Ladies by Design Junior Debutante Course COORDINATOR CERTIFICATION Touching Tomorrow s Women Today

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1 Ladies by Design Junior Debutante Course COORDINATOR CERTIFICATION Touching Tomorrow s Women Today Module 2: All About Girls: Statistics and Facts African American girls and teens statistics National Girls and Debutante Programs Resources for Girls and Teens Best Practices in Teen Pregnancy Prevention , Trenette Wilson. All rights reserved. Ladies By Design Coordinator Certification 1

2 Module 2: African American Girls and Teen Statistics African American Girls and Teens Statistics The following section provides a snapshot of statistics relating to black children and teens. The numbers indicate black children compared to other races lead in almost every area of at risk behavior. This interesting view of the numbers will help you better understand as a Coordinator the demographic Ladies By Design targets. Teenagers years old are the fastest growing demographic in the United States. The U.S. population includes almost 32 million teens from 12 to 19 years old, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Demographic Breakdown White 58% Hispanic 20% Black 15% Asian 4% Other Races 4% Black girls account for 15% of the entire population of girls in the United States. Economic Snapshot Department of Labor In 2005, 18% of all children ages 0-17 lived in poverty, unchanged from % of White children 35% of Black children 28% of Hispanic children Nationally 43% of children living in female run households live in poverty. Children 0-5 are more likely to live in poverty. This is not an actual category, but it sheds insight into the economic struggles of families across American who do not qualify for public assistance, but they have difficulty meeting their basic needs. Food Insecure Families 2005 Black 42% White 29% Hispanics 24% Drop Out Rate According to the Department of Labor, 20 percent of Black Americans 18 years and older had not completed high school compared to 11 percent of whites 18 and older. Ladies By Design Coordinator Certification

3 Education Snapshot In 2005, nearly 20% of Black Americans 18 years and older had not completed high school compared to 11% of whites 18 and older. African Americans and Health Insurance In 2005 Of the children who were covered, 66% of children were covered by private insurance and 30% were covered by public Nationally 11% of children in the United States had no health insurance. 79% - Hispanic 93% - White 88% - Black The majority of Black youth receive most of their medical care from community health clinic or hospital or, more specifically emergency room: Community Health Clinic Black 30% Hispanic 29% White 16% Hospital Emergency Room Black 25% Hispanic 20% White 16% Statistics Taken From: Kids Count Adolescent Pregnancy There are significant differences in race and ethnicity among birth rates for adolescents ages years old. 8-1,000 Asian 12 1,000 White 31 1,000 American Indians 35 1,000 Blacks 48 1,000 Hispanics Department of Health and Human Services, 2006 Incarceration According to the U.S. Department of Justice, 2003, African American girls between were incarcerated at 47% increase compared to African American boys who experienced only a 4% growth. Though this is a broad overview of some of the challenges black youth face, it is a blessing to see more black kids graduating high school, black girls not having as many babies and black youth trying drugs a little less. Roll up your sleeves, there is much work to do.

4 Resources for Girls and Teens In each community there are numerous programs, and organizations specifically designed to meet the physical, spiritual and mental needs of girls and teens. For the purpose of this document it would be impossible to name each local resource available to young women; therefore, during this study we will focus on national resources for girls and teens. This is a listing of all numbers for all subjects. Please keep available, you never know when one of these numbers will come in handy. Post Abortion Project WE.CARE Adolescent Crisis Intervention and Counseling Nineline AIDS Treatment Information Services HIIV.0040 AIDS National Hot Line Al-Anon/Alateen Hotline Alcohol/Drug Abuse Hotline HELP Be Sober Hotline BE-SOBER Center for the Prevention of School Violence CHADD- Children & Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Child Abuse Hotline Cocaine Help Line Domestic Violence Hotline or Eating Disorders Center Ecstasy Addiction Food Addiction Family Violence Prevention Center Homeless/Runaway Incest Awareness Foundation Learning Disabilities Marijuana Anonymous Missing and Exploited Children National Adoption Center National Adolescent Suicide Hotline National Institute of Mental Health Panic Disorder Information PANIC Pregnancy & Young Hotline (Birthright) Sexual Assault Hotline TeenLine Teen Helpline Although not exhaustive, the proceeding list will help provide you with at least some national points of contacts you can share during your time with girls and teens. If a parent comes to you or youth, these numbers should be made available. As always with legal liabilities, it is important that girls understand their parents will be informed about any numbers shared with them except in cases of physical or sexual abuse.

