12.CC.1 Describe common symptoms of and treatments for STDs, including HIV SH.12.AI.1 Explain how to access local STD and HIV testing and treatment services By the end of the 12th grade, students should be able to: SH.8.CC.3 Describe the signs, symptoms and potential impacts of STDs, including HIV SH.8.CC.2 Compare and contrast behaviors, including abstinence, to determine the potential risk of STD/HIV transmission from each SH.8.CC.1 Define STDs, including HIV, and how they are and are not transmitted By the end of the 8th grade, students should be able to: SH.5.CC.1 Define HIV and identify some age-appropriate methods of transmission, as well as ways to prevent transmission By the end of the 5th grade, students should be able to: No Items By the end of the 2nd grade, students should be able to: CC Core Concepts SH.12.IC.1 Demonstrate skills to communicate with a partner about STD and HIV prevention and testing SH.8.IC.1 Demonstrate the use of effective communication skills to reduce or eliminate risk for STDs, including HIV Interpersonal Communication IC Sexually Transmitted Diseases and HIV 122 SH.12.DM.1 Apply a decisionmaking model to choices about safer sex practices, including abstinence and condoms DecisionMaking DM SH.8.GS.1 Develop a plan to eliminate or reduce risk for STDs, including HIV GS Goal Setting SH.12.SM.1 Analyze individual responsibility about testing for and informing partners about STDs and HIV status SH.8.SM.1 Describe the steps to using a condom correctly SM Self-Management Advocacy ADV National Sexuality Education Standards Access medicallyaccurate prevention information about STDs, including HIV SH.12.AI.2 Analyze factors that may influence condom use and other safer sex decisions SH.12.INF.1 Evaluate the effectiveness of abstinence, condoms and other safer sex methods in preventing the spread of STDs, including HIV SH.12.CC.3 Describe the laws as they relate to sexual health care services, including STD and HIV testing and treatment SH.12.CC.2 By the end of the 12th grade, students should be able to: Accessing Information AI Analyzing Influences INF CC Core Concepts Interpersonal Communication IC DecisionMaking DM SH.12.GS.1 Develop a plan to eliminate or reduce risk for STDs, including HIV GS Goal Setting SH.12.SM.2 Describe the steps to using a condom correctly SM Self-Management SH.12.ADV.1 Advocate for sexually active youth to get STD/ HIV testing and treatment Advocacy ADV Standards by Topic Area 123 31 32 Analyzing Influences INF Accessing Information AI Identify parents and other trusted adults they can talk to about relationships HR.5.AI.1 Compare positive and negative ways friends and peers can influence relationships HR.5.INF.1 HR.8.IC.2 HR.8.CC.4 HR.8.IC.1 Demonstrate communication skills that foster healthy relationships Demonstrate effective ways to communicate personal boundaries and show respect for the boundaries of others HR.8.INF.1 Analyze the ways in which family, friends, peers, media, society and culture can influence relationships HR.5.IC.1 Demonstrate positive ways to communicate differences of opinion while maintaining relationships HR.2.IC.2 Identify healthy ways for friends to express feelings to each other Interpersonal Communication IC Describe a range of ways people express affection within various types of relationships HR.8.CC.3 Analyze the similarities and differences between friendships and romantic relationships HR.8.CC.2 Describe the potential impacts of power differences such as age, status or position within relationships HR.8.CC.1 Compare and contrast the characteristics of healthy and unhealthy relationships By the end of the 8th grade, students should be able to: HR.5.CC.1 Describe the characteristics of healthy relationships (e.g., family, friends, peers) By the end of the 5th grade, students should be able to: HR.2. CC.2 Describe the characteristics of a friend By the end of the 2nd grade, students should be able to: CC Core Concepts Healthy Relationships DecisionMaking DM GS Goal Setting HR.8.SM.1 Explain the criteria for evaluating the health of a relationship HR.5.SM.1 Demonstrate ways to treat others with dignity and respect SM Self-Management Advocacy ADV National Sexuality Education Standards 124 Analyzing Influences INF Analyze the impact of technology and social media on friendships and relationships HR.8.INF.2 Describe the advantages and disadvantages of communicating using technology and social media HR.8.CC.5 Accessing Information AI HR.12.CC.4 Evaluate the potentially positive and negative roles of technology and social media in relationships HR.12.CC.3 Define sexual consent and explain its implications for sexual decisionmaking HR.12.CC.2 Describe a range of ways to express affection within healthy relationships HR.12.CC.1 Describe characteristics of healthy and