Impact Data - Soul Buddyz [2001 Data]

Nine in 10 (92.9%) of caregivers reported that Soul Buddyz had given them a new understanding of the issues faced by children. Almost all (96.6%) teachers interviewed felt that the Soul Buddyz materials had impacted on them in some way, with 1 in 4 (27.6%) reporting that it helped them to better understand children and the issues faced by children.

Soul Buddyz contributed to knowledge and skills within specific content areas, such as children's rights, safety, HIV/AIDS and sexuality. For example, 6.5% of girls with no exposure to the Grade 7 booklet accurately recalled the Childline number, whereas 18.9% with exposure to the Grade 7 booklet did. Improvements in sexual awareness were also evident. For example, among children who had not discussed puberty with an adult, 76% exposed to the Grade 7 booklet (as opposed to 54% with no exposure) disagreed with the statement "Girls only get their period once they have slept with a boy". 66.7% of girls with no exposure to the Grade 7 booklet disagreed with the statement "A person has to have sex with their boyfriend or girlfriend to show they love them", whereas 86.1% with exposure to the Grade 7 booklet did. Furthermore, exposure to Soul Buddyz was associated with knowing what HIV/AIDS was, and with the frequency with which condom-use was mentioned as a way of preventing contracting HIV/AIDS. For example, among children who discussed HIV/AIDS with a teacher, 85.7% of those exposed to the Grade 7 booklet (compared with 69.8% of children not exposed) mentioned condom use as a way of preventing HIV/AIDS.

Soul Buddyz succeeded in highlighting the issue of bullying and showed respondents how to tackle the problem. Qualitatively observed, incidents of providing peer support strongly feature in examples of where respondents have been particularly proactive in actually dealing with a problem.

Soul Buddyz had impacts in the area of building a constructive value system, such as the value of helping each other, cultivating friendships, and respecting others as equals. For instance, children exposed to Soul Buddyz on TV were more likely to name 2 children's rights: 8.2% of 8- to 10-year-olds with no exposure to TV were able to name at least 2 children's rights as compared to 16.1% with higher exposure to Soul Buddyz TV. Parents who had watched Soul Buddyz TV were more likely to rate "respect for children" as "very important" (70%, as compared to 57.6% of parents with no exposure to TV).

Exposure to Soul Buddyz television and print media was also associated with positive attitudes about gender issues. In addition to changes in attitudes about occupational roles, 48.2% of 11- to 13-year-olds with no exposure to TV thought that boys and girls were equal, whereas 51.3% with no exposure to Soul Buddyz TV, 57.5% with lower exposure to Soul Buddyz TV, and 63.2% with higher exposure to Soul Buddyz TV did.

Exposure to Soul Buddyz on TV was associated with positive attitudes about what people with disabilities are capable of - 27.1% of 8- to 10-year-olds with no exposure to TV thought that children with disabilities can do most things, whereas 36.2% with no exposure to Soul Buddyz TV, 38.5% with lower exposure to Soul Buddyz TV, and 45.2% with higher exposure to Soul Buddyz TV did. Soul Buddyz seemed to have been particularly effective in communicating that one cannot get a disability from spending time with a person with a disability.

Children exposed to Soul Buddyz on TV were more likely to say that they were willing to be friends with someone who has HIV/AIDS than children who were not exposed to Soul Buddyz on TV. For example, 20.7% of 11- to 13-year-olds with no exposure to TV said they're willing to befriend someone with HIV/AIDS, whereas 48.1% with no exposure to Soul Buddyz TV, 71.8% with lower exposure to Soul Buddyz TV, and 79.6% with higher exposure to Soul Buddyz TV did. Similar results were recorded regarding befriending someone who is disabled, or someone of a different race.

Nine in 10 parents (90.5%) felt that Soul Buddyz made it easier for them to discuss difficult and sensitive issues with their children. For example, parents exposed to Soul Buddyz TV were more likely to discuss sexuality/sex with their children than parents who had not watched Soul Buddyz. Approximately 3 in 4 (77%) children who watched Soul Buddyz said they talked about the things they had seen on the programme with other people.

Exposure to Soul Buddyz is associated with increased reporting of discussion of all key topics dealt with in Soul Buddyz within various audience segments, like AIDS. 64.1% of 11- to 13-year-olds not exposed to the Grade 7 booklet reported talking about HIV/AIDS as compared to 80.2% of those exposed to the Grade 7 booklet did. 52.1% of 11- to 13-year-olds with no exposure to TV reported discussing HIV/AIDS in contrast to 75% with higher exposure to Soul Buddyz TV.

Children living with a relative other than a parent who were exposed to Soul Buddyz reported talking to a peer (friends and/or siblings) when they have a problem (24.2%, as compared with of children who lived with a relative other than a parent but with exposure to the Grade 7 booklet did.