Domestic Violence
Violence Against Women Initiative: Education & Awareness Raising Projects
Project List:
More on the Violence Against Women Initiative
Zero Tolerance Thurrock Education / Awareness Raising
SUMMARY
The project will pilot an integrated approach to the prevention of rape and sexual assault in Thurrock. The project will enable the implementation and evaluation of a Respect integrated approach that brings together all the existing interventions in one area for the first time. The interventions aim to:
Assess the impact of an integrated approach to the prevention of rape and sexual assault
Challenge and decrease the culture of tolerance of sexual violence against women in the primary and secondary target groups
Raise awareness about the criminality of rape and sexual assault in the primary and secondary target groups
Encourage young men and young women to develop healthy relationships based on respect and equality
Encourage adults to support young people in challenging violence against women to encourage young people to be active citizens in creating safe communities which do not tolerate violence against women.
INTERVENTION
a) Mass Media Public Awareness Campaign will specifically target young people through cinema, school bus and young people aged 14-18 years through convenience advertising in colleges and other formal and informal settings. The mass media element of the campaign will be supported by wide dissemination of posters and postcards in venues where young people congregate, i.e. clubs, shops, cafes, schools, colleges. We will also address our secondary target audience (the adult population) through bus and adshel advertising. There will be one three-month campaign in year one. In addition to the mass media campaign, local media will be invited to support the initiative through sustained editorial coverage.
b) Educational Intervention (formal): Three secondary schools have been identified to reflect a mix of socio-economic groups and three feeder primary schools to pilot curriculum programmes based on the Zero Tolerance Trust's Respect initiative.
c) Educational Intervention (informal): The Respect intervention programme is a twelve-hour educational intervention that targets single sex groups of young people between the ages of 14 and 16 in informal youth settings. The programme aims to challenge young men and young women’s tolerance of violence against women and reinforces the messages of the Respect curriculum pack. It will be piloted in five youth groups - three in the autumn term and two in the spring term working directly with approximately 50 young people. The pilot programme aims to give young people the opportunity to discuss and explore the issues of Respect in a safe and structured environment.
d)Theatre/Drama Intervention: A short interactive play has been developed by Thurrock Youth Theatre Group and SERICC. The play aims to challenge young people’s tolerance of sexual violence and to address myths and stereotypes surrounding the issue. Single sex discussion groups following each performance aim to give young people the space to talk about relationships and the wider related issues such as teenage pregnancy. This intervention also gives young people the opportunity to develop and explore coping strategies in a safe environment. Approximately 40 young people from Years 9 and 10 will attend each performance of the play. There will be 12 performances of the play over the two-year period targeting a total of 480 pupils.
e)Respect Educational CD-ROM: The ZTCT has produced an interactive, educational CD-ROM that is designed to support the formal and informal educational interventions that target 14 – 16 year olds. The CD-ROM encourages young people to explore equality, consent and respect in relationships.
f) Training Programme and Briefings: Different levels of training will be provided to the adults according to their level of participation in the pilot project.
g) Recording and Monitoring of Data
The police will be asked to record specific details of crimes of violence against women for the duration of the project. Thurrock ACPC will provide data on child on child abuse through monitoring systems established by the Abusive Behaviour Panel. Other key agencies and support services will also be asked to record enquiries/uptake of services and support. These will include recording systems set up to record incidents of sexual harassment in schools and youth work settings.
All key Thurrock agencies have domestic violence/violence against women as an area of work that is either linked to a reduction in crime target or is an area of need that requires various interventions. The two women’s agencies in Thurrock have comprehensive systems in place to enable the recording of crimes of violence against women. SERICC is working with the newly formed Thurrock Domestic Violence Executive Group to develop a co-ordinated approach to the development and monitoring of appropriate recording and data base analysis systems for crimes of violence against women. Senior officers from key agencies such as Essex CPS, Thurrock Police, Thurrock Probation, Thurrock Social Services, Thurrock Primary Care Group, Women’s Aid, Thurrock Housing Department and SERICC are represented on this forum.
