Sexual Violence and Unplanned Pregnancies
Executive Summary
Greenlight Organisation is seeking for a grant to facilitate an awareness campaign for Sexual Awareness. Greenlight as an organisation was born last year through the initiatives of like-minded parents and teachers and various stakeholders in medical institutions. These members make up the board in the company: which was responsible for appointing the CEO, James Madison. The company serves in the capacities of sex educators who provide valuable information to the youth and teens on how to engage in safe sex practices. The CEO, through the board, began the initiative of public awareness last year after it was discovered that most adults had no clue on the concept sexual awareness. In a bid to penetrate various impediments that plague sexual violence victims in schools and their parents, it became apparent that the public at large have assumptions and myths about sexual awareness: improper information. This initiative was therefore formed to tackle the lack of information and correction of assumptions. The program objectives strive to ensure public awareness in the state of Louisiana. This will be accomplished through activities that entail creation and distribution of brochures, a one day seminar held in a public school – with presentations from medical professionals – and a billboard on the Interstate road. This initiative will incur cost implication of $14,540.
Executive Summary 2
List of Figures 4
Introduction 5
Problem statement 7
Goals and Objectives 9
Timeline of activities 10
Evaluation 13
Project Management 14
Budget 14
Conclusion 15
Works Cited 16
Quick Reference Guide 18
List of Figures
Figure 1: Showing a timeline of the activities 8
Figure 2: Showing a break down of how the funds will be spent 12
Introduction
Greenlight Organisation is headquartered in the State of Louisiana and was formed by concerned citizens to curb the rising cases of perverse sexual practices such as sexual violence and unplanned pregnancies. Parents and teachers were increasingly alarmed by the instances of sexual contact between younger and much younger teenagers. Medical practitioners were also alarmed by the number of cases of sexual violence victims and botched abortions that were arriving in their emergency hospital wings. Conventional methods of dealing with sexual crimes such as sexual violence and illegal abortion by law enforcement clearly was not producing positive results given the increasing instances of these crimes. As a result of these concerns, parents, teachers and medical practitioners came together to bring into being, the Greenlight Organisation. Our mission is to provide sex education to teenagers and youth in order to enforce sexual awareness (See Quick Reference Guide). Information on how to approach and handle sexual scenarios is very important toward arming the young people with the right information before they venture into an area plagued with misconceptions, myth and the influence of main stream media. The presentations will guide students to understand what sex is and the consequences of engaging in sex.
As a teacher in a public institution, instances of sexual pervasion has become a norm in the school set up. In fact, this is one of the reasons why sexual awareness should be addressed: the public no longer treats it as a priority. That said, sexual violence meted toward the girl child is however given more priority compared to violence meted on the boy child. In the long run however, they are all children and youth and should be guided to develop healthy sexual awareness. Initiatives in schools to curb the menace were introduced when schools were alarmed by various cases of sexual violence: however, they faded in the background as soon as the main stream media’s focus shifted to other issues. During the period such initiatives were in effect, there was a remarkable drop in sexual violence: a situation that reversed as soon as emphasis was no longer applicable. The Greenlight Organisation is a chance to redeem the idea of providing sexual education to enforce sexual awareness among students in schools. This project is thus important and in need of funding to stay afloat and relevant.
The Greenlight Organisation is fairly represented by teachers, parents and medical practitioners from various institutions within the state. Most of the teachers are from public schools with an increasing number now joining from private schools. The various parent-tutor associations in said public schools also joined the initiative and regularly play active roles in ‘preaching what they drink’. The medical practitioners and stakeholders from the medical profession – some of whom are parents – also actively participate by providing crucial information to young people: as they more versed on their physiological and mental changes through puberty. Each of the stakeholders in the organisation shares the ideal of setting an example before enforcing it upon the children. The children and the youth can therefore borrow from their parents’ wisdom while at the same time learning from the organisation. Previous campaigns within the school set up were fragmented and uncoordinated. Through Greenlight Organisation, coordination beyond just one school will ensure cohesion of information provided to the students.
The organisation will partake in distribution of brochures through the various stakeholders to provide information about the initiative and to enforce sensitivity to school going youth. These brochures will be able to get to their friends and parents: hence effectively spreading the information. Presentation by medical practitioners will also provide crucial information to teenagers and youth. This information will include a brief overview of what teenagers go through in puberty in terms of sexuality and sexual practices once they discover sex.
