Sexual coercion prevention project launched

The Division of Public Health’s Family Planning Program launched Tuesday an outreach project dubbed Pressure Point Project as part of efforts to educate the CNMI youth on issues related to sex.

Pressure Point Project officer Roxanne Diaz said the project, which is targeted at middle and high school adolescents in the Commonwealth, aims to prevent sexual coercion.

“The outreach project will use theatrical performance formats such as short film, one-act play, music-oriented, and other performance venues to explore empowerment of our youth to resist sexual pressure or coercion,” said Diaz.

The project, added Diaz, is in collaboration with the Friends of the Arts, Marianas High School Drama Club, Thespians of the Western Pacific Islands, Women’s Affairs Office, and the Saipan Southern High School Manta Ray Band.

Officers from the group were also present during the news briefing Tuesday at the MHS Drama Club Room D101.
The Pressure Point Project will promote awareness and prevention of sexual pressure among local teenagers by directly involving them as participants building skills to resist sexual pressure. This means it would be teenagers who will share the preventive measures in a creative form with their fellow teenagers, according to project grant proposal author and project officer Leticia Lochaby said.

The project aims to reach at least 5,000 adolescents in the CNMI.

MHS Drama Club and Thespian Society adviser Hal Easton said the different creative art forms included in the project are film, music, dance and theater, prose, poetry, puppetry, visual arts, and radio plays.

Easton said the project is open to 7th and 12th grade student in the CNMI. He said interested students could log on to www.formdesk.com/saipan/pp for registration if they want to get involved with the project.

Pressure Point Project Festival is also in the works, to be held on May 6. The festival will showcase student-driven, artistic works such as prose, poetry, visual arts, music, dance, and film, among many others. It will be held at the Pedro P. Tenorio Multi-Purpose Center in Susupe.

“School clubs will also be at the festival, selling a variety of food and drinks,” Diaz said.

In mid-April, all participating students will also be invited to a DPH-sponsored event called Sexual Pressure Awareness and Prevention Workshop. For more information, contact Roxanne Diaz at 236-8712.

Pressure Point Project was initiated through a $50,000 federal grant the CNMI public health division won last year. The amount will be given across three years. Lochaby said the CNMI had won the grant from the Region 9 office, toppling other proposals coming from California and the rest of the region.

MHS students participating in the project expressed their appreciation for the project. High school junior Gretchen Smith said this is totally different and she is glad that the CNMI is holding the project for adolescents like her.

Senior high school Cici Pangelinan, who is the student in charge of the event, said that, for teenagers like her, being part of the organizing committee is a wonderful experience. “I’m happy because teens need to be aware that sex is not just fun and games.”

MHS student Kelvin Rodeo also said, “I’m glad to be part of this effort to educate everyone about sexual coercion among teens.”