This work is copyright · assi stance should a friend become unwell . Sobering up myths are exposed and s ubstan ce use and risk taking are discussed in the context of an adolescent‟s

RRISK

Reduce Risk, Increase Student Knowledge

Process Evaluation Report 2011

This work is copyright. It may be reproduced in whole or in part for study training purposes

subject to the inclusion of an acknowledgement of the source. It may not be reproduced for

commercial usage or sale. Reproduction for purposes other than those indicated above

requires written permission from the NSW Ministry of Health.

Authors:

Reyna Dight - Coordinator, Alcohol Projects

Denise Hughes - Research Officer

Lauren Rose – Research Officer

Health Promotion, Northern NSW Local Health District

For further information please contact:

Reyna Dight

RRISK Coordinator

Health Promotion, Northern NSW Local Health District

PO Box 498

LISMORE NSW 2480

Phone: (02) 6620 7500

Fax: (02) 6622 2151

March 2012

Cover: Young Driver Session - Roundabout Theatre

CONTENTS

Background ........................................................................................................................... 1

Aims and Objectives of RRISK .............................................................................................. 2

School/Student Participation in RRISK .................................................................................. 3

Professional Development/Community Meetings................................................................... 3

RRISK Seminar Presentations .............................................................................................. 4

Evaluation of 2011 Seminars ................................................................................................. 8

Results/Findings ...................................................................................................................11

Recommendations ...............................................................................................................26

Media Coverage ...................................................................................................................28

Summary of Achievements ...................................................................................................29

RRISK-HEALTH PROMOTION-NORTHERN NSW LOCAL HEALTH DISTRICT

1

Background

The RRISK (Reduce Risk, Increase Student Knowledge) program aims to reduce adolescent

risk taking associated with alcohol and drug use, driving and celebrating. The program targets

year 11 students in NSW North and Mid North Coast high schools. It combines a multi-

strategic seminar day, training for peer facilitators, newsletters for parents and professional

development presentations for teachers, health workers and community meetings. RRISK is a

resilience building program that provides opportunities for young people to develop cognitive

and social skills that will enable them to make safer choices when confronted with a range of

developmental and environmental risks. The program employs best practice educational

strategies to meet different learning styles and engage participants. RRISK seminars have

been running in the North Coast of NSW for 13 years and the Mid North Coast for 5 years.

The program is the product of a highly effective partnership between Northern NSW and Mid

North Coast Local Health Districts (formerly North Coast Area Health Service) Health

Promotion and Drug and Alcohol Services; Department of Education and Communities, North

Region; Catholic Education Office, Lismore; Lismore City, Tweed Shire, Ballina Shire, Coffs

Harbour City and Kempsey Shire Councils; NRMA Coffs Harbour; Aware Driver Training, Coffs

Harbour, John Paul College, Coffs Harbour and Police School Liaison, Lismore and Port

Macquarie.

In 2011 sponsorship and funding was received from North Coast Area Health Service

(NCAHS), Southern Cross University; NRMA Insurance; NRMA Roads and Motoring

Services, NSW Roads and Maritime Services (formerly NSW Roads Traffic Authority);

Lismore City Council; Ballina Shire Council and NSW Clubs Community Development

Support Expenditure program , Lismore and Port Macquarie. The program was also

supported by NSW Police, NSW Ambulance, NSW SES and Volunteer Rescue Association.

Lismore Seminar


2

Aims and Objectives of RRISK

A IM :

To reduce injury and harm resulting from risk taking behaviours associated with alcohol

and drug use, driving and celebrating among adolescents in northern New South Wales

OBJ ECTI VES :

Enhance school based Personal Development, Health and Physical Education senior

curriculum

Build resilience by encouraging young people to plan ahead and look after their friends

when socialising, to minimise „risky‟ choices

Create an educational environment that encourages discussion of adolescent risk

taking and the development of strategies to increase protective behaviours by

providing all year 11 students in the North and Mid North Coast with the opportunity to

participate in the RRISK Program and annual RRISK Seminars

Provide schools and students with the latest information and research about drug and

alcohol use and risk taking amongst young people

Provide timely information for learner and provisional drivers on the issues of speed,

drink/drug-driving, fatigue and safe vehicles

Improve young driver awareness and realistic perception of risks associated with being

a driver / passenger of a motor vehicle

Support high school teachers by providing information to increase their confidence in

addressing these issues with students. Information should include:

latest research into drug and alcohol use and risk taking

curriculum based drug and road safety support materials

Continually review and improve the RRISK Program through evaluation, to ensure that

best practice is developed and maintained

Conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the RRISK program to determine:

the impact of the program‟s effects on participants‟ knowledge, attitudes, and

self-reported behavior;

a teacher evaluation to gauge school involvement in risk reduction strategies

a partnership evaluation to assess the strength of the inter-sectoral partnership

an outcome evaluation that compares the driving records of RRISK participants

with other provisional drivers in NSW

Provide professional development opportunities for key professionals working with

young people, e.g. teachers, health care and youth workers

Engage and inform the wider community about alcohol, drugs and road safety

challenges for young people.