AGENCIES INVOLVED
Zero Tolerance Charitable Trust, South Essex Rape and Incest Crisis Centre, Thurrock Education Services, Thurrock Area Child Protection Committee: Thurrock Domestic Violence Panel, Grays Police, Thurrock Crime and Disorder Leadership Team, Thurrock Social Services, Thurrock Youth Service, NSPCC Regional Office: Thurrock Women's Aid, Thurrock Primary Care Group, South Essex Health Authority and Health Promotion, SEHA.
Southampton Education (Rape and Sexual Assault)
SUMMARY
The project aims to harness the extensive expertise in agencies across the city to establish a creative and innovative education programme that pro-actively reaches young people most at risk and aims to reduce rape and sexual assault. The target group is 12 to 18 years olds – with an additional focus on reaching Looked After young people and other particularly vulnerable young people.
INTERVENTIONS
1. Education Programme
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2 Project Workers will be employed to engage with groups of young men and women. Their key role is to develop, deliver and evaluate an education programme to raise awareness of issues around rape and sexual assault by known perpetrators, develop skills in reaching mutuality and respect in relationships and provide information about appropriate counselling and support services.
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Innovative training materials and information will be developed to support the education programme. These materials will be appropriate to age, gender and environment, culturally sensitive and in accessible formats. They will include creative use of media and other innovative training tools.
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A range of appropriate information material (posters, leaflets, articles etc.) will be developed to promote the project and to raise awareness of the safety issues and support agencies. The materials will be distributed to venues used by young people.
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Information, outreach and training to young people will be delivered via a wide range of access points including schools, colleges, youth groups, youth advice services, young people’s clinics, etc. Exact locations to be determined as part of the ‘development phase’ of the project and influenced by consultation with relevant agencies and young people themselves.
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In-depth, skills-based training and support will be provided to a minimum of 15% of all young people 12-18. (This will be delivered via PSHE in schools, quality circles and other discussion group methods in youth clubs, voluntary sector groups and other venues to be determined.)
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Basic information on the project, key issues and support agencies will be delivered to 50% of all young people aged 12 – 18 (this will include the development and distribution of material to raise basic awareness of issues relating to rape/sexual abuse and the support services available and will include leaflets, posters, flyers, small information cards etc. in youth venues and schools, and articles in local youth press such as the magazine written by the Youth Information Project and distributed to every young person in the city.)
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80% of Looked After young people will be specifically targeted by working with Barnardos and Social Services who are working on sex education and health initiatives with this group. A minimum of 100 young people who are particularly vulnerable in a variety of ways will also be reached (this will include those who are disaffected and/or experiencing educational/social exclusion. They will be reached through specialist schools, projects and Youth Groups. For example, we have agreed participation from Red Lodge School who specialise in working with children who have complex emotional/behavioural needs. We also have agreement to involve projects working with gay young people and with deaf young people. Both of these groups are recognised to be particularly vulnerable to sexual assault and to experience difficulties in reporting crime and accessing support services (SRC already have in place specialist services for deaf people).
2. Bank of qualified and appropriate Counsellors
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This will support on a commissioned sessional basis the increase in counselling and advice requests from young people arising from the outreach work and where appropriate, interpreting and translation services, etc. Premises will be provided to provide counselling space for young men that is separate to that for young women as feedback from female clients suggests this will be crucial to feelings of safety / anonymity.
3. IT infrastructure and monitoring process
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Employ an IT and data collection post to support the work of the project by assisting to establish and maintain multi-agency monitoring systems. This will involve establishing common systems of measurement of case referrals and reporting across all key agencies. The data held by key individual agencies dealing directly with rape and sexual assault in the city is comprehensive but there is no common measurement, sharing of referral data or collection in all services areas. Data on repeat victimisation and offending is also very limited.
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A small working group (including IT specialists) will establish the infrastructure – including scoping agency involvement, confidentiality, data assessment. While recognising the sensitive and often anonymous nature of this casework and subsequent potential barriers to data collection support for this aspect of the bid is secured from those agencies most likely to be involved.
4. Multi-agency partnership
Establish a multi-agency partnership to support this initiative, monitor data and influence policy development. This will involve agreeing terms of reference, policy framework and information sharing confidentiality protocols. Support for this project from the consultation suggests forming a partnership to support this work will be positively received by relevant agencies in the city.
