Jumping About Jack

Educational resource making a real impact

We have had the great pleasure of supporting Queen’s University Belfast researchers in the development and delivery of the ‘If I were Jack’ educational resource series over the last 5 years and this week the project reached another key milestone.

If I were Jack is a comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) programme designed to engage boys and address masculinities. It is an evidence-based, user-informed educational intervention targeted toward young people aged 14 years and up, designed to prevent teenage pregnancy and promote positive sexual health.

The programme has already proven to be successful in helping both adolescent boys and girls avoid an unintended pregnancy and with the latest launch of Irish language versions of the resources, all secondary schools across the British Isles now have access to these new resources. You can read about the latest Irish version roll out, ‘Dá mBa Mise Jack‘ and hear from the resource partners here.

The series was created in response to a recent report published by the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission that found that Relationships and Sexuality Education in schools in Northern Ireland does not meet human rights standards.

Adopting a transformative approach

It was developed by a team led by Professor Maria Lohan from Queen’s University Belfast in collaboration with the Council for Curriculum Assessment Northern Ireland, An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta (COGG),  the Irish Language Broadcast Fund (ILBF) and ourselves. It is unique in its gender-transformative approach in effectively engaging with boys and young men inviting them to think through their roles and responsibilities in preventing unintended pregnancy and promoting positive sexual health.

The resource is based around an interactive video drama which our team produced. It tells the story of Jack, a teenager who has just found out that his girlfriend Emma is unexpectedly pregnant.

The video encourages reflection and discussion among teenage boys as well as teenage girls. It was co-designed with young people and policy makers and informed by pilot work in faith and non-faith-based schools across the UK and Ireland.

Delivering results

The launch of this latest phase of the resource coincided with a new UK National Institute of Health and Social Care research report evaluating the English language version of the resource in schools throughout the UK. Earlier results of this randomised trial, known as the ‘the Jack trial’, were also published in the Lancet Public Health, which is an incredible source of pride for our creative team here.

The results demonstrated that the programme has been very effective. It has increased adolescent boys’ and girls’ sexual health and healthcare knowledge, improved gender-equitable attitudes/positive masculinities, and increased knowledge and intentions to prevent unintended pregnancy.

The trial also demonstrated that both boys and girls were significantly more likely to use contraception once they became sexually active. The study showed there was no increase in sexual initiation among young people at all – only that as young people become sexually active, they are more informed and more prepared.

Showcasing success

The project perfectly showcases the value of strong collaboration and co-design, especially with the involvement of both young people and policy makers for educational resources. Using our creative talents to communicate complex, challenging and sensitive messages to engage and educate a range of audiences is extremely rewarding. If I Were Jack has been a labour of love for all those involved, and we have enjoyed the journey immensely.

You can find the various educational resources tailored for each region of the British Isles here https://www.ifiwerejack.com/index.html