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This program, developed for junior high school home economics classrooms,
integrates family life education with lessons on vocational exploration,
interpersonal and family relationships, decision-making and goal-setting. A key
premise of the intervention is that vocational planning can lead teens to
attractive alternatives to early sexual involvement and parenthood. In
addition, placing a strong emphasis on values, Project TAKING CHARGE promotes
abstinence as the correct choice for adolescents, and no material on
contraception is included. The curriculum comprises five instructional units
that are divided into 27 class lessons. There are also three parent-youth
sessions during which adults are encouraged to communicate their own sexual
values and assist teens in defining and attaining occupational goals. A field
study was conducted with 136 youths from three low-income communities with
elevated rates of teen pregnancy. Six months following the intervention,
program participants showed significant gains in knowledge of sexual
development, STDs, and the risks of adolescent pregnancy, relative to a
comparison group of students. There was also some evidence, falling just short
of significance, that participation was associated with a delay in the
initiation of sexual intercourse.
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