Lockers: A Teen Relationship Series

Sexual violence issues span across the life time and are influenced by societal and cultural norms. The reach of sexual violence is of particular importance as one in four girls and one in six boys are sexually abused and almost half of all teens have sent, received or posted sexually explicit messages (National Sexual Violence Resource Center, 2009). Lockers: A Teen Relationship Series follows teens as they struggle with issues of Dating Violence, Gender Stereotypes, Media Safety, Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment. This five part series is geared toward middle and high school youth and is broken into segments to be easily administered by teachers, counselors or other public health educators. Each segment has an accompanying study guide and measurable objectives to help facilitate discussions and ensure that students learn through this series. This curriculum meets evidence-based standards and has proven efficacy for sexual violence prevention education. The videos follow soap opera format which has been endorsed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as an effective method of raising awareness and early intervention (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011). The video series enhances current sexual violence prevention education by engaging students and providing a platform for discussion. These videos aim to equip students with the knowledge and resources to make healthy relationship decisions. Because teens are accustomed to receiving much of their information via the media, it is an effective method to use for education as well. Unfortunately, current sexual violence prevention videos are so out-of-date that students perceive them as lacking credibility and previous videos don't reflect the diverse makeup of youth in America today. With updated and relevant videos on the topic of sexual violence, adolescents who might otherwise disengage will be actively involved in lessons aimed at sexual violence prevention.