If I Were Jack
Information for Young People
If I Were Jack has been designed to help teenagers think about the consequences of teenage pregnancy, especially from the point of view of a young man.
What is If I Were Jack?
If I Were Jack is a resource about teenage pregnancy. It includes a film which tells the story of Jack, who has just found out that his girlfriend is pregnant. As you watch the video and see the things that Jack and his girlfriend Emma are experiencing, you are asked to think about how you might feel if you were in their situation. If you were Jack, how would you feel and what would you do?
What is it for?
If I Were Jack has been designed to help teenagers think about the consequences of teenage pregnancy, especially from the point of view of a young man. By putting yourself in Jack's shoes and discussing the issues that come up in the film, you get a chance to think about how you would feel if this happened to you. The resource is also designed to help you feel more confident in talking about teenage pregnancy and to encourage you to think about what decision you might make if you were Jack, or his girlfriend Emma, and what the pros and cons of that choice might be. The resource also provides information about where you might get help or advice if you or your partner experienced an unplanned pregnancy.
Who is it for?
If I Were Jack can be used by young men and young women aged 14 and over. It is designed to be used in the classroom as part of the relationship and sexuality curriculum but it could also be used in other group settings. Who has developed the resource? The resource has been developed by a research team at Queen’s University Belfast. We worked with key partners in Northern Ireland and Ireland who included young people, parents, teachers and representatives from a number of different health and education organisations. The resource will be freely available online when we complete our research.
Testing If I Were Jack
Between 2014 and 2016, If I Were Jack was tested in post-primary schools in Northern Ireland to gather some information from young people about the strengths and weaknesses of the resource. The study used a questionnaire to measure the number of pupils who had never had sex or had unprotected sex, and also pupils' knowledge, attitudes, skills, and intentions in relation to unintended teenage pregnancy. If I Were Jack was found to be acceptable to participating schools, pupils and parents, and the questionnaire was a suitable way to collect information from pupils.