89.6 Postponement of Sexual Involvement
[Whereas,] Rationale:
Assertiveness training programs taught by peer counsellors have proven to be acceptable and successful in helping teenagers resist media and peer pressure and make intelligent and informed choices regarding their use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs.
The Postponing Sexual Involvement program, developed at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, GA, incorporates the most recent psychological and pedagogical understanding of teenage behavior and has proven to be highly successful in assisting young teenagers in postponing sexual involvement.
The Montreal Council of Women obtained a grant for $5,800.00 from National Health and Welfare to assess the need for such a program in Canada and evaluate its value in the Canadian context. Their findings revealed:
- 51% of surveyed girls (ages 12–14) expressed a need for guidance on "how to say ‘no’ without hurting my friend’s feelings."
- 73% of participants in the program believed that the course would be helpful for others in postponing sexual involvement to a later date.
[RESOLVED,] The National Council of Women of Canada urges the Government of Canada through National Health and Welfare Canada to:
- Acquire the Canadian publishing and distribution rights for the Postponing Sexual Involvement program, as used in the federally-funded pilot project run in selected schools in Montreal in 1987/88.
- Provide translations into French and Indigenous languages as requested.
- Develop appropriate slide materials reflecting the educational institutions' needs.