Draw the Line: Evidence Summary
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Draw the Line/Respect the Line is designed to be used either by a classroom teacher or trained family life educator in the sixth, seventh and eighth grades. The aim of the program is to reduce the number of students who initiate or have sexual intercourse, and to increase condom use among students who are sexually active. Using a fun, interactive approach, Draw the Line shows students how to set personal limits and meet challenges to those limits.
In a randomized controlled trial involving 19 schools funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (Coyle et al., 2004):
- Boys who received Draw the Line were significantly less likely than boys in the comparison group to initiate sex, had significantly greater knowledge, had stronger sexual limits, and put themselves in fewer situations that could lead to sex.
- At 36-month follow-up, 19% of boys in the program had had sex compared to 27% in the control group.
Draw the Line is based on these principles:
- Not having sex is the healthiest sexual limit for students in middle school.
- Students can set sexual limits and maintain them.
- Students will encounter challenges to their limits, and can overcome challenges.
- Students can learn to respect others’ limits.
- Condom use is essential protection for those who are sexually active.
Draw the Line is sensitive to the needs of Latino youth. It was implemented in schools with large numbers of Latino youth, and these youth were consulted frequently during development. The student materials are provided in both English and Spanish.
Reference:
Coyle, K., D. Kirby, B. Maria, C. Gomez and S. Gregorich. 2004. Draw the Line/Respect the Line: A randomized trial of a middle school intervention to reduce sexual behaviors. American Journal of Public Health 94 (5): 843-851.