The overall costs of implementing Sexual Education Awareness in school set up will incur $15000. Members will provide logistical support and work together to get the initiative going. Your investment will therefore be spent wisely for a just cause.
Problem statement
Description of the Problem
Sexual pervasion is a major issue plaguing the youth and teenagers. Youth are engaging into reckless sex and incurring consequences: unplanned pregnancies. Teenagers are also increasingly getting sexual at younger ages. Given their lack of know-how and inexperience, they are influenced by main stream media to delve into sexually perverse behaviour such as meting violence on sexual partners, engaging in sexual contact with multiple partners, showing a lack of emotional maturity that leads them to lash out physically. The concept of entertaining multiple partners has become popularised by media from Hollywood that encourage and display such practices as cool. Teenagers emulate such behaviours they see displayed in various media sources. In addition to that, peer pressure is making them to divulge in dangerous activities such as illegal abortions.
Teenagers are young people that are still developing and discovering their beliefs. Their brains can be referred to as fresh clay that can still be moulded. However, parents have given up the responsibility of moulding these young citizens into responsible adults. The responsibility has been assigned to the teachers in their schools: most of who are overwhelmed and some of who take advantage of young people sexually. Most teenagers today are increasingly dropping out of school for various reasons and engaging in sexual behaviour that most certainly leads to unplanned pregnancies and in worst case scenarios – sexual violence. For instance, within the state of Louisiana, statistics show an increase in sexual violence, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Additional information also shows that the instances of unplanned pregnancies have also shot up. This gives a clear depiction that something needs to be done to mitigate such perverse sexual practices. The main stream media has taken over the provision of sexual education to young people and given their level of awareness, they should not be solely influenced by media they might not yet comprehend. The legal system of penalising young offenders is also failing since most of these young sexual offenders are really emulating what the society calls ‘entertainment’. Therefore, delinquent sexual offenders who are treated harshly instead of being rehabilitated become repeat offenders into adulthood. The heart of the matter not being addressed is information and education. Information is readily available in this day and age. However, it is open to varying interpretations which only escalates the situation further.
Solution to the Problem
It is important to therefore provide the information in tandem with education in order to effectively communicate the right information about sex that will not only inform but also provide youth with the opportunity to mature sexually. This is possible by creating sexual awareness initiatives at learning institutions that address the root of the problem.
Population Impact
The information provided will have a long term effect of curbing the menace of sexual violence and unplanned pregnancies gradually. This is primarily because these practices tend to spill into adulthood unchecked. Providing sexual education will mitigate that spill and address the issue effectively.
Target Group
Given the future projection, the target group of this initiative are the teenagers and youth. They need this information the most since they are the most influenced by mainstream media.
Reasons for Campaign Awareness
Teenagers are the easiest age group to influence since they are in transition between childhood and adulthood: developing their system of belief. They are increasingly getting sexually active at younger ages and engaging in such activity with inadequate information. Worse still, most of the information that young people possess on sex matter comprise of misconceptions and myths. If they can be informed sexually, then they can make informed decisions on matters of sex. As a result therefore, they will know that engaging in sex might lead to unplanned pregnancies and main stream material on sex and violent sexual practices are not the basis of sexual relations.
Goals and Objectives
Sexual relation is a topic plagued with misconceptions and misunderstood practices from various cultures in the world. The Green light Organisation was formed with the objective of educating young people on all matters sex. It also was started to shed more light on sexual awareness in school set ups within the State of Louisiana. Generally, most young people do not understand a lot about sex. Therefore this organisation aims to educate them and provide them with valuable information that will equip them with appropriate wisdom to make informed decisions.
The following are the objectives of Greenlight Organisation
Provide correct information on sex
Educate young people on sex relations
Provide inspirational stories to victims
Dispel misconceptions and sexual myths
Explain procreation in sex
Timeline of activities
Figure 1: Showing a timeline of the activities
Methods and Design
Bill Boards
Figure 2: An example of Bill Boarf to be erected on I-20
The organisation will also take this opportunity to invite various stakeholders from the department of Education, Department of Child Protection Services and department of health to partake briefly in the exercise. Their opinion really matters and can further inform the process. Since the objective is to create awareness as much as possible: inviting stakeholders from the government will go a long way to providing more opportunity beyond just one state.