unhealthy romantic and/ or sexual relationships HR.12.AI.1 HR.12.INF.1 HR.12.INF.2 Analyze factors, including alcohol and other substances, that can affect the ability to give or perceive the provision of consent to sexual activity Demonstrate how to access valid information and resources to help deal with relationships Explain how media can influence one’s beliefs about what constitutes a healthy sexual relationship By the end of the 12th grade, students should be able to: By the end of the 8th grade, students should be able to: CC Core Concepts HR.12.SM.2 Describe strategies to use social media safely, legally and respectfully HR.12.SM.1 HR.12.IC.2 HR.8.SM.2 SM Self-Management Develop a plan Describe strategies to stay safe when to use social media using social media safely, legally and respectfully HR.8.GS.1 GS Goal Setting Demonstrate respect for the boundaries of others as they relate to intimacy and sexual behavior DecisionMaking DM Demonstrate effective ways to communicate personal boundaries as they relate to intimacy and sexual behavior HR.12.IC.1 Demonstrate effective strategies to avoid or end an unhealthy relationship HR.8.IC.3 Demonstrate effective skills to negotiate agreements about the use of technology in relationships Interpersonal Communication IC Advocacy ADV Standards by Topic Area 125 33 34 Analyzing Influences INF Accessing Information AI PS.2.AI.2 Identify parents and other trusted adults they can tell if they are being bullied or teased PS.2.AI.1 Identify parents and other trusted adults they can tell if they are feeling uncomfortable about being touched PS.5.CC.2 Define sexual harassment and sexual abuse PS.5.CC.1 Define teasing, harassment and bullying and explain why they are wrong PS.5.INF.1 Explain why people tease, harass or bully others PS.5.AI.2 Identify parents or other trusted adults they can tell if they are being sexually harassed or abused PS.5.AI.1 Identify parents and other trusted adults students can tell if they are being teased, harassed or bullied By the end of the 5th grade, students should be able to: PS.2.CC.3 Explain why bullying and teasing are wrong PS.2.CC.2 Explain what bullying and teasing are PS.2.CC.1 Explain that all people, including children, have the right to tell others not to touch their body when they do not want to be touched By the end of the 2nd grade, students should be able to: CC Core Concepts Personal Safety PS.5.IC.2 Demonstrate refusal skills (clear “no” statement, walk away, repeat refusal) PS.5.IC.1 Demonstrate ways to communicate about how one is being treated PS.2.IC.2 Demonstrate how to respond if someone is bullying or teasing them PS.2.IC.1 Demonstrate how to respond if someone is touching them in a way that makes them feel uncomfortable Interpersonal Communication IC DecisionMaking DM GS Goal Setting PS.5.SM.1 Discuss effective ways in which students could respond when they are or someone else is being teased, harassed or bullied PS.2.SM.1 Demonstrate how to clearly say no, how to leave an uncomfortable situation, and how to identify and talk with a trusted adult if someone is touching them in a way that makes them feel uncomfortable SM Self-Management PS.5.ADV.1 Persuade others to take action when someone else is being teased, harassed or bullied Advocacy ADV National Sexuality Education Standards 126 Analyzing Influences INF Accessing Information AI PS.8.AI.1 PS.8.CC.1 127 PS.12.CC.1 Compare and contrast situations and behaviors that may constitute bullying, sexual harassment, sexual abuse, sexual assault, incest, rape and dating violence PS.12.AI.1 Access valid resources for help if they or someone they know are being bullied or harassed, or have been sexually abused or assaulted By the end of the 12th grade, students should be able to: PS.8.CC.4 Explain why a person who has been raped or sexually assaulted is not at fault PS.8.CC.3 Explain that no one has the right to touch anyone else in a sexual manner if they do not want to be touched PS.8.CC.2 Discuss the impacts of bullying, sexual harassment, sexual abuse, sexual assault, incest, rape and dating violence and why they are wrong Identify sources of support such as parents or other trusted adults that they can go to if they are or someone they know is being bullied, harassed, abused or assaulted Describe situations and behaviors that constitute bullying, sexual harassment, sexual abuse, sexual assault, incest, rape and dating violence By the end of the 8th grade, students should be able to: CC Core Concepts PS.12.IC.1 Demonstrate effective ways to communicate with trusted adults about bullying, harassment, abuse or assault PS.8.IC.1 Demonstrate ways to communicate with trusted adults about bullying, harassment, abuse or assault Interpersonal Communication IC DecisionMaking DM GS Goal Setting PS.8.SM.2 Demonstrate