A Pornography Awareness Program for Swindon
www.syfc.org.uk
Talk to us about REAL LIFE” At The P Word we believe in the importance of young people being given the opportunity to study a curriculum for life. PSHE is an essential part of this giving young people the skills, knowledge and support they need to think about some of life’s big issues. The P Word has been developed here in Swindon by local youth work charity Swindon YFC. The programme recognises that we live in a sexualised world and pornography is increasingly having a common place in the lives young people across the UK. With the average age of expose becoming younger by the years; and phycological studies showing the harmful affects of the use of pornography,, it is increasingly critical that we talk meaningfully to our young people to help them make positive choices about pornography usage.
With pornography being cited as being a contributing factor in 56% of all marriage breakdowns, and our education system increasingly aware of the need for good quality relationships, The P Word has become a poignant program within the PSHE program in Swindon schools . The P Word programme helps schools to tackle difficult topics with their students as part of their wider PSHE schemes of work through a quality program led by youthwork professionals that come as visitors from outside the school community. The P Word has been created by Swindon YFC – a team of fully qualified youth and community workers who work within local secondary schools. In delivering The P Word programme it’s our hope that by learning about the wider issues relating to pornography, young people will make an informed decision to discover that healthy sexual relationships are not based upon the superficial and unrealistic perceptions that pornography projects. Please contact us with any questions or to discuss how The P Word could assist your schools PSHE delivery.
What is The P Word and how does it work? The P Word programme consists of a single 60 minute session that can be delivered to suit the needs of your school. If you have specific requirements we are can adapt and change sessions to meet those learning outcomes that are unique to your situation. Each session is designed to be 1 hour but can be adjusted to fit your timetable. Flexible delivery means we can deliver The P Word as part of the PSHE syllabus or deliver as part of an enrichment day. Sessions are delivered as workshops and incorporate a mixture of; Multimedia presentations, Engaging interactive activities, Group discussions and Personal reflections. Throughout our time together, students are also given opportunity to ask questions of the team and receive honest, practical and constructive answers.
The P Word Programme Overview The lesson and is aimed at year 10 students. Throughout the lesson, students will explore 3 main areas, the brain, their emotional/psychological state, and the society around them. It gives students the opportunity to speak with peers and ask questions as they go along. The students will also have the chance to hear startling facts about pornography, including information from professional pornography psychologist Dr Paula Hall, and quotes from ex-porn stars and team members who used to be addicted to pornography. Whilst the story is being shared, there will be a list of websites displayed on the screen so that students who need help can memorise or copy down information should they need to.
Practicalities How many students can participate at any one time? Because of the interactive but sensitive nature of the programme we feel that The P Word is most effective when delivered to a group of no more than 100 students. Due on the number of students in the year group you may feel that it would be best to split the year group and run the programme multiple times. The SYFC team are more than happy to discuss the programme delivery options with you. What would the school need to provide? SYFC will provide all the technical equipment necessary, staging, backdrop and any props and resources needed. Due to the multimedia and technical requirements of the presentations, and the number of students experiencing the programme, The P Word needs to be ideally delivered in a drama studio with 2 x 13amp sockets readily available in the room. Chairs are best laid out in loose rows so that students are able to turn into small groups of 4 to take part in some of the activities, tiered seating is not conducive to the programme’s delivery. Do staff need to participate in any way? During the event tutors / teachers are encouraged to participate and sit with their tutor / teaching groups in order to assist with small group discussions. We can provide a briefing document to the school in advance of our visit which can be distributed to all staff and tutors who will be involved in the day. This document gives staff information about what The P Word is and what it aims to achieve and what involvement is encouraged of them during the session. How much does THE P WORD cost? The P Word programme is not offered free of charge however we are keen to offer a package that is affordable to your budget and suits your school’s curriculum. As such we would appreciate the opportunity to meet with your PSHE co-ordinator in person to discuss possibilities. The cost of the programme depends on the sessions you would like delivered, the format of those sessions and their time-tabling as this affects the number of visits we have to make to the school in order to deliver the programme.
Further information The P word is delivered by members of the Swindon Youth for Christ team who have between them decades of schools and youth work experience. The team are passionate about The P Word programme and working to ensure that all young people are given the opportunity to explore the potential harmful affects of pornography upon an individual’s physicality, mental wellbeing and the society around them .
How to book The P Word or find out more: Contact office@syfc.org.uk or visit our website either for more information or to arrange for the team to come and meet with you to discuss the programme further.
“Every secondary pupil should be educated about the negative affects of Porn.” “The range of coverage was impressive, from ‘the science’ to personal experiences. Engaging and a fast paced lesson, which really makes students think, sit-up and question.” “Accessible, appropriate and informative session which teachers would not feel equipped or comfortable delivering.”