Introduction
The Sexual Risk Avoidance Education (SRAE) grant program—a federally funded adolescent pregnancy prevention initiative administered by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Family and Youth Services Bureau—teaches youth how to voluntarily refrain from non-marital sexual activity. The program was first funded by Congress through a discretionary grant program in 2016 (General Departmental grant recipients) and through the reauthorization of Title V in 2018 (Title V State and Competitive grant recipients). This brief highlights the experiences of youth that attended SRAE programs.
Purpose
From April 2023 to July 2023, Mathematica conducted 18 focus groups with youth that participated in SRAE programming at 15 different SRAE providers. A total of 120 youth provided insight into their general interest in SRAE programming, the topics and content covered in SRAE programming, and their experiences with their SRAE program facilitator(s).
Key Findings and Highlights
Youth were able to recall topics covered in their programs, and nearly all found the topics meaningful and applicable to their lives.
Across all focus groups, youth identified healthy and unhealthy relationships, STDs/STIs, and communication skills as the most meaningful topics covered.
In most focus groups, youth said they had used some of the information and skills from their SRAE programming in their personal lives.
Youth reported high levels of satisfaction with both the facilitators and the facilitation styles used to deliver program material.
Overall, across all focus groups, youth said fewer negative (than positive) things about the way their facilitators presented SRAE programming material, but their most relevant criticisms centered on a lack of interactive, hands-on activities or the lessons being delivered too quickly.
Across all focus groups, youth said they felt respected by their SRAE program facilitator(s).
Citation
Starks, B., Boyle, E., Zaveri, H. and Zief, S. Youth feedback on Sexual Risk Avoidance Education (SRAE) Programming: highlights from the Sexual Risk Avoidance Education National Evaluation (SRAENE) Nationwide Study Youth Focus Groups. (OPRE Report #2024-XX). Washington, DC: Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.