ways they can respond when someone is being bullied or harassed PS.8.SM.1 Describe ways to treat others with dignity and respect SM Self-Management PS.12.ADV.1 Advocate for safe environments that encourage dignified and respectful treatment of everyone PS.8.ADV.1 Advocate for safe environments that encourage dignified and respectful treatment of everyone Advocacy ADV Standards by Topic Area 35 36 Analyzing Influences INF Describe potential impacts of power differences (e.g., age, status or position) within sexual relationships Analyze the laws related to bullying, sexual harassment, sexual abuse, sexual assault, incest, rape and dating violence Accessing Information AI PS.12.CC.4 Explain why a person who has been raped or sexually assaulted is not at fault PS.12.CC.3 Explain why using tricks, threats or coercion in relationships is wrong PS.12.CC.2 PS.12.INF.2 Analyze the external influences and societal messages that impact attitudes about bullying, sexual harassment, sexual abuse, sexual assault, incest, rape and dating violence PS.12.INF.1 PS.12.AI.2 Demonstrate ways to access accurate information and resources that provide help for survivors of sexual abuse, incest, rape, sexual harassment, sexual assault and dating violence By the end of the 12th grade, students should be able to: CC Core Concepts Personal Safety (continued) PS.12.IC.2 Identify ways in which they could respond when someone else is being bullied or harassed Interpersonal Communication IC DecisionMaking DM GS Goal Setting SM Self-Management Advocacy ADV National Sexuality Education Standards 128 National Resources National Resources For Teachers Teachers can find print resources, learn about professional development opportunities and obtain technical assistance through the following national organizations: Advocates for Youth 2000 M Street NW, Suite 750 Washington, D.C. 20036 (202) 419-3420 www.advocatesforyouth.org American Association for Health Education 1900 Association Drive Reston, VA 20191 (800) 213-7191 www.aahperd.org/aahe American School Health Association 4340 East West Highway Suite 403 Bethesda, MD 20814 (800) 455-2742 www.ashaweb.org American Social Health Association P.O. Box 13827 Research Triangle Park, NC 27709 (919) 361-8400 www.iwannaknow.org Answer 41 Gordon Road, Suite C Piscataway, NJ 08854 (732) 445-7929 http://answer.rutgers.edu Association for Middle Level Education (formerly National Middle School Association) 4151 Executive Parkway, Suite 300 Westerville, OH 43081 (614) 895-4730 www.amle.org Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network 90 Broad Street, 2nd Floor New York, NY 10004 (212) 727-0135 www.glsen.org Guttmacher Institute 125 Maiden Lane, 7th Floor New York, NY 10038 (212) 248-1111 www.guttmacher.org Healthy Teen Network 1501 Saint Paul Street, Suite 124 Baltimore, MD 21202 (410) 685-0419 www.healthyteennetwork.org National Association of School Nurses 8484 Georgia Avenue, #420 Silver Spring, MD 20910 (240) 821-1130 www.nasn.org NEA Health Information Network 1201 16th Street, NW #216 Washington, DC 20036 (202) 822.7570 www.neahin.org Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation 2400 Sand Hill Road Menlo Park, CA 94025 (650) 854-9400 www.kff.org Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) 2000 L Street NW, Suite 406 Washington, DC 20036 (202) 544-1034 www.rainn.org Resource Center for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention (ReCAPP) ETR Associates P.O. Box 1830 Santa Cruz, CA 95061 (800) 321-4407 www.etr.org/recapp Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS) 90 John Street, Suite 402 New York, NY 10038 (212) 819-9770 www.siecus.org www.sexedlibrary.org The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy 1776 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Suite 200 Washington, D.C. 20036 (202) 478-8500 www.teenpregnancy.org 129 37 National Sexuality Education Standards Planned Parenthood Federation of America 434 West 33rd Street New York, NY 10001 (212) 541-7800 www.plannedparenthood.org The Society of State Leaders in Health and Physical Education PO Box 40186 Arlington, VA 22204 (202) 286-9138 www.thesociety.org For School Administrators There is a great deal of support available for school administrators in supporting the implementation of comprehensive sexuality education in public schools. These organizations can help: American School Health Association 4340 East West Highway, Suite 403 Bethesda, MD 20814 (800) 455-2742 www.ashaweb.org American Association for Health Education 1900 Association Drive Reston, VA 20191 (800) 213-7191 www.aahperd.org/aahe Association for Middle Level Education (formerly National Middle School Association) 4151 Executive Parkway, Suite 300 Westerville, OH 43081 (614) 895-4730 www.amle.org National Association of School Nurses 8484 