Final Impacts of Teen PEP (Teen Prevention Education Program) in New Jersey and North Carolina High Schools

This report presents final impact findings from a large-scale demonstration project and evaluation of the Teen Prevention Education Program (Teen PEP), an in-school, peer-to-peer sexual health promotion program that aims to reduce sexual risk behaviors and associated outcomes among high school students. Although teen pregnancy rates in the United States have decreased over the past 25 years (Martin et al. 2015), teenage pregnancy remains a serious concern. Teen parenting is linked to negative outcomes for both teen parents and their children. Teen mothers are less likely to graduate high school, have lower earnings, receive public assistance for longer periods, and are more likely to be single parents (Hoffman 2008; Perper et al. 2010). Children of teen mothers have worse educational, criminal, and health outcomes as well (Hoffman 2008). Furthermore, teen pregnancy is associated with high costs to the general public; in 2010, teen pregnancy and childbirth in the United States cost taxpayers more than $9.4 billion (National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy 2013). Teen PEP, developed and implemented by the Center for Supportive Schools (CSS) and HiTops, Inc., seeks to reduce rates of teen pregnancy and associated sexual risk behaviors through a combination of school-based, peer-led interactive workshops and school-wide initiatives.