If I Were Jack is a Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) resource which focuses on young men and unintended pregnancy. It is based around an interactive video drama (IVD) which tells the story of Jack, a teenager who has just found out that his girlfriend Emma is unexpectedly pregnant. The user is encouraged to put themselves in Jack’s shoes and consider how they would feel if they were in his situation. The gender-transformative resource addresses the much-neglected role and perspectives of teenage men in relation to teenage pregnancy. However, it is designed to encourage reflection and discussion among teenage women, as well as teenage men, and to go beyond the gender stereotypes surrounding teenage pregnancy. It includes a computer-based IVD, educational materials to assist teachers in facilitating classroom discussions around the issues raised in the IVD and web-based educational materials for parents. Ideally, the IVD is viewed by students on individual computers but it can also be presented by teachers on an overhead screen. If I Were Jack can be used by both male and female students in same-sex and mixed-sex classrooms. It can be delivered by post-primary school teachers and RSE facilitators.
If I Were Jack was developed by a team of researchers led by Professor Maria Lohan at Queen's University Belfast in collaboration with a number of stakeholders across the U.K and Ireland including: The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety Northern Ireland, The Public Health Agency Northern Ireland, The Council for Curriculum Education and Assessment Northern Ireland, The Health Services Executive Crisis Pregnancy Programme Ireland, The Department of Education and Skills Ireland, Public Health Wales, The Teenage Pregnancy Exchange England, Education Scotland, NHS Scotland and The Scottish Government; our partner universities Cardiff University, University of Glasgow, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and University College London; and, most importantly of all, in consultation with a young persons advisory group, and teachers and students from across the U.K. You can find out more about the research here.