3

School/Student Participation in RRISK

All high schools from Tweed Heads to Port Macquarie were invited to attend one of eight

RRISK Seminars held in:

TWEED HEADS Civic Centre, 10 and 11 November 2011

LISMORE Southern Cross University, 15,17 and 18 November 2011

PORT MACQUARIE Panthers Auditorium, 22 November 2011

COFFS HARBOUR Southern Cross University, 24 and 25 November 2011

In 2011, 49 high schools participated in RRISK; this represents approximately 85% of high

schools in the catchment area.

Professional Development/Community Meetings

As part of the RRISK Seminar program, meetings were held in Tweed Heads, Lismore, Coffs

Harbour and Port Macquarie to provide the community with the latest information on alcohol

drug and issues. These sessions were conducted by Paul Dillon, Director, Drug & Alcohol

Research and Training Australia who is the keynote speaker at the RRISK Seminars. Over

350 people from a wide range of backgrounds attended, including teachers, drug and alcohol

workers, community and youth workers, police and parents. The presentation entitled „Drug &

Alcohol: The Facts‟ covered a wide range of topics including alcohol and young people – the

link between parenting and binge drinking; cannabis use - latest trends and research;

synthetic cannabinoids – what are they and where do they come from?

Peer Group in Action


4

RRISK Seminar Presentations

A RRISK seminar day contains six presentations covering the following topics:

ALCOHO L AND OTHER DRUGS

The latest research on adolescent risk taking and drug and alcohol use is provided by Paul

Dillon, keynote speaker from Drug and Alcohol Research and Training Australia. Students are

encouraged to plan ahead to avoid risky consequences, make informed decisions after

assessing risks, look after friends when out socialising, and know when to call for medical

assistance should a friend become unwell. Sobering up myths are exposed and substance use

and risk taking are discussed in the context of an adolescent‟s social life. Paul illustrates his

talk with real life stories told to him by young people that he has met over many years of

presenting to school communities. These, together with practical tips on when call for help,

resonate far more than just facts and figures.

PEER LED SMALL GRO UPS

Student led activities and peer education are features of RRISK. The key message of the

RRISK program is “Plan ahead and look after your friends, you could save their life”. This

message is reinforced by incorporating elements of the Red Cross “Save-a-Mate” program into

the training of approximately 400 student Peer Facilitators. In small groups, Peer Facilitators

demonstrate to their classmates how to physically help a friend who may have collapsed and

what to do in an emergency. The session is structured so that every student actively

participates.

Fifteen Peer Facilitator training sessions were conducted in the month leading up to the

RRISK seminars. Peer training is developed and led by Road Safety and Drug Education

Consultants who are members of the RRISK Committee in partnership with Red Cross “Save

a Mate” trainers. Training sessions were held in Byron Bay, Ballina, Lismore, Casino,

Murwillumbah, Grafton, Coffs Harbour, Bellingen, Nambucca Heads, Kempsey and Port

Macquarie.

Paul Dillon Keynote Speaker


5

Peer Facilitators are encouraged to become „RRISK ambassadors‟ who will continue

supporting the aims of RRISK in school and in their social lives. They are presented with a

leadership certificate, following their participation in the seminar day. Principals are

encouraged to present these at school assemblies.

YO UNG DRI VERS - A CHALLENG E BY ROUNDABO UT THEATRE

A new innovative young driver physical theatre performance was produced by Roundabout

Theatre in partnership with Road Safety Officers on the RRISK Committee. NRMA Motoring

and Services provided a special grant to develop and tour this session as part of the RRISK

Seminars. This exciting multi-media production utilised circus arts, mime, screen projections

and dialogue to depict key issues confronting young drivers. It was a highly emotive production

presented in a language and style that engaged and challenged the young audience. Seven

short scenes explored the excitement of approaching adulthood and the freedom associated

with driving a car, the complexities and risks involved in driving including excessive speed,

driver distraction, peer pressure, and inexperience. The presentation also covered loss,

sadness and regret when someone is involved in a car crash and the lasting impact on

families and friends. The final scene – „It‟s your choice‟ portrayed a clear message to slow

down, plan ahead to ensure safe travel to and from parties and gatherings.

The RRISK Committee is committed to further development and refinement of the session as

initial feedback indicates that this approach has potential to connect with young people at a

deeper emotional level. It enlivens and reinforces all the key messages of the RRISK program.

The RRISK Committee is hoping to attract a further grant so that the Young Driver Theatre

production can become a core component of the RRISK Seminars. The evaluation of this

session is reported on separately. (see p.21)

Peer Led

Small Groups

Young Driver Theatre Session


6

SAFE VEHI CLES

A session on how to buy and maintain a safe vehicle is presented by a Roads and Maritime

Services (formerly Roads and Traffic Authority) Vehicle Regulations Officer. The session

provides practical advice on how to choose a second hand car and which vehicle modifications

are legal. During the session, all students are asked to participate in a quiz and some are

invited on stage to assess a range of tyres, seatbelts, windscreen wipers and lights to

determine whether or not they are roadworthy. A segment on sharing the roads with trucks

and other heavy vehicles is also included. The Pacific Highway runs through many towns

across the North and Mid North Coast and heavy vehicles are an ever present danger for all

drivers.

