B3 GShea

Framing Adolescent Health
A presentation for
Communication Strategies for Building Public Will
CityMatCH Urban MCH Leadership Conference
Glynis Shea Communications Coordinator Konopka Institute for Best Practices in Adolescent Health Healthy Youth Development Prevention Research Center
Agenda
Goals

Get a taste of framing Discuss the publics dominant frame for youth and youth programs Discuss messages, strategies and techniques for re-framing
Participation required Evaluation
Konopka Institute for Best Practices in Adolescent Health Healthy Youth Development Prevention Research Center
Prevention Research Center
QuickTime an d a TIFF (LZW) decomp ressor are need ed to see this p icture .
Konopka Institute
I would like to leave as a legacy people who can work with young people with strength, knowledge, imagination and deep caring.
An advertisers POV
Its all about the audience

Positioning Presence
Communications = telling stories
PRACTICE: Telling stories
Think about an experience youve had with youth Share the story with your neighbor
In 1 minutes or less
Its all about the audience
Situation analysis
Communications objective
Build support for adolescents and youth development programs Many hats status and lack of financial resources for communications Audience perceptions (frame) restrict adoption of HYD model
Challenges
Communications gurus
Frameworks Institute Strategic Frame Analysis

Cultural Logic Berkley Media Studies Group Test statements in focus groups Analyze cognitive patterns through 1:1s ID dominant frames Find re-frames that work
Communications research

Goals

Frames

Handle lots of information -- fast!
Look for cues to connect information to what you already know, think and feel
Make mental shortcuts
Simplifying concepts triggered by symbols, pictures, metaphors and messengers -- the grammar of storytelling. Once evoked, frames provide the reasoning necessary to process information and solve problems.
Frames & Framing
What is in your head that drives how you think and react
Frames are organizing principles that are socially shared and persistent over time, that work symbolically and meaningfully structure the social world.
Reese, Framing Public Life, 2001
Framing is the way a story is told and the way it cues up the shared and durable cultural models that people use to make sense of the world.
Bales, 2001
Structuring what you say and how you say it to best work with what is already in someones head
DISCUSS: Name a frame
Frames in the news

Pro life Pro choice War on terror Death tax Gay marriage Family values
sound byte themes or ideas that tell you how to think about the issue or story
Big government
Climate crisis
Implications for communicating
If the facts dont fit the frame, its the facts that are rejected, not the frame Challenge: change the lens through which they see the information Be intentional: go beyond presenting information and facts Effective: persuasive, incorporated
Framing lessons
Start where they are at?
DISCUSS: Elephants
What elephant-like phrases, approaches, stories have you encountered specific to our field?
Framing lessons
Levels of Values
Hierarchy of ideas and issues that track and direct thought Cascading affect creates ability to reframe by changing levels Level 1 values as re-framing and bridging strategy
Framing lessons
Level 1 - Big ideas like freedom, justice, community, success, prevention, responsibility, progress, stewardship Level 2 - Issue types like the environment or child care Level 3 - Specific issues like rain forests or teen pregnancy prevention
Framing applied
Level one Level two Level three
Success/Future Personal PersonalResponsibility Privacy of Community
Youth Adolescent Reproductive Development health health
Teen Pregnancy Prevention
Communications research findings
Adolescent Frame
Adolescent frame
People are absolutely convinced that teens are dangerous and in danger, silly and self-absorbed and
corrupted by consumerism.
Susan Nall Bales, Frameworks Institute
Teenager
Framed
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50% of all youth news coverage

QuickTime and a TIFF (LZW) decompressor are neede d to see this picture.
crime victimization
accidents
violent juvenile crime
Bostrom Content Analysis, 2001 Konopka Institute for Best Practices in Adolescent Health Healthy Youth Development Prevention Research Center
Adolescent frame
Adolescents as other
Shares my values most
Older people.. 55 White people. 27 Poor people.. 27 African-American people. 21 Immigrants. 17 Young people under 30 16
Rich people 11
People on welfare. 7
Gallup poll cited by Bostrom, 2003 Konopka Institute for Best Practices in Adolescent Health Healthy Youth Development Prevention Research Center
Adolescent frame
Ecological model
Apply your expertise here
Adolescent frame
Individual

Owner bootstraps Personal journey Limited understanding of developmental process Container to be filled with knowledge and values (vs. a material process)
Adolescent frame
School
Peers
Owns learning and economic future; undercut HYD programs
Teen world
Family
Society, Community

Owns success and failure Family bubble
Fuzzy on role Environmental impact minimal
Youth programs frame
Broad, shallow support
vs. polls
Education competes Over-scheduled media theme skews perception towards abundance
Murky and conflicted on benefits
See no lack, no big problem
DISCUSS:

Sound Familiar?
What rings true?
Does it feel right?

