Communications Focus Groups

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Attachment KKKK:

Communication Focus Groups Guide

Dating Matters: Strategies to Promote Healthy Teen Relationships™ Initiative

Division of Violence Prevention

National Center for Injury Prevention and Control

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Form Approved

OMB No. 0920-0941

Exp. Date: 06-30-2015

Public reporting burden of this collection of information is estimated at 90 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. An agency many not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden to CDC/ATSDR Reports Clearance Officer, 1600 Clifton Road NE, MS D-74, Atlanta, GA 30333; Attn: PRA (0920-0941).

Strategic Exploratory Moderator’s Guide

Focus Groups

Welcome and Introductions

(15 minutes)

1. Purpose: The main purpose of our discussion is to get your thoughts and feedback on different ways we might talk about and provide information about healthy relationships.

2. Disclosures:

   • Observation

   • Audio taping (tapes will be destroyed within 6 months)

   • Measures for safeguarding privacy

3. Ground rules:

• No right/wrong answers—all about your honest opinions

• We want different points of view, can agree/disagree

• Need to hear from everyone, one at a time please

4. Introductions: first name, grade/age, example of one thing you really like to do with friends

Issue A: Exploring Relationships

(35 minutes)

The purpose of this section is to discuss the types of relationships and relationship behaviors teens engage in and the language they use to describe these relationships and behaviors.

As I mentioned, we are here to talk about “relationships.” This word can take on various definitions, depending on your experiences and the context it is being used in.

1. General Relationship Questions

We are going to do an activity to get started: We’re going to divide into teams of two, each team will have their own set of markers and poster-sized paper. On the paper, write the following:

What words do you use to describe when two people have something that’s beyond friendship?

What kind of relationships do you or your friends have? Do they date, hook up, have friends with benefits?

What are all the different words you use to describe relationships?

[Group comes back together.] What do these terms—TERM, TERM, TERM—really mean? Do they all mean the same thing?

2. Good and Bad Relationships

Next, I’m going to play a few clips that feature couples interacting from TV shows or movies. While we’re watching, pick two or three couples and jot down what you think makes their relationship a good or bad relationship. Try and pick out two examples of good relationship behaviors as well as two examples of bad relationship behaviors. We’re going to discuss the clips and what you thought after we watch all of them. Remember there are no right or wrong answers to this. Are there any questions before we start?

[Play video clips]

Who wants to start by sharing one of the clips they wrote down? First, name the show and briefly tell us about the relationship.

Is it an example of a “good” or “bad” relationship?

What makes it good or bad (or both)?

Are these relationships similar to the ones you see in real life? How?

I want to talk a bit more about what makes a relationship good or bad. Getting back into teams, use your poster board to write down characteristics or words you would use to describe a good and bad relationship.

Now that everyone has thought through it a little, let’s take a look at what everyone wrote down and discuss it together.

First, let’s talk about good relationships. What words do you use to describe a good relationship?

Now, let’s talk about bad relationships. What words do you use to describe a bad relationship?

Would you say that you mostly see good or bad relationships around you or in your group of friends or among your classmates? What are some examples?

Are there any examples that maybe you do not actually see happen but know or have a feeling is good or bad relationship? What are the clues that say this to you even though you do not witness something?

Do you or your friends ever talk about the bad behaviors that you notice? 

If so, how do you talk about these behaviors? [PROBE: What do you say? Are they serious conversations or more just to gossip or joke?]

In what ways can guys show respect toward girls both in and out of relationships?

Issue B: Feedback on Sample Messages and Materials

(35 minutes)

The purpose of this section is to get “top of mind” reactions to sample outreach materials and messages that already exist from the communications campaign.

Now, we are going to talk about some different materials. [Moderator passes out copies of materials and/or hangs items on the wall or shows them on a test site, as appropriate.]

[Materials will be introduced and then discussed one at a time. Materials will be introduced in a different order in each focus group.]

[For each material, moderator leads participants through a discussion of the following questions:]

1. General Impressions:

What is your general impression? Do you like it? Not like it? What makes you say that?

Were there any words that were unusual or unfamiliar?

Is it trying to get people to do something? If yes, what?

2. Audience and Source:

Who do you think this is for? (Is it for people like you or someone else?)

Who wrote or produced this item?

Have you heard of them before?

Are they a good source of information?

3. Content Questions:

Do you like the way it is written? [Probe: tone, language/style, etc.] Is it easy to read?

Is there anything you want to know that this item does not tell you?

4. Design Questions:

What do you think about the type? Is it easy/difficult to read? [Probe: Font too big? Too small? Too dense?]

Are you able to see the headline and text easily?

What do you think about the length of the piece?

Would it catch your attention if you saw it somewhere?

Issue C: Ways to Engage Older Youth (Only for 15-18 year olds)

(25 minutes – the previous sections will be shortened to accommodate this section for older youth)

1. General Influence Questions:

How much do you hang out with/interact with younger teens (11-14 year olds)? Brothers, sisters? Friends?

Do you feel you have any impact or influence on those younger teens, in terms of the decisions they make? What types of decisions?

2. Influence on healthy dating relationship questions:

Would you feel comfortable talking with them about healthy dating relationships? Why or why not?

Would anything make you feel more comfortable talking with them about healthy dating relationships?

Do you have any advice for us about how to talk with younger teens about this topic?

3. Credible channels/activities/events questions/exercise. We wanted to get your thoughts and reactions to some ideas for ways, places and times that might help you to have good conversations with younger teens about healthy relationships. [Moderator passes out slips of paper with a brief one-paragraph description of a specific way or event at which, or activity during which older youth could engage youth about the topic of healthy dating relationships.] Here is an example of one idea of how to get people your age talking to younger teens about healthy relationships. Please read the slip of paper silently to yourself while I read it out loud. [Moderator reads description on the slip of paper out loud.]

[Ideas will be introduced and then discussed one at a time. Ideas will be introduced in a different order in each focus group.]

[For each ideal, moderator leads participants through a discussion of the following questions:]

What is your general impression of this idea? Do you like it? Not like it? What makes you say that?

Would this idea make it likely that you would talk to a younger teen about healthy dating relationships?

Are there any specific activities/events that you attend or take part in, that would provide a good environment for you to talk with younger teens about healthy dating relationships

Issue D: Conclusion

(10 minutes)

1. Check with CDC for additional questions

2. Ask for any additional ideas from participants

3. Thank participants for their time and ideas

4. Provide departure instructions

Site Number: ______________________________________________________________

Survey Date: ______________________________________________________________