S IM ULATED CRASH SCENARIO

This is a role-play involving drama students, Police, SES, Volunteer Rescue, Ambulance

Officers and a Barrister. The main themes examined in this session are:

How easy it is to be over the legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) the morning after

a heavy drinking session

How easy is it is to be involved in a crash

How this situation could have been avoided

How the crisis could have been handled to enable a better outcome for those injured in

the crash and the potential consequences for the driver, both personal and legal.


7

MY STO RY

Tweed Heads and Lismore seminars – This is a personal story by a young man who has

permanent injuries as a result of a motor vehicle crash involving alcohol and drugs. The

presenter reflects on how his decision to take risks resulted in the tragic death of two young

women and his own permanent disability and limited options for a fulfilling life.

Coffs Harbour and Port Macquarie seminars – This presentation is by a young man who was

seriously injured in a motor bike crash which occurred while speeding and attempting to avoid

police. The presenter discusses how his attitudes towards driving, road rules and disregard for

the safety of others led to his permanent disability.

Michael Buttenshaw

Mark Bettini


8

Evaluation of 2011 Seminars

PRO CESS EVALUATIO N

A process evaluation is conducted each year at the RRISK seminars to gauge the relevance of

the RRISK program for participants. Surveys were handed out at the beginning of each day to

teachers and peer facilitators and collected at the end. Completion of the surveys is voluntary.

Lack of time at the end of the day and travel requirements were barriers to some teachers and

peers handing in their evaluation forms.

COMPO NENTS OF THE EVALUATIO N

The process evaluation covered the following domains:

Reach

Licence status of Peer Facilitators

Teachers – number of times attended RRISK seminar

Satisfaction with the RRISK seminar program

Organisation (teachers)

Rating of Presentations (teachers, peer facilitators)

Peer Facilitators‟ self- assessment of their role

Peer led small group activity

Impact of the seminar

Three things students learnt and general comments (qualitative responses)

Teachers‟ views

Young Driver theatre session – teachers and peers.

Surveys were conducted with:

1. Peer Facilitators

2. Teachers

3. In addition to these, a survey was conducted with Teachers and Peer Facilitators to

evaluate the „Young Driver Theatre‟ session. Evaluation of this session also

included Focus Groups with students.

Seventy seven (77) teacher surveys and 119 peer facilitator surveys were returned. A

combination of Likert scales and open-ended questions were used as part of the evaluation.

REACH

Number of schools who attended seminars 49

Number of students who attended seminars 3,162

Number of teachers who attended seminars 154

Number of teacher surveys returned 77

Number of Peer Facilitators who attended seminars 292

Number of Peer Facilitator surveys returned 119


9

SCHOOLS ATTENDING RRISK AT TWEED HEADS ON 10 AND 11 NOVEMBER 2011

Banora Point High School

Kingscliff High School

Lindisfarne Anglican School

Mount St Patrick‟s High School, Murwillumbah

Murwillumbah High School

St Joseph‟s High School, Banora Point

Tweed River High School

Wollumbin High School

SCHOOLS ATTENDING RRISK AT LISMORE ON 15, 17 OR 18 NOVEMBER 2011

Alstonville High School

Ballina High School

Bonalbo High School

Byron Bay High School

Cape Byron Rudolph Steiner School

Casino High School

Emmanuel Anglican College

Evans River High School

Kadina High School

Kyogle High School

Lismore High School

Maclean High School

Mullumbimby High School

Nimbin Central High School

Richmond River High School

St John‟s College Woodlawn, Lismore

St Mary‟s High School, Casino

Southern Cross, Ballina

Trinity Catholic College, Lismore

Woodenbong Central School

Xavier College, Ballina.

SCHOOLS ATTENDING RRISK AT PORT MACQUARIE ON 22 NOVEMBER 2011

Camden Haven High School

Kempsey High School

Kempsey Adventist School

Melville High School

Port Macquarie High School

St Columba Anglican School

St Paul‟s College, Kempsey.


10

SCHOOLS ATTENDING RRISK AT COFFS HARBOUR ON 24 AND 25 NOVEMBER 2011

Bellingen High School

Bishop Druitt College

Bowraville Central School

Clarence Valley Anglican School

Coffs Harbour Senior College

Dorrigo High School

John Paul College, Coffs Harbour

McAuley Catholic College, Grafton

Macksville High School

Nambucca Heads High School

Orara High School

St Grafton High School

Toormina High School.

Peer Groups Practicing

Recovery Positions


11

Results/Findings

PEER FACIL I TATO R DRI VER ’S L I CENSE STATUS

Peer facilitators were asked to indicate their license status. Results can be seen below.

Figure 1. Peer Facilitator Driver’s License Status (%)

TEACHER STATUS – NUM BER O F T IM ES ATTENDED A RRISK

SEMI NAR

Teachers were asked to indicate the number of times they have attended a RRISK seminar.

Percentages of teachers who have attended RRISK previously from “never” to “5 plus” times

can be seen in Figure 2.

