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Friendly PEERsuasion is endorsed by the First Lady's Helping America's Youth organization.
Girls deserve to live in healthy environments,
but they face many pressures that thwart their ability to make smart
choices concerning the use of legal and illicit substances.
Girls often are induced to use alcohol, tobacco and other drugs to become
or stay slim, manage stress, appear mature, be popular with peers of
both sexes, or to escape overwhelming problems.
Because many of these pressures are more prevalent for girls than boys,
standard prevention programs can be ineffective for girls.
Consider this:
- More girls than boys are using alcohol, tobacco,
and other drugs. Over 35% of girls in the 8th grade report using alcohol
at least three times a month (Oregon Healthy Teen Survey, 2004)
- There has been a 60% increase in methamphetamine
use among girls in Multnomah County (US Department of Health and Human
Services).
Group Features:
- Culturally responsive
- Age appropriate
- Researched, evidence-based curriculum
- Empowerment and enrichment focused
- Resiliency and strength-based model 10-15
girls per group
Organizational Support:
- Assistance with recruitment and promotion
of program
- Ongoing professional support to site contact
and program facilitator
- Provide professional staffing and human resource
management
- Snacks and supplies for participants
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Target
population:
Girls ages 11-14 living in Multnomah, Washington, or Clackamas counties
Program location,
2005-2006 sites include:
Arleta Elementary, Beach Elementary, Peninsula Elementary, James John
Elementary, Markham Elementary, Rigler Elementary, Beaumont Middle School,
Fernwood Middle School, HB Lee Middle School and Kellogg Middle School
To bring Friendly PEERsuasion to your school, email catherine@girlsincnworegon.org.
Program structure:
Bi-weekly, 1.5 hours per session, for 16 weeks after school at sites
listed above- times vary by location.
Objectives:
- Provide decision making, assertiveness and communication skills
- Role plays to practice drug and alcohol resistance skills
- Increase knowledge about the short and long term effects of substance
abuse
- Participants learn how to recognize negative media and peer pressures
- Engage participants as leaders and teachers of younger girls
Program Components:
- Bi-Weekly, after school sessions using evidence-based curricula
- Program content is delivered through games, discussions, role plays
and creative expressions
- Participants will spend time analyzing media and create brief public
service announcements about the dangers of substance use
- Participants will plan and deliver substance abuse prevention activities
for elementary school girls age 6-10
Staffing:
- paid group facilitator trained in best practices for girl focused programming
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