abstinence at-risk Konopka Institute for Best Practices in Adolescent Health Healthy Youth Development Prevention Research Center teenager hormones sex ed protect FRAMING THE MESSAGE: HOW WE TALK ABOUT ADOLESCENTS

Nancy Cunningham Resource Development Director Sarah Ramowski, MSW Adolescent Health Policy and Assessment Specialist Presented by…

A special thank you to Glynis Shea Glynis Shea Communications Director Konopka Institute for Best Practices in Adolescent Health Healthy Youth Development Prevention Research Center

Communications research  Players  FrameWorks Institute (  Cultural Logic  Public Knowledge  Berkely Media Studies Group  Real Reason  Apter International  Goals  ID dominant frames; Strategic Frame Analysis ®  ID Idealized Cognitive Models; Cognitive Strategic Initiative ®  Reversal Theory ®

Today we will… 1. Explore the intersection between public attitudes and effective advocacy 2. Learn strategies to create receptive listeners and persuasive messages 3. Create our own persuasive, audience-centric message using the Message Pyramid

framing Structuring what you say and how you say it to best work with what is already in someone’s head frame What is in your head that drives how you think and react Frames & Framing Frames, according to many psychologists, linguists and cognitive scientists, are mental that are used to facilitate the thinking process. We use frames to provide categories and a structure to our thoughts. --Wikipedia, 2007 your brain does it Structures shortcuts

Framing the issue  Press briefing  “sound bite”  News story  themes or ideas that tell you how to think about it  Advertising  Positioning  Policy  Classic Lakoff example: Tax relief Pro life Pro choice Important life decision Drilling for oil Energy exploration Parental choice School choice

Perceptions of adolescents FrameWorks YES Young people All youth NO Teenager At-risk youth

Perceptions of adolescents FrameWorks NO Other Different values Teen world YES Adolescents are us Shared values Part of community

our elephants? Don’t think of an elephant! George Lakoff Rockridge Institute Cognitive Linguists

Perceptions of development  Explore identity = disrespect  Focus on physical = vain  Risk taking = delinquents YES Adolescent development Healthy/positive youth development Brain development

Bottom line  Facts are not enough  A single word or image can set the frame  Audience is everything  We must know and address audience beliefs in all communications  The facts MUST fit the frame

Category What kind of issue are we talking about? Shared belief Why should they care? Community benefit Environment Specifics The name and function or focus of your specific issue or program Rain forests Level 1 Values message pyramid Category What kind of issue are we talking about?

Sharing responsibility for its upkeep really is great I love our home life together Relationship Home maintenance Would you please take out the garbage before you go to work? Do your **%A#!! job! Shared belief Category Specifics Take out the garbage message pyramid Sharing responsibility for its upkeep really is great

Shared belief Improving student learning Category Obesity prevention programs Specifics Parent-youth cooking classes message pyramid Build support for youth health programs ?

Framing in Your Community  Brainstorm some topics for framing  What are your biggest communication challenges?

abstinence at-risk Konopka Institute for Best Practices in Adolescent Health Healthy Youth Development Prevention Research Center teenager hormones protect What message are we sending?

Shared belief Protecting young people (girls) Specifics Sex ed message pyramid Reproductive health: Standard ? Category Teen Pregnancy / STD Prevention

Perceptions of sexuality  Productive frame  Is integral to basic identify and self awareness  Exists throughout life  Has internal complexity  Changes over time  Varies across people  Provides opportunities for growth and development  Is a source of powerful connections with others  Current frame  Exists externally, separate from us  Binary: good/bad; pure/impure  Can be present or absent (virginity)  Can appear suddenly at a discrete time (marriage)  Threat to self control  Our opponent in a struggle  Is cause for parent’s grief Real Reason

perceptions of sexuality Real Reason NO Abstinence (≠ not having sex) Discipline and vice (vs. health and development) YES Not having sex in the first place Abstinence programs

Teen parents FrameWorks NO Her decision, individual Doomed life; one way causality Health issue, exclusively YES Environment Supports needed (systems) Why we all benefit

Shared belief Protecting young people (girls) Specifics Sex ed message pyramid Reproductive health: Standard Category Teen Pregnancy / STD Prevention

Shared belief Community benefit/exchange (adolescents as us) Category Share an adolescent development fact (sexuality, relationships, identity) Specifics ID your program based on the developmental need it meets message pyramid healthy youth development

Change the frame  Is sex ed in school going to stop kids from having sex, getting pregnant or contracting an STD?  Yes, the current state of scientific evidence shows that accurate, developmentally appropriate sex education paired with abstinence messages can help delay a young person’s first sexual experience and help prevent unintended pregnancies and STDs by improving condom and contraceptive use

Change the frame  Is sex ed in school going to stop kids from having sex, getting pregnant or contracting an STD?  Answer this question  Do NOT feed the elephant by referencing the negatives  DO discuss the developmental needs of young people

Change the frame  Is sex ed in school going to stop kids from having sex, getting pregnant or contracting an STD?  The real value in providing sex education in school is in teaching young people about healthy behaviors and how to take good care of themselves. During adolescence they are developing decision making skills and figuring out how they – as sexually maturing individuals – connect with others. Sex ed supports these important developmental tasks. Sexuality is developmental! What sex ed does Where is the us-ness/benefit to all?

Change the frame  Is sex ed in school going to stop kids from having sex, getting pregnant or contracting an STD?  Improve this answer  Explain why EVERYONE benefits

Change the frame  Is sex ed in school going to stop kids from having sex, getting pregnant or contracting an STD?  Every investment we make in our young people is an investment in our community …  Everyone’s future depends on the health and success of our young people …  When we support young people with … we make it possible for them to give back to us as healthy, engaged members of our community …

Shared belief Community benefit/exchange (adolescents as us) Category Share an adolescent development fact (sexuality, relationships, identity) Specifics ID your program based on the developmental need it meets message pyramid healthy youth development

Call to action  Think like an advertiser  Audience is everything  Lead with shared belief

Call to action  Hijack the agenda  Media & conversational opportunities  Educate re: development  Shift the focus from individual to systems / environment

Thank you  Questions/Comments  Evaluate this workshop!  Did we meet your expectations?  Ideas for next year’s conference? Nancy Cunningham Sarah Ramowski