What would you add?
Messaging strategies

Long live healthy youth development
Avoid negative, counterproductive frames

Frame messages around shared values: future benefit to community Educate on adolescent development (brain, connections, experiences)
Messaging Strategies:
Long live healthy youth development
Healthy Youth Development is a frame shift
Away from problem-centric towards strengths Recognize impact of ALL areas (Ecological model) Broadening learning (Social Emotional Learning) Broadening health (Being, belong, becoming)
Dont cue negative frames
Avoid crime/risk prevention messages

Cues negative frame Minimizes value of programs Send mom home

Replace with all youth
Avoid at risk segmentation
Support parents
Include parents!!!!!!!
Science-based?
Lead with shared values
Benefit to community -- exchange
Community needs healthy, productive, well-rounded young people Who will be able to give back and sustain the community
OBJECTION:
Youth make contributions, have value NOW!

Key word
BENEFIT
Lead with shared values
Adolescents as Us
Envision adolescents and young adults as our neighbors, voters, taxpayers, employees and employers, soccer coaches, congregation members, etc. Therefore a healthy adolescent is one with

the experiences that create/build us
the connections to us they need to belong
Educate on adolescent development
Greater understanding of developmental process creates receptivity for investment messages Broaden the health frame to include needs central to developmental process Getting there: 2 interconnected messages

Development needs Brain architecture
Adolescent vs. teenager vs. youth

Development needs
Adolescents have a unique developmental need for

Relationships and connections Positive, healthy experiences
Results
Emphasizes the protective value of connection and HYD Reframes HYD efforts as centrally important for development Provides a rationale and value for the experiences offered by HYD efforts
Brain architecture
Scientific breakthroughs!

14 25 PFC = CEO Use it or lose it
Talking about the brain is the strongest way to make development a material process
Brain architecture as simplifying model
Creates room for developmental requirements met by programs:

Experiences, connections Decision making

Brain architecture
Concerns

Emerging science
Too many variables Biology is destiny Cuts both ways
Opportunities Already on agenda Effective way to create receptivity for discussing environmental concerns (stress) Be answer ready!
When a youth experiences chronic or extreme stress, the brain releases chemicals that prevent neurons from growing and forming connections with each other thereby impeding the development of health brain architecture.
Messaging Strategies: Brain architecture response
Everybody makes decisions! Not always good ones, not matter what your age. Lots of things effect those decisions all the time. For adolescents, the brains exuberant development is one of those things. Whats important is what we do with this info. Knowing what adolescents need, our role is to:
Offer tangible support for decision making:

Provide the information they need Be there to help them work through the pros/cons and implications of their decisions. After all, you cant learn something unless you practice it. And wouldnt you rather they practice on something relatively safe like the color of their hair, versus borrowing a car?
Give them safe ways to practice/experience it
DISCUSS:

The brain debate
Concerns? Clarifications?
Question:
How should we as the youth-serving community handle this message? 10 = Use it 1 = Avoid it
Vote: scale of 1-10
Messaging strategy summary

Level one
Establish adolescents as us
Level two
Share an adolescent development fact
Level three Link developmental need to HYD effort
Story outline
Tactics
Effective Spokespeople

Researchers/Scientists
Elders Include adults! In community - active, engaged Express shared values
Hardworking Images

