Draw the Line/Respect the Line:
A Curriculum to Prevent Sexual Risk
Curriculum: Office Hours
While the curriculum can provide a certain amount of practice, skills, motivation and information to students, students have a wide variety of needs that cannot be addressed in 20 hours of classroom time. We developed the idea of office hours to assist students outside the classroom as well. There are at least four goals for office hours: 1) friendly conversation with a caring adult; 2) answering questions; 3) help with interpersonal problem solving; 4) resources for students needing help. As educators share their time with students, they are keeping in mind the goals of the curriculum, and ask students about their personal limit and the reasons for it, the challenges they are experiencing and practice with them the interpersonal skills needed to maintain it.
Office hours provide a safe place for students to engage in friendly conversation with a caring adult. Friendly conversation can build trust, so that students will feel more comfortable coming to talk about something that is worrying them. But more importantly, having a supportive adult is a key predictor of positive outcomes for kids who are experiencing stress (e.g., alcoholic parents). Our educators describe their relationships with the students as someone they can talk to in a casual way, someone they can trust, a friend. They also feel like their job is to empower the students to feel that they know what to do.
The educators who provide the curriculum are also available to answer students' questions about sex and their changing bodies. Many questions are too embarrassing to be asked directly, so students are offered a question box both in the classroom and as part of the office hours. Any student can put a question into the box and then students may decide which ones they would like to discuss. The educator may engage a group of students in a discussion, asking them for the answer before clarifying any misconceptions. Topics are surprisingly sophisticated: Could you get an STD if you get cum in your mouth? can you get pregnant from oral sex? what type of condoms do you recommend? A question may also allow the student to reveal important personal information or concerns. One educator said her approach is to listen. She usually asks questions to determine why the student is seeking the information, so her answer can be most helpful.
The educators are able to listen when students are concerned about a problem. If a student says they are confronting peer pressure, conflict, or other problems with peers or parents, the educator can help them problem-solve, often using the ideas that have been presented in the curriculum. Often a student will come in because she has some concerns about her boyfriend. The educator will ask for more information: his age, how long they've been dating, what is happening. If the girl wants to slow things down or break up, the educator will role play with her, asking her exactly what words she will use. The educator may help her assess if the boyfriend is treating her well. Students and educators may also role play conversations with family members. Educators can be the adult friend who helps students feel good about themselves. Students with an unhappy home situation may need someone to listen and validate their feelings. When one educator was asked how students who come to her are impacted, she responded: "They get their self-worth reassured. I help them realize they have what it takes and they can do it. Instead of me providing answers I let them search for the answer and they do it. Instead of calling for an appointment, I give the girl the phone and let her call. I want them to feel empowered and to give them skills they can continue to use."
Finally, students who have experienced trauma may sometimes seek out the educator or may be referred by a teacher or another student. In rare cases, students may be depressed, suicidal, may suspect that they are pregnant or have an STD, may have been raped, harassed, or abused, or may have problems with drugs or alcohol (usually use by a parent). In these situations, the educator does crisis intervention, providing resources for students who need help. Such timely assistance is crucial for helping students with serious problems to minimize the damage. In this role the educator works closely with the school counselor and local agencies to assist the child.