By Tina Mattsson
Most parents of school-age kids have probably heard of Red Ribbon Week. This is a week dedicated to alcohol, tobacco, and other drug prevention awareness. It’s well known throughout the country and utilized in many school districts. But how many parents of school-age kids have heard of White Ribbon Week?
“White Ribbon Week is a positive school program presented by volunteers or teachers that helps kids make healthy choices in media and technology. Every day, kids learn a new principle of online behavior—reinforced through discussions and fun activities. This program is research-based and kid tested” (www.whiteribbonweek.org).
Deanna Lambson, a mother of five boys and one girl, is a former elementary school teacher and the founder of White Ribbon Week. She got started somewhat by accident. She had experienced first-hand through close friends and family members the damaging effects of pornography and sexualized media. She realized “nothing good happens by keeping secrets,” so she started talking with her kids about pornography. Around that same time, the PTA president at her kids’ school had a volunteer sign-up form, and one of the selections was listed as White Ribbon Week – Internet Safety. Lambson signed up without even really knowing what White Ribbon Week was, but since no one else signed up, she took on the task. She enlisted the help of close friends, Sarah Weaver and Lisa Anderson. They realized if they could help kids in a preventative way they might be able to keep kids from getting to a point where they need to be talking about recovery and healing.
So together they wrote up a lesson plan and called it I’ve Got the Power. They were not able to teach this lesson the first year because of concerns from the principal about the subject matter. But the next year they were able to present their lesson plan, and it was a huge success. The kids and teachers loved it.
They were able to do the I’ve Got the Power lesson for the next couple of years. Then Lambson started talking to more people and heard a frightening statistic. She heard that children reported more than 80% of their happiest moments in their day came from a digital source. This led to the group writing the next lesson plan called Let’s Get Real, which teaches kids how to be more aware of their digital life versus their real life and how to find a healthy balance.
To her surprise and joy, Lambson realized the PTA and district were using her materials for similar programs in other schools. She was excited to get the material out to people so more kids could be reached. Eventually the state of Utah PTA adopted the program. This led to Lambson, Weaver, and Anderson creating their own non-profit. They now offer four different week-long themes and are currently working on a 5th one. The hope is to get the program into every school in the nation, because as Lambson says,
“When [kids] are given the skills, then they are so much less vulnerable to manipulation, to abuse, to addiction. They are incredibly strengthened and empowered.”
If a parent or PTA member is interested in starting a program in their kids’ school, it’s very simple. All the information is available online at www.whiteribbonweek.org. I’ve Got the Power is a great first week to start with because it’s foundational. It helps kids understand and take an active role in their choices and in protecting themselves. It teaches them that they have the power to control what they view and don’t view, they have the power to tell people when something makes them uncomfortable and not keep secrets, and they have the power to help other people around them. But Lambson says starting with any week will work. She recommends talking to the principal to see what issues the principal thinks are most concerning for the school community. For example, one school might have an issue with video games, and another might have an issue with texting or sexting.
Lambson points out that they don’t use the word pornography in any of the week long themes. And that isn’t because they shy away from that topic, but because some parents have a concern that the mention of the word will send kids searching for it (we call this the curiosity myth-see this article). An example of how this is taught in I’ve Got the Power is, “I have the power to not view embarrassing pictures, or to share hurtful words.” They teach the kids to talk to their parents or a trusted adult whenever they see something that might cause them to feel uncomfortable or scared or embarrassed.
Lambson has three points that she feels make the program unique.
- First, this is not an assembly program where someone needs to travel to the school. Anyone can do this program in their local school, so it’s not cost prohibitive. Any parent, any PTA member, any teacher or administrator has all the material they need to organize the week in their school.
- Second, she recognizes some adults might be nervous to start this program because they might not feel very tech savvy. Lambson says this program is not technology based. You are not teaching computer skills; you are teaching decision making skills. Everything needed, right down to what to say in the morning announcements, is in the booklet. It’s completely spelled out so anyone can do it.
- Third, this program is really about empowering kids to make smart and safe choices themselves. Many Internet safety programs focus on parents putting filters in place or monitoring time limits, and Lambson’s group agrees with those practices. “But this piece of it is helping the kids themselves, whether their parents get it or not. We have an opportunity to help kids be empowered,” to make good and appropriate choices. “It creates very empowered kids and resilient kids, so that when things come up like media, pornography or cyberbullying, they are so armored, they are so prepared for it.”
Lambson points out
“[the kids who are going to be successful in the future] are not going to be kids who have been blocked from using any Internet enabled device. They are going to be kids who know how to use it in safe and productive and innovative and creative ways. As opposed to letting technology take them over.”
The four, week-long lessons available are I’ve Got the Power, Let’s Get Real, Be a Media Detective, and Brain Power. Each program cost $40 and includes a facilitator guide, including lesson plans for each day, and a teacher guide plus information and a letter for parents. For more information, see their website at www.whiteribbonweek.org.
If you want to make sure the children in your community are educated and given the tools they need, BRING WHITE RIBBON WEEK TO YOUR SCHOOL!
Curious to learn more? Check out our books, ; How to Talk to Your Kids About Pornography, which is also available in ; and .
Need Help with Tough Topics? We got you covered!Tina Mattsson has a BA in Journalism with a Minor in English. She is a mother, writer and advocate for children’s safety and education. She is currently pursing a Master’s Degree in Education.