Figure 2. Teacher Status – number of times attended RRISK seminar (%)

No Licence 5%

Learner Driver 49%

Provisional

Licence 44%

Missing Data 2%


12

SATISFACTION W I TH THE RRISK SEMI NAR PROG RAM

ORGANISATION OF SEMINARS - TEACHERS

Teachers were asked to assess the general organisation of the seminar day, timetable,

student behaviour, suitability of the venue, catering and amenities on a Likert Scale ranging

from 1- excellent to 5- inadequate. Overall teacher ratings of the day‟s organisation can be

seen in Figure 3. 90% of teacher‟s rated the organisation and the venue for the RRISK

Seminars as excellent or good.

Figure 3. Overall teachers’ rating of the day’s organisation

Individual graphs of teacher‟s responses across the different venues can be seen in the

Figures below. Figures 4, 5, 6, and 7 indicate teacher‟s responses from Lismore, Tweed

Heads, Coffs Harbour, and Port Macquarie respectively. Teachers attending seminars in

Tweed Heads rated Timetable and Catering aspects lower than teachers at Lismore, Port

Macquarie and Coffs Harbour. This may be due to the fact that students were asked to bring

their own morning tea and lunch as there are no facilities for purchasing food at the Tweed

Heads venue. It was difficult to adhere to the timetable as extensive road works resulted in

some schools arriving late and leaving early.

LISMORE SEMINAR

Figure 4. Teacher Ratings of day’s Organisation – Lismore


13

TWEED SEMINAR

Figure 5. Teacher Ratings of day’s Organisation – Tweed Heads

COFFS HARBOUR SEMINAR

Figure 6. Teacher Ratings of day’s Organisation – Coffs Harbour

PORT MACQUARIE SEMINAR

Figure 7. Teacher Ratings of day’s Organisation – Port Macquarie


14

RATI NG OF PRESENTATIO NS - TEACHERS

Teachers and peer facilitators were asked to rate each presentation on Likert scale (1=

excellent; 2 = Good; 3 = Satisfactory; 4 = Needs improvement; 5 =Inadequate). Responses

from teachers can be seen in Figure 8. The Drug and Alcohol presentation was rated as

“excellent” by most teachers (97.4%). “My Story” was also generally rated as “excellent”

(75.3%) or “good” (11%). Small Groups” were rated as excellent or good by 71.5% of

teachers. “Young Driver”, and “Safe Vehicle” and „Scenario‟ sessions were rated as excellent

or good by 75-80% of teachers.

Figure 8. Teachers’ ratings of different presentations (%).


15

RATI NG OF PRESENTATIO NS – PEER FACI L ITATO RS

Responses from peer facilitators can be seen in Figure 9. Over 99% of peers rated the “Drug

and Alcohol” session as excellent or good. “My Story” was also rated as excellent by majority

of peers, (90%). The new “Young Driver” theatre production was rated as excellent or good by

74.5% of peers. “Safe Vehicles” and the “Crash Scenario” were rated as excellent or good by

over 85% of peers. Peer facilitators were more critical of the small group session which they

ran themselves, with 26.1% rating them as „excellent‟, and 41.2% as „good‟.

Figure 9. Peer facilitators’ ratings of different presentations (%)

PEER FACIL I TATO RS ’ SELF -ASSESSM ENT O F THEIR ROLE

Peer facilitators were asked to assess aspects of their role as members of the „RRISK team‟.

Due to lack of time at the end of the day as they rushed for buses, some peer facilitators were

not able to complete the survey.

The small group activity is the most challenging session at the RRISK seminars. The venues

in which the seminars are held do not all have ideal facilities small groups. In Lismore and

Coffs Harbour there are classrooms available but in Tweed Heads and Port Macquarie some

of the groups are conducted in large open spaces in close proximity and there are more

distractions for the students and peer facilitators.

One of the logistical challenges of each seminar day is dividing students into groups, making

sure they know who their peer facilitators are, then moving them out of the main auditorium to

the breakout spaces. 74.6% of peer facilitators rated this movement as either fantastic or

good.

They were most critical in their assessment of the activity which required students to discuss in

pairs some of the myths and facts that they had learned about in the keynote address about

alcohol, drugs, risk taking and barriers that might prevent them from seeking help. This activity


16

was rated as fantastic or good by 62.1%,while 9.5% rated it as needing improvement and

2.6% as inadequate. Peers were more positive about introducing themselves and conducting

the quiz with 80.7% rating these as fantastic or good.

Eighty percent of peers gave a positive rating (either good or excellent) to the recovery

position demonstration and practice, 13.4% indicated satisfaction with the demonstration, and

6.7% of students were dissatisfied with this component. Lack of space and noise from other

groups may have contributed to this response.

When asked to for an in depth assessment of their facilitation of the small groups overall,

80.7% of peer facilitators gave an fantastic or good rating for the activity, another 13.5% rated

it as satisfactory.

Figure 10. Ratings of Peer Facilitators of small group activities


17

IM PACT OF THE SEMINAR DAY

WHAT STUDENTS LEARNT (QUALITATIVE RESPONSES)

Students were asked to respond the question „What are 3 things you learnt today?‟

(88 out of 119 students responded to this question)

Figure 11 gives a breakdown of the main categories students commented on.

Figure 11. Peer Facilitators qualitative responses to “What are three things you learnt today?”

