FRIENDLY PEERSUASION PROGRAM (PHASE I – 7th grade)

The Friendly PEERsuasion program is a unique response to girls’ needs because it approaches drug-abuse prevention as a peer issue, using the positive influence of young people modeling healthy behavior.

Phase I
Girls ages 11 to 14 go through a series of workshops that train them as facilitators to provide programming on decision-making, assertiveness, and communication skills. They also practice walking away from situations where they feel pressured to use alcohol or drugs.

Phase II
The newly trained “PEERsuaders” plan substance-abuse prevention activities for groups of children ages 6 through 10. The older girls are role models and leaders.

Results
An independent evaluation showed that Friendly PEERsuasion helped to delay girls’ use of harmful substances, especially by giving them the skills to leave situations where their peers were using drugs.

If you are interested in joining or would like more information, please contact the Girls Inc. of the Central Coast office at (831) 772-0882.