5. Validation Panel
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A ‘validation panel’ comprising of local experts will review and approve all publicity and training materials to ensure they are appropriate, sensitive and of the highest quality prior to project implementation.
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The commitment of the following services for this role is already secured: PSHE teacher adviser, PSHE manager, Sexual Health Research Centre (Southampton University), Southampton Community Health Services Trust, Psychiatric/Psychological consultant (specialist in sexual abuse), Health Promotion Service (Sexual Health specialist), City Council Youth Services, Contraception and Sexual Health Service, Social Cohesion Team (specialist in race issues) and Social Services. A small number of young people will also be invited to participate in this evaluation process.
AGENCIES INVOLVED
Southampton Rape Crisis & Sexual Abuse Counselling Service, Southampton City Council (SCC), Victim Support, Social Cohesion Team, No Limits – Youth Information and Advice, Health Promotion Services-Sexual Health Team, Southampton University Centre for Sexual Health Research, Hampshire PSHE – Teacher Advisor Team, SCC Youth Services, SCC Social Services, Community Support Team – Hampshire Constabulary, Southampton Community Health Services Trust: Child & Family Services, Barnados and Contraception and Sexual Health Services. (Schools will also be involved. Exact ones to be determined but expressions of interest from 4 out of 4 contacted to date.)
Bridgend Education (DV)
SUMMARY
The aim of this campaign is to raise awareness and to change attitudes which include in some cases a casual acceptance of the situation towards Domestic Violence, and in particular to underline to young persons and others the unacceptability of any form of domestic violence, be it physical, verbal emotional or financial in the year 2000 and to ensure that those seeking assistance know where to go to access that help.
INTERVENTIONS
The Bridgend Domestic Abuse forum will aim to raise awareness and alter attitudes to the issues of Domestic Violence among three main target groups:
Young Persons Including:
1) All year 11pupils in B.C.B.C. Schools (1556)
2) All young Persons involved with YOT's
Professional groups Including:
1) Magistrates and Magistrates Clerks
2) Teachers
3) Health Visitors
Interest Groups Including:
1) Parc Prison/ Prison Officer
2) Tenants and Residents
3) Parent/ Governor Groups
This will be achieved by:
Undertaking a survey aimed at assessing the knowledge and attitude of pupils to the issue of Domestic Violence. This will assist in the assessment, and evaluation of the outcomes of the project, showing as it will, the changes in attitude to, and acceptance of, domestic violence within the home.
The commissioning and development of a drama vehicle aimed at highlighting the issues associated with Domestic Violence and raising awareness of both sexes in schools. Live performances will be given in Local Comprehensive Schools targeting year 11 pupils. The Education Service have already confirmed their commitment to the project being undertaken as part of the Personal and Social Education cirriculum.
Undertaking a series of workshops following the production of the play to evaluate the changes of attitude and awareness that the play has raised, by making comparisons with the previously commissioned questionnaire.
Developing and delivering of follow up workshops, which will include the comparison of the information within the survey and the attitudes and awareness levels following the viewing of the play.
Training will be available for teachers who will be undertaking the follow up workshops and who will be responsible for referral procedures.
The production will be filmed and the resultant video used to widen the audience to include other schools, Professional Groups and Interest Groups. The video and workshop material will be offered to other Local Authorities and Interest Groups in order to widen the campaign of awareness raising and attitude changing.
AGENCIES INVOLVED
Domestic Violence forum, County Borough Council, YMCA, DASH, BCBC Education services, Victim Support.
NSPCC Patchwork Education / Awareness Raising
SUMMARY
The core of the strategy is a model of providing easy access to information and support for victims and children living with domestic violence, in their own communities. This is achieved by training and mobilising workers and individuals within the community to encourage positive intervention, using local secondary school as a focus, and is supported by inter-agency policies, procedures and protocols and training of trainers within agencies.