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45

Other

My story was great

Paul Dillon - specific comment

Truck safety

Don’t drink drive

Safe driving

Car safety

Police don't accompany ambulance

When to call an ambulance

Recovery position

First Aid

Celebrate safely

Plan ahead

Drugs

Alcohol - Sobering up takes time

Look after drunk friends

Risks consequences

Impact on statistics

Alcohol facts

Myths - General

Stay out of bathroom

Sobering up myths - Sleep

Sobering up myths - Shower

Sobering up myths - Water

Sobering up myths - Bread


18

PEER FACIL I TATO RS ’ GENERAL COMMENTS ABO UT RRISK “

Peer facilitators were asked if they had any other comments about the RRISK Seminars.

(55 out of 119 students responded to this question)

Examples of comments:

“Worth every single minute. I would recommend anyone and everyone. Well done”

“I loved being a peer facilitator”

“Fantastic!! Loved it, such a great day, lots of great advice”

“An excellent and informative day with perfect balance between serious information

and entertainment”

“This experience definitely changed my view on what to do if drinking is involved”

“Great learning experience, very educational and eye opening”

“A great day! I hope RRISK continues forever to help adolescents of the future”

Awesome, excellent program”

“Overall, was well presented, interesting and powerful”

“Not enough time for breakout groups, it was rushed”

“I think the groups were a good idea but perhaps didn‟t work so well due to

students

not willing to participate”

“Breakout groups needed more preparation for leaders”

“It‟s good, maybe more speakers about car crashes”

Figure 12 (below) shows the common themes that emerged;

Figure 12. Peer facilitator general comments about RRISK

0 10 20 30 40

Changed viewsMore stories re car crashes

MVA section light on informationBreakout Group - Good idea

Breakout Group - Getting kids to participate…Breakout Group - Bit Repetitive

Breakout Group - Not enough timeFacilitators need more training

Thank youPositive Comment - Re being a peer facilitator

Positive Comment - My StoryPositive Comment - Paul Dillon

Positive Comment - General


19

TEACHERS ’ V IEWS ON STUDENTS ’ ABI L ITY TO APPLY THE

KNOW LEDG E AND SKI LLS ACQ UIRED TODAY

Teachers were asked to indicate their agreement/disagreement with the following statement:

„I believe students will be able to apply the knowledge and skills acquired today to reduce

harmful outcomes.‟ They were given 4 choices: Strongly agree, agree, disagree, and strongly

disagree.100% of responses were positive. Teacher‟s responses can be seen in Figure 13.

Figure 13. Teachers’ views on students’ ability to apply the knowledge and skills acquired

TEACHERS WERE ASKED ‘HOW CAN YO U AND YO UR COLLEAG UES

REI NFORCE THE KEY M E SSAGES FROM THE RRISK SEMI NAR BACK

AT SCHOO L?’

(68 OUT OF 77 TEACHERS RESPONDED TO THIS QUESTION)

The varied responses to this question can be seen in Figure 15. The majority of teachers

indicated that further discussion at school could be an option for reinforcing messages from

RRISK. Other popular suggestions included incorporating RRISK themes into the syllabus for

all students and encouraging peer leaders to talk about them with others.

Strongly Agree 64%

Agree 32%

Disagree 0%

Strongly disagree 0%

Missing 4%


20

Figure 15.Teacher’s responses to ‘How can you and your colleagues reinforce the key messages

from the RRISK seminar back at school?’

EXAMPLES OF TEACHERS’ COMMENTS ABOUT THE RRISK SEMINARS IN GENERAL

Teachers were asked for comments about the RRISK seminar or the professional

development session. Both positive and negative responses were received. Forty eight (48)

out of the 57 comments received were positive. Some examples are:

General comments:

“An excellent, very informative day that students found engaging. Thank you”

“Would support this program in the future”

“Best yet.”

“It‟s a great day to open up the eyes of young people and expel myths that are still

common.”

“Thought it was a day of great benefit to the students and I felt that their respect

was obvious due to its importance”

“Strong emotional connection through variety of presentation types”

“Great and I would like to see it go state wide”

Comments on specific sessions:

“Paul Dillon spoke very well. Hard hitting examples used and realistic harm

minimisation approach. Some common myths dispelled.”

“Drugs and alcohol segment was well presented and well received.”


21

“A printout of the most important facts in Paul Dillon‟s talk would be great for follow

up.”

“Michael Buttenshaw as powerful as ever. Well done team.”

"Students reacted well to the Roundabout theatre session”

“Road safety sections seemed to be covered extensively (Great job). Well done”

“Car Crash Scenario - have a competition re: legal consequences - ie Q&A. This

would make them aware of actual legal consequences.”

Comments about Peer Facilitators:

“Some peer facilitators did not appear to be fully prepared to lead groups.”

“Some work might need to be done around supporting the peer facilitators. They all

did a brilliant job though.”

“Facilitators must be more commanding in the CPR session”

“Two peer groups side by side outside was not good” (Tweed Heads venue)

Negative Comments and Suggestions for Improvement:

“Wet weather organisation needs to be considered - workshop in the foyer was not

very successful.” (Coffs Harbour venue)

“Not acceptable some schools turning up late and leaving early”

“Some sessions would be better shorter (by about 5-10mins). This will allow time

for students to move in and out of the venue.”

