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CFOC Research
CFOC’s materials are research-based, meaning that they are developed in response to published research or our own research. CFOC’s own research includes conducting needs assessments and utilizing the focus group research method to determine the focus and content of campaign ads and educational materials and where they should be implemented.
CFOC attempts to monitor program successes in a number of ways. We employ both process and outcome evaluations. Maryland, North Carolina and Atlanta are the only programs to have effectively evaluated their campaigns.
Process Evaluation—Process evaluation is used to monitor and better understand how the program is used in practice and how it may be improved. One way CFOC assesses the process of campaign implementation is by surveying teachers, counselors, community instructors, parents groups, health department personnel and others who administer educational program components. As well, publicity reports and media reports monitor the reach and penetration of a campaign.
Outcome Evaluation—Recognizing that it is very difficult to correlate behavior changes with a media campaign, an outcome evaluation is useful in attempting to assess the effectiveness of the intervention. Trend data for teen birth and pregnancy rates are one component of the evaluation, but it is impossible to attribute one program or factor to the rise and fall of these rates.
Therefore, extensive evaluations that examine changes in attitude and beliefs about sexuality, awareness of the campaign, and reported behavior changes are conducted as well. These two sets of information help us determine whether or not we are meeting the program goals and objectives.
CFOC recommends that the organizations which implement a CFOC media campaign execute all of the listed evaluation techniques in their program. CFOC has available evaluation tools and can provide professional expertise to aid in the evaluation process.
“Prevention through Education”
Campaign For Our Children’s mantra, “Prevention through Education” is the guiding force behind our mass media campaign. When CFOC began in 1987, we had already learned through extensive research that basic attitudes and behaviors can be changed. At that time, our goal was to reduce teen pregnancy through a school-based media driven program. Our target group, 9 to 14 year olds, was chosen because 80 percent of this group had not experienced sexual intercourse. At this age, we attempt to affect attitudes before risky habits begin. CFOC’s program encourages the development of responsible decision making skills in teens by educating them on the consequences of their actions.
Mass media is the most cost effective and broadest vehicle of education and was, therefore, the perfect mechanism for relaying our message. We realized that in order to accomplish our goal, we would have to create a variety of marketing tools. CFOC developed a hands-on educational component of the program to complement the multi-level mass media campaign. An effective mass media campaign will provide a teachable moment by opening the lines of communication between adults and children. Research shows that children who talk about sexuality openly with adults are more likely to abstain from sexual intercourse and to make responsible decisions than those who do not.
CFOC’s mass media materials are broken down into five categories: television, radio, outdoor, transit and print ads for magazines and newspapers.
Educational Materials
Since 1987, CFOC has created over 100 different educational materials targeting youth, older males, parents and other adults. In addition to billboards, transit ads and television and radio commercials, CFOC produces educational posters, lesson plans, brochures and videos. CFOC’s educational materials are designed to be utilized in school and community-based programs nationwide. These materials can stand alone or be used as the grassroots element of a local campaign. CFOC also provides materials for parents and other adults that teach and encourage them to communicate with children about sexuality.
A comprehensive CFOC campaign educates by combining its media campaign with its hands-on educational curriculum. When used together, these educational materials have a positive effect not only on children, but on their families. Research conducted in the State of Maryland found that the greater exposure kids had to the campaign the more likely they were to discuss sexuality or an aspect of the program with a parent or adult.
Interactive Learning
In 1996, Campaign for Our Children launched its web site, http://www.cfoc.org, as a forum for parents, teens, students, educators, public health professionals and government officials to discuss and exchange information about adolescent sexual health and preventive health communication. Since its inception, the site has been a resource for many people looking for information about adolescent health.
The site is particularly useful for parents baffled at the prospect of incorporating AIDS and sexually transmitted infections into what used to be the talk about the “birds and the bees.” Parents can join discussion groups and take a screening quiz to help them assess how at-risk their child may be of becoming an adolescent parent. A featured public health expert is available to answer questions.
Teachers can find lesson plans and related materials appropriate for middle school-aged children. Community and church groups and health and social service organizations interested in implementing a media campaign can browse the catalog of television and radio advertisements, transit and outdoor materials and institutional posters created by Campaign For Our Children.
Statisticians, researchers and journalists will find an extensive compilation of information about issues ranging from adolescent pregnancy to HIV/AIDS, including facts, figures and statistics, and a bibliography of source material.
CFOC’s web site receives over 25 million hits a year. With sections ranging from “Sexual Responsibility” and “Daily News” to “How To Talk To Your Kids About Sex,” http://www.cfoc.org offers something for everyone. Our goal is to become the premier resource to those seeking guidance and information on adolescent health.