Case Study : Message Not Delivered continued ...
Delivery timings It is important to consider the time of day and amount of time that is available for a delivery in order for that delivery to be most effective . It can be difficult to fit in around very stretched school timetables and curriculum requirements , so inquiries into the setting should be made beforehand . Delivery of upsetting information means it is important that students are given the opportunity to discuss that information , and that individuals such as presenters / teachers are available to give support to any individual requiring it before they leave the venue . Part of the workshop chould take place before a break to allow for a partial ‘ relief ’ period 1 whereby emotions and fear that may have been evoked are re-settled and information explaining how to avoid the consequences that created the fear is provided . This reduces the likelihood that individuals will leave feeling anxious but without a sense of direction for what to do next , which can have negative impacts upon behaviour ¹.
Behaviour change techniques The workshop provided as part of Message Not Delivered contains a number of Behaviour Change Techniques . For example , a leaflet is handed out to students containing a ‘ pledge ’ section , where participants are encouraged to commit to particular forms of behaviour ( and avoid others ). For this to be meaningful , potential ‘ pledgers ’ need the space to discuss what they are committing to and how they might go about turning behavioural intention into behaviour change - not just be asked to sign something before they can leave .
A promise to oneself can potentially be more easily ignored than a pledge to others , so students could be encouraged to make a pledge to each other 2 . This should also be discussed in terms of specific intentions rather than general goals , to make the pledge more personal and applicable to the real world - for example , by getting an individual to think about specific actions that they do , or are tempted to do , and write their own pledge , rather than simply commit to ‘ not using their phone while driving ’. If possible , pledges should be reviewed and revisited within the weeks and / or months following the presentation 3 . Ongoing work with schools post-delivery is advised to allow follow-up messages to be delivered and evaluation to take place .
¹ Algie , J . and Rossiter , J . R ., ( 2010 ). Fear patterns : A new approach to designing road safety advertisements . Journal of Prevention & Intervention in the Community , 38 ( 4 ), pp . 264-279 .
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Fylan , F . ( 2017 ). Using Behaviour Change Techniques : Guidance for the road safety community . RAC Foundation . Available from : https :// www . racfoundation . org / wp-content / uploads / 2017 / 11 / Using _ behaviour _ changetechniques _ Guidance _ for _ the _ road _ safety _ community . pdf
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