“Timeframe - shorter breaks and shorter peer led groups”

“Schools should provide more information for parents - my son almost missed the

presentation (and many of his mates didn't attend). He wasn't aware of what it was

about and didn't provide us with any information. This seminar is AWESOME!!

Every Yr 11 student should be here.”

EVALUATIO N OF THE NEW YO UNG DRIVER THEATRE SESSIO N

As this session was new, the RRISK Committee conducted an opportunistic process

evaluation to gauge audience response.

The following methods were used:

Peer and teacher ratings of this session

Teachers were invited to provide comment on the session (both were included in the

main evaluation survey handed out at the beginning of each seminar day)

Student interviews were randomly conducted following the performance, during the

lunch break at Lismore

Focus groups were held in the four weeks following the RRISK seminars with a sample

of students who had attended the seminars


22

RATI NGS O F YO UNG DRI VER SESSIO N – COM PARI SO N OF

TEACHERS AND PEERS

The rating of the Young Driver Theatre session by peers and teachers is reported in the

general rating of seminar sessions in Figures 8 and 9. Their responses are compared below in

Figure 16.

74% of teachers and 75.57% of peers rated this session as either „excellent‟ or „good‟.

Figure16. Comparison of peer and teacher ratings of the Young Driver session

%

TEACHERS’ COMMENTS ABOUT THE YOUNG DRIVER THEATRE SESSION

Teachers were asked to provide qualitative feedback on the Young Driver Session by

Roundabout Theatre via an open-ended question in the evaluation survey. Of the 77

completed teacher questionnaires, 93.5% (72/77) included a written comment. Consistent with

their rating of this session, the majority the teachers‟ responses (in 65 out of 72 cases) were

positive. Even though the performance was highly rated, some comments did highlight where

changes could be made to improve the overall effect. A small number of teachers reported

dissatisfaction with the performance in its current form.

Examples of teachers‟ comments:

The Young Driver Theatre Session was rated as „excellent‟ by many teachers. Some praised

the innovative nature of the performance; others believed that the performance was age

appropriate, while others commented on how engaging and enjoyable they found the

performance. The following examples illustrate the breadth of comment made by the teachers.

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Excellent Good Satisfactory NeedsImprovement

Inadequate Missing

Teachers Peer Facilitators


23

“Wonderful!! Loved the multi-tasking media. Fantastic!! Great!!”

“It was an effective way to get the message across without another lecture” “Very well

done”

“I found it really engaging. The performance combined videos (with very current and

immediate local images) and music with the immediacy of real action. I felt it opened

the audience to their vulnerability - took away their invincibility"

“Fantastic - pitched perfectly at teenage audience with sensory overload. Very well

done.”

“Excellent performers. Students could easily identify with the scenarios portrayed.”

“Students need to see the realities of road crashes - this scenario does just that”

“Engaging, relevant, dynamic, effective, compelling”

“Very impressed - very moving at the end”

A smaller proportion of respondents indicated that while the performance was good, there

were areas for improvement regarding the amount of visual stimuli, the abstract nature of the

performance, clarification the key messages and the length. The following comments

demonstrate these views;

“Excellent show - just found it a bit hard to follow the screen and the play (a

great performance)”

“I thought students were engaged, however, some parts of the performance

were difficult to interpret”

“It was entertaining, engaging and powerful. A great performance! A little bit

long.”

“Too much going on at once with screens and actors - conflicting messages”

“Perhaps a little too long and some students may have had difficulty synthesising

the performance and visual presentation.”

“Not sure about the content, was confusing in some parts and overall disappointing.

Acting was good though.”

Overall the teacher feedback was generally positive and it was concluded that the physical

theatre performance was an innovative way to convey road safety information to an

adolescent audience. This feedback highlighted areas for improvement and this information

will be taken into account when preparing for next year‟s seminars.

STUDENT RESPONSES TO THE YOUNG DRIVER THEATRE SESSION

In addition to the peer facilitator rating of the Young Driver session, a small sample of students were interviewed and four focus groups were conducted to gain a snapshot of student responses to the session.

STUDENT INTERVI EWS

Students were approached in the lunch break following the viewing of the young driver session

and asked to respond to three questions. The interviews were conducted with students who

attended the program at Southern Cross University, Lismore. Six groups, a total of 35 students

were asked to respond to three (3) questions.


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Question 1. What were the key messages delivered in the young driver session?

The most common messages identified by the groups were:

Speed; driver distraction from friends and passenger; consequences of your

actions, loss and death, driver safety.

Some other comments included;

Peer pressure - encouraging people to go faster; seatbelts; plan how to get home

safely; drive to conditions; the need to be responsible, practice for your driving test

Question 2. What were some of the driver distractions presented in the performance?

All groups identified the following distractions:

Friends in and outside the vehicle; the stereo; other drivers; phone.

Some other comments included:

Leaning across the driver, drunk friends; turning around checking out what‟s going

on in the back seat

Question 3. Was the young driver session an effective way of educating young people

about road safety?

The responses to this question were mixed. Some students thought that the multi-media

physical theatre approach was an innovative and novel way to engage young people while

others thought it was confusing in parts.

