For Parents
Partnering with Parents
It's a parent's nightmare: your daughter quits school at 15 to have her baby, or your son dumps college plans to get a job because his girlfriend is pregnant. The PEERS Project provides information for parents to help them make sure their kids get to be kids -- not young mothers, fathers or statistics.
How the Program Works
From sixth through eighth grades in health classes, and in high school health classes, The PEERS Project’s positive teenage role models help students understand the many reasons for abstaining from premarital sex and drugs, and for developing their character and the skills needed to form healthy relationships. And PEERS mentors also instruct students about the facts of premarital sexual activity—negative emotional, physical, social and economic consequences. Short videos supplement the interesting and engaging way the PEP program’s interactive lessons cover relevant topics that are related to adolescence and sexuality. However, sexual reproduction is not discussed. Therefore, PEP’s content is appropriate for the recommended grade levels, and for co-educational groups. Mentors candidly talk to kids about:
- Why it's cool NOT to have sex
- Respecting both their bodies and others’
- The importance of developing healthy friendships with the opposite sex, and how to do this
- How to figure out if a person “has character” and why this is really important
- How the media and popular culture are really trying to manipulate them
- The harsh realities of teen pregnancy
- The dangers of all sexually transmitted diseases
- Friendship, healthy relationships, and misconceptions about teenage "love"
- Resisting peer pressure and being empowered to take control of their bodies and their futures
Getting Your Son or Daughter Involved
If your community has not implemented The PEERS Project, talk to your principal about bringing it to your child's school. Be proactive by initiating PEERS in your community, and even possibly becoming an Area Coordinator. If you have a teenager, talk to him or her about becoming a Peer Mentor.
To find out more about The PEERS Project, have your principal or superintendent contact Eve Jackson at (317) 592-4016 or use our contact form.