INTERVENTIONS
Data Collection and Analysis
Co-ordinate the development of data collection systems and analysis across agencies, and of inter, and intra, agency policies and procedures to enable improved intervention. These will include compatible statistical information (to be analysed centrally by North Yorkshire Police) and sharing of information protocols; referral information, including contact details of officers with responsibility for domestic violence issues within each agency; equal opportunity and confidentiality policies. All relevant agencies will be encouraged to become active members of local domestic violence fora thus improving liaison and resource management.
Education and awareness raising
Improve access to advice, information and support for children, young people and victims living with domestic violence, or having left it, within their own communities by:
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A “Patch work” project, entitled “Community Focus: Domestic Violence” to be piloted in a York school in the autumn term 2000 and evaluated. The project supports and is supported and informed by the work of the school health nurse service and Healthy Young Minds (part of the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services team).
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Roll out of the model out to selected schools in Harrogate and Craven districts of North Yorkshire and City of York throughout 2001/02. This geographical focus enables us to select schools in rural (sparse and super sparse), semi-rural and urban contexts for comparative evaluation.
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The model uses the secondary school as the nucleus of a community, around which radiates a network of individuals and agencies including parents, teachers, feeder primary schools, churches, youth services, health services, voluntary agencies and groups, neighbourhood watch, police, solicitors etc. All are invited to a training event where drama, and a short presentation, are used to stimulate group debate and networking around the issue. All participants are given an information and referral pack, giving details of advice and help available locally. They will then form a direct access network for children, young people and victims of domestic violence who will be made aware of the network via posters displayed in the school and community, and a page inserted in the school year planners. Individual schools and communities will be encouraged to fully utilise their own existing information networks, including websites, newsletters etc., to disseminate information. Schools could choose to use the model to address other issues and concerns related to child welfare. As the model draws participants from agencies and groups active in the wider community, the support and advice can be accessed by any victims of domestic violence e.g. by a church-goer or user of community psychiatric services. Most importantly, it offers a choice of routes with enhanced awareness allowing earlier intervention and appropriate access to effective services and provides a cost effective method of training and awareness raising across all spheres. Additionally, as workers in one community return to their homes in another community, the benefit is “exported” and doubled.
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This strategy raises community awareness allowing the full benefit of the recently announced national campaign to be absorbed and, by the inclusion of crime reduction groups, underlines the fact that domestic violence is a crime and should be tackled as a community safety issue. This starts to undermine the real or perceived collusion of communities in the domestic violence by giving a powerful message to the victim that they are supported, and to the perpetrator that their behaviour is neither condoned or acceptable. These elements, over time, will encourage a more proactive response on the part of communities to domestic violence in their midst. This will encourage victims to remain within their communities and take legal action against perpetrators and should impact positively on the level of repeat incidents suffered by victims.
In addition to training of workers and individuals in the community, the strategy would incorporate a “Training for Trainers” programme across and within agencies dealing with domestic violence. Many agencies are currently developing training programmes across the county (e.g. North Yorkshire Police and the individual health trusts) and there are already a number of training for trainers programmes in existence around the County and nationally. Research into best practice models elsewhere (York Domestic Violence Forum; Harrogate Women’s Aid; Leeds Inter-agency Project; Hammersmith and Fulham etc.), and viability for modification/transfer to local conditions will inform development.
AGENCIES INVOLVED
NSPCC, North Yorkshire Police (Central, Western and Eastern areas), Harrogate Borough Council, Richmondshire District Council, Scarborough Filey & Whitby Community Safety Partnership, Selby District Council, Craven District Council, Hambleton District Council, Ryedale District Council, Safer York Partnership, Hambleton/Richmondshire Domestic Violence Forum, Craven Domestic Violence Forum, Ryedale Domestic Abuse Working Group, Harrogate Domestic Violence Forum, Scarborough Domestic Violence Forum, Selby District Domestic Violence Forum, York Domestic Violence Forum, Harrogate Borough Council, North Yorkshire Health Authority, Harrogate & Rural District Primary Care Group, Craven Primary Care Group, Selby Primary Care Group, Hambleton & Richmond Primary Care Group, Scarborough/Whitby/Ryedale Primary Care Group, York Primary Care Group.
Last update: June 2003