Georgia Avenue, #420 Silver Spring, MD 20910 (240) 821-1130 www.nasn.org National School Boards Association 1680 Duke Street Alexandria, VA 22314 (703) 838-6722 www.nsba.org National Association of State Boards of Education 2121 Crystal Drive Suite #350 Arlington, VA 22202 (703) 684-4000 The Society of State Leaders in Health and Physical Education PO Box 40186 Arlington, VA 22204 (202) 286-9138 www.thesociety.org 38 For Parents Parents and other adult caregivers play invaluable roles in educating their children about sexuality and relationships. Each organization maintains resources that can support parents in providing accurate information to their children comfortably and within the context of their values. Advocates for Youth 2000 M Street NW, Suite 750 Washington, DC 20036 (202) 419-3420 www.advocatesforyouth.org/parents-sex-ed-center-home Answer 41 Gordon Road, Suite C Piscataway, NJ 08854 (732) 445-7929 http://answer.rutgers.edu/page/parentresources Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS) 90 John Street, Suite 402 New York, NY 10038 (212) 819-9770 www.siecus.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=page. viewPage&pageID=632&nodeID=1 For Middle and High School Students Schools provide an important venue through which to teach young people about sexuality, but young people often have additional questions that they may not feel comfortable directing to their teachers. These organizations all have resources for teens that are age-appropriate and medically accurate: Advocates for Youth 2000 M Street NW, Suite 750 Washington, D.C. 20036 (202) 419-3420 www.advocatesforyouth.org www.amplifyyourvoice.org/youthresource American Social Health Association PO Box 13827 Research Triangle, NC 27709 (919) 361-8400 www.iwannaknow.org Answer’s Teen-to-Teen Sexuality Education Initiative, Sex, Etc. 41 Gordon Road, Suite C Piscataway, NJ 08854 (732) 445-7929 www.sexetc.org Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) 2000 L Street NW, Suite 406 Washington, DC 20036 (800) 656-HOPE (24 hour telephone hotline) www.rainn.org 130 Glossary Glossary Abortion A medical intervention that ends a pregnancy. Abstinence Choosing to refrain from certain sexual behaviors for a period of time. Some people define abstinence as not having vaginal intercourse, while others define it as not engaging in any sexual activity. Age of Consent The age a person is legally able to consent to sexual activity. It varies from state to state, but ranges from 14 to 18 years of age in the United States. Abstinence-Only Programs Programs exclusively focused on refraining from all sexual behaviors. They do not necessarily put a condition on when a person might choose to no longer be abstinent. Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Programs Programs focused exclusively on refraining from all sexual behaviors outside of the context of a heterosexual marriage. Age-Appropriate Designed to teach concepts, information, and skills based on the social, cognitive, emotional, and experience level of most students at a particular age level. AIDS Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. AIDS is caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). People do not die from AIDS, they die from one of the infections their body acquires as a result of their weakened immune system. (also see HIV). Biological Sex Our sex as determined by our chromosomes (such as XX or XY), our hormones and our internal and external anatomy. Typically, we are assigned the sex of male or female at birth. Those whose chromosomes are different from XX or XY at birth are referred to as “intersex.” Bisexual A term used to describe a person whose attraction to other people is not necessarily determined by gender. This is different from being attracted to all men or all women. Body Image How people feel about their body. This may or may not match a person’s actual appearance. Bullying Physically, mentally, and/or emotionally intimidating and/ or harming an individual or members of a group. Comprehensive Sexuality Education Sexuality education programs that build a foundation of knowledge and skills relating to human development, relationships, decision-making, abstinence, contraception, and disease prevention. Ideally, comprehensive sexuality education should start in kindergarten and continue through 12th grade. At each developmental stage, these programs teach age-appropriate, medically accurate information that builds on the knowledge and skills that were taught in the previous stage. Consensual When a person agrees to engage in sexual behaviors with another person. “Consensual sex” means that no one was forced or manipulated in any way to participate in a sexual behavior. Contraception Any means to prevent pregnancy, including abstinence, barrier methods such as condoms and hormonal methods such as the pill, patch, injection and others. Dating Violence Controlling, abusive and/or aggressive behavior within the context of a romantic relationship. It can include verbal, emotional, physical and/or sexual abuse, be perpetrated against someone of any gender and happen in any relationship regardless of sexual orientation. 