These objectives will be realised in three phases. Primarily information will be given to the general public through a bill board and online through the various social media groups: in twitter and Facebook. In social media, the formation of groups will be available for free. Facebook and Twitter will each have one group, administered by the Organisation. These groups will be tailored to reach members within the state. There will be no cost implications since members in the organisation will invite friends and family to these groups. The bill board will be erected along the major school road shared by most public schools and parents in the state. This will be possible via Lamar Company. The organisation has been in negotiations with the company and the final value agreed upon is $2000. They have also recommended that the bill board be erected along I-20. This will be done on the 1st of April 2016 and will be posted there for a month.
Brochures
The brochures will be designed by members of the parent teacher associations within the organisation. The brochures will number 5000, enough to be distributed in the public schools. The schools in this case will not exclude the private schools. Students in high schools and colleges will be considered alike to receive the brochures. Attached to this document is an invoice providing details of the cost incurred developing the brochures. Teachers within the organisation will be required to distribute the brochures in the selected schools. The distribution of invoices will be done between the 25th to 29th April. The criteria for distribution will abide by the following framework:
Grambling State University Laboratory High School – 300 copies
Ruston Junior High School – 300 copies
West Ouachita High School – 300 copies
Grambling State University – 1500 copies
Louisiana State University in Shreveport – 1300 copies
Southern University and A&M College – 1300 copies
Guest Speaker
Figure 3: Sociologist and Sexologist Eric Anderson
His transport will be taken care of by the organisation. Of the selected schools, he will be expected to do presentations in all of the institutions selected with the collaboration of member medical practitioners within the organisation. Team building activities that will have a direct influence on peer trends will be directed by Mr Eric Anderson with the help of said medical practitioners within the organisation. He will be compensated $6000 for his efforts in presentation and $568 for his accommodation.
Seminar
The last day (last phase of objectives) will be a seminar for teachers, parents and medical practitioners within the state. Members of the various state departments invited to partake in the exercise will be encouraged to stay. This seminar will be conducted by Eric Anderson, who will train the teachers, parents and medical doctors on some of the signs to look out for when young people begin to engage in sex. This training will provide the three groups of stakeholders with the acumen to identify an abused sexual victim and girl child likely to be pregnant. This will therefore ensure the long term fulfilment of the objectives of this initiative. The seminar will incur a cost of $1000. It will end on the last day – 30th April – about the same time when the bill board will go down.
Evaluation
The Greenlight Organisation will use the following criteria to evaluate the effectiveness:
Gather statistics on new cases of sexual violence victims and teenage girls with unplanned pregnancies.
General sex education test will be administered to teenagers and youth to gauge their understanding and awareness.
An attendance list will be used to tally the attendance in each of the selected schools
Project Management
This initiative will be carried out by the Greenlight Organisation members. Greenlight is composed of 3000 members. Out of the 2000 members, 1400 are parents in the parent teacher associations from the schools selected. 200 of the same group is composed of medical professionals and the remaining 400 are teachers. The breakdown of duties will be as follows:
The teachers will be responsible for distributing brochures within the schools
The parents will be responsible for mobilizing the attendants at each venue. They will also oversee the smooth operation of activities and accommodation for Eric Anderson. The parents will also make use of their extended network to negotiate for ample but affordable accommodation for Eric Anderson. These negotiations will include the bill board placement and positioning.
The medical professionals will be in-charge of collaborating with Eric Anderson in all the tem building activities he will engage the audience in. the medical professionals will also assist and orient Eric Anderson to the prevailing issues within the state.
The teachers will be most appropriate group to distribute the brochures since they are within the schools and can easily mobilize the students in the selected institutions. The parents on the other hand are an untapped pool of designers, event organisers and media operators who provide quality input to the whole process. In addition, the medical professions can easily orient the guest speaker on the issues to speak about and those that need to be emphasised.
Budget
This initiative will require $14540 to undertake successfully. The following is a break-down of how the funds will be spent:
Figure 4: Showing a break down of how the funds will be spent
Conclusion
These funds are necessary to increase awareness on matters of sex relations and practices among the youth and teens. Given the consequences of not educating the youth and our teens, which include sexual violence and unplanned pregnancy, it is crucial for the organisation to receive the funds.
Works Cited
National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. “DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN LOUISIANA.” 2015. NCADV. 04 May 2016. <http://www.ncadv.org/files/Louisiana.pdf>.
Netburn, Deborah. “After Texas stopped funding Planned Parenthood, low-income women had more babies.” Los Angeles Times (2016): 2-5.
Appendices
Figure 1: Showing a timeline of the activities 9
Figure 2: Showing a break down of how the funds will be spent 13
Quick Reference Guide
