Build teen skills for sexual abstinence and protection
Teach RTR, receive $450 and $200 worth of RTR materials
Theoretical Framework
RTR is based on three health behavior theories – Social Learning Theory, Social Influence Theory and Cognitive-Behavioral Theory. According to these theories, in order to reduce risk-taking behavior people need to:
- learn and personalize relevant information,
- recognize social pressures and anticipate risky situations,
- establish norms for positive behaviors,
- learn and practice skills to act on the information and cope with social pressures.
To address each of these critical components, RTR provides the youth with the following:
- Information about teen pregnancy, abstinence, birth control and the risks and consequences of teen pregnancy and HIV/STD. These topics are addressed in Classes 2 and 8-12.
- Opportunities to personalize information by having youth identify their own vulnerability to pregnancy and HIV, examining the impact of pregnancy and HIV on their own lives and identifying their personal values regarding abstaining or using birth control. Personalization activities are included in Classes 1, 14 and 15.
- Opportunities to recognize social pressures and anticipate risky situations by having youth examine common lines used to pressure for sex and teaching youth how to anticipate and prepare for situations in which unwanted or unprotected sex may occur. Social pressures are addressed in Class 6, and preparing for risky situations is addressed in all the skills lessons.
- Norms for abstinence or protected sex are reinforced in each of the 16 lessons through the information presented and through all the skill instruction and practice.
- Opportunities to learn and practice skills including refusal skills, delaying skills and protection skills are learned and practiced in Classes 3-5, 10-11 and 15-16.