131 39 National Sexuality Education Standards Gay A term used to describe people who are romantically and sexually attracted to people of their same gender. Gay women will often use the word “lesbian.” Gender The emotional, behavioral and cultural characteristics attached to a person’s assigned biological sex. Gender can be understood to have several components, including gender identity, gender expression and gender role (see below). Gender Expression The manner in which people outwardly expresses their gender. Gender Identity People’s inner sense of their gender. Most people develop a gender identity that corresponds to their biological sex, but some do not. Gender Roles The social expectations of how people should act, think and/or feel based on their assigned biological sex. Harassment Unwelcome or offensive behavior by one person to another. Examples are making unwanted sexual comments to another person, sending unwanted sexual texts, bullying or intimidation. Heterosexual A term used to describe people who are romantically and sexually attracted to people of a different gender from their own. HIV The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), which causes AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). The virus weakens a person’s immune system so that the person cannot fight off many everyday infections. HIV is transmitted through exposure to an infected person’s blood, semen, vaginal fluids or breast milk. Homosexual A term used to describe people who are romantically and sexually attracted to people of their own gender. Most often referred to as “gay” or “lesbian.” Incest Sexual contact between persons who are so closely related that marriage between those two people would be considered illegal (e.g., a parent or step parent and a child, siblings, etc.). 40 Lesbian A term used to describe women who are romantically and sexually attracted to other women. Medically-Accurate Grounded in evidence-based, peer-reviewed science and research. Puberty A time when the pituitary gland triggers production of testosterone in boys and estrogen and progesterone in girls. Puberty typically begins between ages 9 and 12 for girls, and between the ages of 11 and 14 for boys, and includes such body changes as hair growth around the genitals, menstruation in girls, sperm production in boys, and much more. Rape A type of sexual assault that involves forced vaginal, anal, or oral sex using a body part or object. Sexual Abuse Sexual abuse is any sort of unwanted sexual contact often over a period of time. A single act of sexual abuse is usually referred to as a “sexual assault” (see below). Sexual Assault Any unwanted sex act committed by a person or people against another person. Sexual Harassment Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature. Sexual Intercourse When a penis is inserted into a vagina, mouth or anus. Sexual Orientation Romantic and sexual attraction to people of one’s same and/or other genders. Current terms for sexual orientation include gay, lesbian, bisexual, heterosexual and others. Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) Diseases caused by bacteria, viruses or parasites that are transmitted from one person to another during sexual contact. Also called sexually transmitted infections or STIs. Transgender A gender identity in which a person’s inner sense of their gender does not correspond to their assigned biological sex. 132 References References 1. 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Bandura, A. “Human Agency in Social Cognitive Theory.” American Psychologist, 1989. Volume 44, No. 9, 1175-1184. 31. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The SocialEcological Model: A Framework for Prevention. National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Division of Violence Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/overview/social-ecologicalmodel.html. Accessed on September 28, 2011. 134 This page intentionally left blank. 135 FoSE is a collaboration of partner organizations: 136 137 This page intentionally left blank. 138 139 Alabama Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy 412 N. Hull Street, Montgomery, AL 36106 334-265-8004 (ph) * 334-265-8033 (fax) [email protected] * www.acptp.org www.facebook.com/acptp * www.twitter.com/AlabamaCampaign Mobile County Health Department TEEN Center 248 Cox Street, Mobile, AL 36604 251-690-7525 (ph) * 251-690-8888 (fax) [email protected] * www.thinkteen.org 140