Examples of positive comments:

“I think more about it when it is presented this way”

“It made me feel sad, the sound added to the drama of the car crash”

“Effective way of educating young people, they don‟t want to be lectured to”

“The show made me think that I could have been the one in the car crash”

“Grabbed my attention”

“Emotive, visuals were good”

Examples of negative comments:

“The start was confusing, first scene needed a voice over to clarify meaning”

“Could have run with the video only, hard to concentrate on both, focus on one

medium at a time”

“Video too fast moving, parts of the show went on for too long”

STUDENT FO CUS GRO UPS

Four focus groups were conducted across the region within the four weeks immediately

following the RRISK seminars using a convenience sample of young people from four schools.

Thirty (30) students who had attended RRISK participated. Each focus group involved

between five to eight participants. The focus groups were conducted by Council Road Safety

Officers who are members of the RRISK Committee.


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The focus groups provided the opportunity to:

gain further insight into the effectiveness of the young driver session;

gauge the level of audience engagement;

determine how well the key messages were conveyed;

determine the impact that the performance had on students; and whether they thought that this session would encourage safer driving practices.

The students were asked the following questions:

Can you recall road safety messages and strategies to reduce risk on the road?

The following responses were given:

“Peer pressure”

“Driver distractions”

“Risk of a fatal car crash”

“Importance of planning ahead”

“The need to be cautious on the road”

“That speed and road racing causes crashes”

“Don‟t drink and drive”

When asked to recall specific driver distractions, students mentioned

“Music, peers/passengers, back seat driving, mobile phone use including texting, and road works”.

What strategies were presented in the young driver session that you could implement

to reduce risk taking on the road?

Their comments included:

“Planning to get home safely

“Not speeding

“Not texting

“Not distracting the driver”

Is physical theatre and multi-media presentation a good way to engage young people?

The responses confirmed that physical theatre was an engaging medium, however, some respondents did identify the need for additional dialogue to clarify some of the key messages.

Some students reported difficulty in viewing both the physical performance „on

stage‟ and the multi-media messages which were simultaneously displayed „on

screen‟ and that some messages were missed because of their inability to move

between the two mediums. There were also comments that at times there was too

much going on at once, making it difficult to remain focused in certain parts of the

performance.

What effect do you think the young driver performance would have on your behaviour

or intentions?

Respondents identified that being a more considerate and respectful passenger

and planning how to get home when attending a party would be the most likely

behavioural changes.


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CONSI STENT THEM ES

Despite the different methods of data collection, consistent themes emerged.

A majority of students and teachers reported that the young driver session was an engaging

and effective means of educating young people about road safety. In the focus groups,

respondents revealed that the performance evoked various emotions. Teachers also

highlighted this as positive learning outcome.

Although many respondents thought the multi-media approach was stimulating and exciting,

others found viewing the on-stage physical performance, the on-screen imagery, and listening

to the audio/sound simultaneously, quite challenging.

Some teachers and students reported that parts of the young driver session were too abstract

and recommended additional narration or dialogue to clarify key messages. Specifically,

Scene One and parts of Scene Four required further clarification of the key messages.

Recommendations

Physical theatre and the use of multi-media is an effective way of educating and engaging

young people about road safety.

This format is very novel and many young people would not have experienced physical theatre

and multi-media projections before attending RRISK. It has the potential to cut through and

reach young people on an emotional level and can also stimulate lively discussion.

The performance should include further narration and/or dialogue or an interactive discussion

about road safety and risk taking with the students, delivered as part of the performance.

The development of „Supporting Notes‟ to reinforce the messages and promote further

discussion of the key messages should be considered.

The script should be reviewed in consultation with Year 11 students and piloted prior to the

commencement of the 2012 RRISK program.

With the use of the on-screen imagery further attention should be given to the content, the

speed of the images appearing and the selection of music.

The RRISK Committee will work with Roundabout Theatre to further develop the script to

ensure the road safety messages are delivered concisely to achieve greater impact.

Recommendations for specific scene changes will be incorporated.


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In conclusion, the RRISK Committee was very pleased with the outcomes of the initial

development and delivery of the young driver session and is committed to incorporating this

theatre event into the RRISK Seminars. The evaluation responses from teachers and students

are consistent and provide clear guidance on how to refine this session to achieve maximum

impact.

Young Driver Session

Roundabout Theatre


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Media Coverage

“New „Young Driver‟ Theatre Production for RRISK” was the theme of the media release

provided to North and Mid North Coast media leading up to the RRISK seminars. The media

release was jointly promoted by the RRISK Committee and the NRMA. The NRMA President

Wendy Machin said „NRMA was proud to fund such an important road safety initiative for

younger drivers‟. The theatre production is divided into six short scenes which explore the

freedom and responsibilities of being on the road, driver distractions, inexperience and the

consequences of taking risks. In the media release, The RRISK Committee acknowledged the

$20,000 grant provided by the NRMA to develop and tour the Young Driver session.

Earlier media releases and some copies of press clippings can be found on the RRISK

website www.rrisk.com.au.