Establish situation
Dont assume audience knows about cut-backs, limits, etc.
Tactics:
Naming
Minnesota Out of School Time Partnership
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Tactics:
Press questions
We hear a lot in the news media about the critical hours between 3 and 6 when most juvenile crime takes place. Is that true? Will these programs lessen crime in our communities?
Studies show that the hours between 3 and 6, when children are unsupervised until their parents return from work, are the primetime hours for juvenile crime. Supervised programs can keep kids safe and out of trouble.
Tactics:
Press questions
We hear a lot in the news media about the critical hours between 3 and 6 when most juvenile crime takes place. Is that true? Will these programs lessen crime in our communities?
Strong, healthy communities depend on engaged, committed citizens. When young people become engaged in the community -- through volunteer work, or teams and clubs -- they grow up to become adults who are committed, engaged citizens which builds strong communities for the long-term.
Tactics:
Print products
What frame do we give our program?
Its all about us Otherwise empty buildings Safe haven
What does this photo communicate?
Kids are cute. Lotsa kinds of kids Kids doing

Tactics:
Print products
What frame do we give our program?
What does this photo communicate?
All about youth & community Big 3 points Benefits all
IN community Shared values With adults

Beyond tactics
grass roots mobilization
promote
campaign argue advocate SELL persuade

Tell a story
Be intentional! Use stories to:

Gossip success Share your views with the people you know and meet Take advantage of teachable moments Ask people to do something
When to tell a story
Media opportunities

Leverage headlines Give news context
When to tell a story
Conversational opportunities

Purple hair Taking risks Youth involvement Understanding consequences
Identity
Decision Making
How to tell a story

Tap into your passion
Tell a story that includes

adolescents as us healthy development requires

opportunities for positive experiences a chance to experience and build connections to community (relationships)
PRACTICE: Telling stories
Tell the story (or re-tell the story) + developmental fact
Story material:
Accomplishments Celebrations A challenge overcome Surprise! That was me Witnessed
Who should tell a story

We are the medium
Culture change
Make more messengers
Your friends and family Your co-workers Your patients and their families Community partners Everyone you meet
Go tell this story

Briefing outline
Sell youth development: Story outline

Frameworks
Messaging notes Resources
Thank you
Resources www

www.frameworksinstitute.org www.youthcommunityconnections.org/r esources/FWIresearch.htm
Glynis Shea

612-624-3772 sheax011@umn.edu

B3 GShea

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Framing Adolescent Health

Communication Strategies for Building Public Will

CityMatCH Urban MCH Leadership Conference

Participation required Evaluation

Prevention Research Center

Its all about the audience

Communications = telling stories

PRACTICE: Telling stories

Its all about the audience

Frameworks Institute Strategic Frame Analysis

Handle lots of information -- fast!

Make mental shortcuts

Frames & Framing

DISCUSS: Name a frame

Frames in the news

Implications for communicating

Level one Level two Level three

Success/Future Personal PersonalResponsibility Privacy of Community

Youth Adolescent Reproductive Development health health

Teen Pregnancy Prevention

Communications research findings

Susan Nall Bales, Frameworks Institute

50% of all youth news coverage

Apply your expertise here

Owns learning and economic future; undercut HYD programs

Owns success and failure Family bubble

Fuzzy on role Environmental impact minimal

Youth programs frame

Broad, shallow support

Murky and conflicted on benefits

See no lack, no big problem

What rings true?

Does it feel right?

Long live healthy youth development

Avoid negative, counterproductive frames

Long live healthy youth development

Healthy Youth Development is a frame shift

Dont cue negative frames

Avoid crime/risk prevention messages

Cues negative frame Minimizes value of programs Send mom home

Avoid at risk segmentation

Lead with shared values

Benefit to community -- exchange

Youth make contributions, have value NOW!

Lead with shared values

the experiences that create/build us

the connections to us they need to belong

Educate on adolescent development

Development needs Brain architecture

Adolescent vs. teenager vs. youth

Adolescents have a unique developmental need for

Relationships and connections Positive, healthy experiences

14 25 PFC = CEO Use it or lose it

Brain architecture as simplifying model

Creates room for developmental requirements met by programs:

Experiences, connections Decision making

Messaging Strategies: Brain architecture response

Offer tangible support for decision making:

Give them safe ways to practice/experience it

The brain debate

Vote: scale of 1-10

Messaging strategy summary

Share an adolescent development fact

Level three Link developmental need to HYD effort