Immigrant Youth Learn Positive Relationship and Decision-Making Skills

Summary

To educate immigrant youth on the importance of developing positive and healthy relationships, Douglas County Family and Consumer Science and 4-H and Youth agents taught Relationship Smarts to 24 English as a Second Language (ESOL) students at Douglas County High School. These students experience distinctive challenges related to academics, socioeconomic status, immigration status, parental involvement, and socio-emotional strains. The Extension agents worked closely with the classroom teacher to provide culturally sensitive relationship education.

Situation

The teen years are a particularly vulnerable and critical time. This is a time of rapid change in many areas: physical, neurodevelopmental, psychological and social. Many behaviors that begin in the teens may affect not only an adolescent’s current health but also his or her future health. In 2020, the annual Georgia Student Health Survey polled over 11,000 6 – 12th grade students from the Douglas County School System. Results showed: • Prescription Drug Use: Of the 2541 students reporting using prescription drugs without a doctor's prescription, 59% said they used it for "medical reasons" and the remaining 41% reported using prescription drugs either to "feel more alert", "relax or quiet my nerves", "enjoy myself", or "get high”. • Online Bullying: 4% (407 students) reported experiencing online bullying once or twice in the past 30 days while 3% (319 students) experienced it "a few times" to “many times” and 1.1% (122 students) reported daily mocking, torment, or harassment on a social networking site by other students. • Attempted Suicide: 15% (1979 students) reported they have seriously considered harming themselves at least one time in the past 12 months, with about one-half of these students seriously considering it at least 3 times.

Response

Improving the health, safety, well-being and mental/emotional development of youth requires a comprehensive approach to address factors influencing risky youth behavior. To educate youth on the importance of developing positive and healthy relationships, Douglas County Family and Consumer Science and 4-H and Youth agents taught Relationship Smarts to 24 English as a Second Language (ESOL) students at Douglas County High School. These students experience distinctive challenges related to academics, socioeconomic status, immigration status, parental involvement, and socio-emotional strains. The Extension agents worked closely with the classroom teacher to provide culturally sensitive relationship education. These students participated in six (1-hour) lessons from the Relationship Smarts 3.0 curriculum. During the classes, the teens learned about self-esteem, maturity, and healthy relationship behaviors. In addition, both Extension Agents collaborated with other youth professionals to plan and implement a one-day Power in Truth conference. The goal of the conference, which has been for held 20 years, is to empower youth in Douglas County to advocate for the prevention of youth tobacco use, underage drinking, and substance abuse in the community. The 4-H and Youth agent authored and presented a session on Cyberbullying for 40 youth.

Impact

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the subsequent shutdown of face-to-face public schools, and the limited access to online education, the team was unable to survey participants after the sessions. Based on five past Relationship Smarts sessions taught in Douglas County to a total of 85 students, we can expect similar changes in participants’ beliefs related to topics covered during the program and their confidence in their ability to use the skills learned. Past program participants data suggested: • 75% were a lot more confident in having a healthy dating relationship. • 94% of the respondents felt better about themselves now as compared to hew they felt about themselves before the program. Previous program participants reported gaining awareness and understanding of what it means to have a healthy relationship and feeling more confident that they can use these skills and behaviors in their everyday lives. Several students commented: • “This program will help me find the right person, stay out of danger, and help my friends with their relationships. This program really helps me handling conflict in a healthy way.” • “I think that my relationships are going to be a lot better than they were going to be.”

State Issue

Youth & Family Development

Details

• Year: 2020
• Geographic Scope: County
• County: Douglas
• Location: College Station, Athens
• Program Areas:
  • 4-H Youth
  • Family and Consumer Sciences