Table 1. Log of media coverage for RRISK 2011

Date 2010 Media Comments/topic/headline

10 Nov Gold Coast Bulletin Interview with Paul Dillon, Keynote speaker at RRISK Seminars

11 Nov Tweed Daily News “Show plays on emotions” Road safety performance drives

home message to students”

15 Nov ABC Radio Interview with Roundabout Theatre director

15 Nov NBN TV Lismore News, Sue Hetherington

15 Nov Prime TV Lismore News , Reyna Dight

15 Nov Northern Star “Driving home road safety”

17 Nov ABC Radio, Mid North Coast Interview with Nick Harrison

22 Nov NBN TV Port Macquarie News

26 Nov Coffs Coast Advocate “Crash course in safe driving: Life lesson RRISK responsible

driving performance”

RRISK WEBSI TE WWW .RRISK .COM .AU

The RRISK website was launched in July 2009 as a comprehensive resource for schools and

the community. It includes information about the RRISK program and seminar dates, invitation

to schools wishing to participate, a list of schools attending, peer facilitator training information,

video footage and photos from the RRISK seminars and media clippings. The website also

includes fact sheets with the latest information on alcohol, drugs, driving and safe partying.

These fact sheets are also sent to parents in school newsletters. All published research and

evaluations of the RRISK program are available for download from the website.

WEBSITE STATISTICS FOR 2011

6886 unique visitors (an increase from 4988 in 2010)

11,895 page views

75,693 search engine listings.

http://www.rrisk.com.au/


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Summary of Achievements

EXPANSIO N

The RRISK program enjoys a high profile and support from many sectors in the community.

This is evident from the number of key organisations that are represented on the RRISK

Committee and the growing number of schools involved. The program expanded to the Mid

North Coast in 2007 and participation rate increased from 28 to 41 schools. In 2011 students

from 49 schools attended RRISK seminars.

RESEARCH OUTCOMES

A study conducted by the George Institute of International Health in 2009, found that

participation in RRISK was associated with a 44% reduction in risk of road crashes. The

research was published in Paediatrics (Senserrick et al, November 2009: 124; 1287-1292).

The researchers described RRISK as a „best practice‟ model as it has a much broader focus

than other road safety programs. It builds resilience by providing strategies to help young

people avoid or manage risks across many aspects of their social lives, such as pressure from

peers around alcohol and drug use, planning a safe return from parties and the importance of

looking after friends; as well as developing safer behaviour as drivers and passengers.

Previous evaluations of RRISK found increases in a range of protective behaviours for

students who participated in the program. This latest research goes further in endorsing our

resilience approach as a more effective way of designing young driver education programs to

reduce injury and death.

NRMA FUNDS RRISK TO DEVELOP YO UNG DRI VER THEATRE

PRO DUCTION

The RRISK Committee would like to thank the NRMA Motoring and Services for providing the

funding to develop the Young Driver Theatre session for the RRISK Seminars. The innovative

physical theatre performance with multi-media projections was developed by the Roundabout

Theatre Company based in Mullumbimby. The Committee would also like to thank the artistic

team from Roundabout Theatre, Director Valley Lipcer, performers Georgia Lejeune and Luke

Butler, concept developer, sound and prop design – Paul Blay and Trace Films for the multi-

media projections. Road Safety Officers on the RRISK Committee worked closely with

Roundabout Theatre to develop and tour this exciting production. The RRISK Committee

views this as a work in progress and is seeking further financial support to incorporate the

Young Driver Theatre production into the RRISK seminar program in 2012 and beyond.

RRISK TO BE P I LO TED I N QUEENSLAND

In December 2011 a Memorandum of Understanding between Northern NSW Local Health

District on behalf of the RRISK Committee and the Queensland Department of Transport and


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Main Roads was signed with the aim of documenting the RRISK Program to be used in

Queensland. This process will include a number of stages

Documentation of the RRISK Program, including program development, peer training,

and seminar sessions and resources

Modifying RRISK to suit the Queensland context

Working with host groups to run a trial of RRISK in Queensland

Evaluating the trial and further modification in readiness for implementation in

Queensland

THE FUTURE

There is a strong expectation from schools, community and RRISK Committee partners that

the program will continue. Venues and presenters have been booked and expressions of

interest to attend RRISK in 2012 will be sent to all high schools across the North Coast in

March 2012.

Sustainability is a key challenge for RRISK. It has two components. The first is the lack of

recurrent funding and the need to source external funds to ensure that the program can run

each year. The RRISK Program has positive research outcomes; strong commitment from the

North and Mid North Coast communities and schools and undertakes continuous quality

improvement. The longevity of the program and stability of the partner organisations that form

the RRISK Committee are also factors that meet the criteria for sustained annual funding.

The second challenge is to ensure that RRISK has maximum impact for year 11 students. The

RRISK Committee and schools will continue to develop strategies pre and post the RRISK

seminars to ensure that the key messages are supported by the curriculum and reinforced in

each participating school.

The RRISK Program gratefully acknowledges the financial support provided by North Coast

Health Promotion and Drug and Alcohol Services, Southern Cross University, NSW Roads

and Maritime Services, NRMA Motoring and Services, NRMA Insurance, Ballina Council,

Lismore Workers Club, Panthers Club Port Macquarie.

Documents

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