5 National Girls and Debutante Program Nationally there are numerous programs that specifically serve teens and youth. There is no way to gauge locally the impact of girl s programs, however, as a point of reference, this section will reveal recognizable girl s programs. Currently, programs are divided into three groups: the individuals working with a small team of people, national community nonprofits and finally churches. Community Based Programs As expected, community based programs are vast, moreover, they operate normally at a local level underneath a National banner if you have heard of them beyond your city. For the sake of this study we will list programs that are nationally recognizable. YWCA YW Teens Girls Scouts of American (96 years in existence) Girl s Inc. (Clubs across the country that meet weekly) Communities in Schools Planned Parenthood Family Planning Clinics Why Wait Postponing Sexual Involvement Alpha Phi Alpha Male Involvement Program Camp Fire Girls TeensShop Tara Banks Summer Camp for Girls Debutante Programs Debutante programs are hard to identify as they range from small church based programs to as vast as civic and social organization hosting them. Ladies By Design is divided into age appropriate curriculums for girls 6-15 year old, the following are just a few of the Debutante programs by name. Jack and Jill The Links AKA Delta Zeta Phi Beta United Methodist Faith (Debutante Program) Ladies in Waiting There are numerous other Debutante programs I know I have neglected to name, I just wanted to give a general idea of the national programs that people may compare Ladies by Design to, it s important to know

6 Best Practices in Teen Pregnancy Prevention The ultimate goal of Ladies by Design is to prevent at risk behavior leading to adolescent pregnancy. Ladies by Design employees eight of the ten Best Practices in Teen Pregnancy Prevention as outlined by the Centers of Disease Control. Best practices are practices that have been proven to be best determined by evaluations and tracking of behavior changes. 1. Youth Development focuses on providing young people with skills that will help them succeed as adults. One of the most promising approaches to reducing teenage pregnancy is to improve educational and career opportunities for teens and to instill a belief in a successful future. 2. Involvement of Family and Other Caring Adults matters when it comes to affecting a teenager s sexual behavior and the risk of early pregnancy prevention programs. 3. Male Involvement acknowledges the critical role males play in unintended and early pregnancies among teenagers, and involves them in pregnancy prevention efforts. 4. Cultural Relevant interventions will increase the effectiveness of efforts to reduce teenage pregnancy because culture plays a major role in influencing values and attitudes about sex, child bearing, and parenting. 5. Community-Wide Campaigns to discourage adolescent pregnancy and childbearing are needed because practitioners work with complex social issues which as teenage pregnancy, violence, alcohol, and substance abuse. Single solutions are inadequate. 6. Service Learning connects meaningful community service with academic learning, civic responsibility, and personal growth. It enables young people to study community issues in-depth, plan and initiate community action, and make a difference in their community. 7. Increasing Employment Opportunities for adolescents is necessary to assure economic self-sufficiency, generate selfesteem, and create the motivation to delay early childbearing. 8. Sexuality and AIDS Education plays an important role in providing youth with the knowledge and skills necessary to make healthy decisions about their intimate relationships. 9. Outreach in Teen Pregnancy Prevention Programs that focus on sexual health is critical. The risks of pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections are high in the early months of sexual activity, and teens have the tendency to not seek help before a crisis occurs. 10. Access to Reproductive Health Services is important for sexually active teenagers since they need support and encouragement to use contraception effectively and consistently.