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Issues affecting teenagers in

Trinidad and Tobago
St Francois Girls College was
invited to be part of this project.
At the Form 3 level, nine students
were selected to co ordinate the
project.
Phase 1: Form teachers were
asked to solicit
essays from students re:
Issues affecting
teenagers.
Phase 2: The essays were used
to compile a list of
issues highlighted. See
Appendix 1.
Phase 3: A survey was conducted
among Form 3

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students. The project

coordinators
(Form 3 students)
selected some of the
topics to be discussed.
Phase 4: The project team
identified students
who were affected by
theses issues and
arranged to interview
them.
Phase 5: The interviews were
conducted and
taped.
Phase 6: The taped interviews
were transcribed.
The information was
used to compose
short stories.

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Phase 7: Feedback from project

team.
As the coordinating teacher
(Dean- Form 3), I was surprised
with some the issues students
identified as issue affecting
teenagers. The taped interviews
were very emotional.
Feedback from the project
coordinators and students they
interviewed indicated that
involvement in this project was a
learning experience for both
groups. In general, students were
not aware of the serious issues
other students were experiencing.

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APPENDIX 1
ISSUES AFFECTING PRE-TEEN TO
TEENAGER
Instructions: Tick the issues which affect you as an
individual
o Abuse by peers
o Abuse by family
o Abuse by members in your
community
o Low self esteem
o Bullying
o Peer pressure
o Sexual harassment
o Aggression
o Crime
o Drugs
o Prostitution
o Sexually Transmitted Diseases
o Teenage pregnancy
o Dealing with the opposite sex
o Dealing with bodily changes
(puberty)
o Internet pornography
o Racism

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o Exposure to crime/violence/sexual
contents on DVDs, Music, television
shows and movies
o Criticism by adults
o Neglect by adults
o Too many expectations by family
o Too many expectations by teachers
o Too much homework
o Stress
o Bad role models
o Single Parents
o Poor relationship with parents
o Over protective parents
o Lack of spiritual development