The gender-transformative resource focuses on positive masculinities to educate boys in schools about their role in healthy, consensual sexual relationships, and addresses the much-neglected role and perspectives of teenage men in relation to teenage pregnancy.

Da mBá Mise Jack was created in response to a recent report published by the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission that found that Relationships and Sexuality Education in schools in Northern Ireland does not meet human rights standards.

It was developed by a team led by Professor Maria Lohan from Queen's University Belfast in collaboration with the Council for Curriculum Assessment Northern Ireland, An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta (COGG)) and Morrow Communications.

The resource is based around an interactive video drama which tells the story of Jack, a teenager who has just found out that his girlfriend Emma is unexpectedly pregnant.

The video encourages reflection and discussion among teenage boys as well as teenage girls. It was co-designed with young people and policy makers and informed by pilot work in faith and non-faith-based schools across the UK and Ireland.

The launch of this resource coincides with a new UK National Institute of Health and Social Care research report evaluating the English language version of the resource in schools throughout the UK. Earlier results of this randomised trial, know as the ‘the Jack trial’, were also published in the Lancet Public Health.

The results demonstrated that the programme increased adolescent boys’ and girls’ sexual health and healthcare knowledge, improved gender-equitable attitudes/positive masculinities, and increased knowledge and intentions to prevent unintended pregnancy.

The trial also demonstrated that both boys and girls were significantly more likely to use contraception once they became sexually active. There was no increase in sexual initiation among young people at all – only that as young people become sexually active, they are more informed and more prepared.

Lead author of the study, Professor Maria Lohan from the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Queen’s University Belfast, explains: “Adolescent pregnancy is often thought to be an issue for young women alone, but it is crucial to engage young men early in conversations around sexual health and rights alongside young women. Sex education in schools is the best opportunity for young people to learn and explore gender and sexual identities, and respectful and positive relationships.

“In Irish-medium schools the dearth of high-quality relationships and sexuality education resources is even greater, leaving pupils in this sector at a further disadvantage compared to their English-medium peers. We hope this resource will mark a step-change in the provision of high-quality comprehensive sex education accessible to all students.”

Moya Neeson, the Executive Producer of the interactive film from Morrow Communications, said: “Da mBá Mise Jack is the culmination of over five years of working in partnership with Queen’s. We have had the pleasure of being involved in this project from the very beginning, and it’s fantastic Da mBá Mise Jack / If I were Jack is now going to be seen by a new audience – a target demographic that will really benefit from its content.”

Áine Walsh, Head of Northern Ireland Screen’s Irish Language Broadcast Fund (ILBF), said: “We were delighted to be able to support this important resource, which will offer teachers and students from Irish medium schools the opportunities to discuss, in Irish, the role and perspectives of male teenagers in relation to teenage pregnancy as well as promote a broader discussion around positive sex education for young people.”

Liam Dempsey of Council for Curriculum Assessment Northern Ireland (CCEA), said: “This resource is available on the CCEA hub for relationships and sexuality education Training and Professional Development | CCEA because we aim to support schools to develop their capacity to deliver high-quality and age-appropriate relationships and sexuality education that is consistent with young people’s human rights to information and which will benefit students in their future lives.”

Media

Media inquiries to Sian Devlin at s.devlin@qub.ac.uk