A DOMESTIC abuse charity based in the borough is backing an international campaign designed to help prevent date violence before it happens.
New research suggests that dating aggression is more common than realised, especially among teens and young adults.
“It’s something that really needs highlighting,” said Vickie Robertson, founder of Kaleidoscopic UK. “This is why we have been promoting Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month (TDVAM).”
Running over February, it is the creation of Love Is Respect.
The organisation aims to prevent unhealthy relationships and intimate partner violence, and empower young people through education, support, and resources.
Its website gives advice on dating, healthy relationships, personal safety, how to support others, and where to get help.
“Young people need to be aware of what is healthy in relationships, and what is abusive,” Ms Robertson said.
“In our families, we have to have that conversation with them.
“It’s a very taboo subject that no-one wants to talk about, but education is the key to changing things.”
A report by Safe Young Lives: Young People And Domestic Abuse, found that a quarter (25%) of girls and 18% of boys aged 13 to 17, had experienced some form of physical violence from an intimate partner.
And a now withdrawn 2021 Department Of Education report, It Happens All The Time, found that 67% of girls and young women aged 13-18 had experienced sexual harassment at school from another student, 29% of them when they were aged 11 to 13.
“Educational programmes can help change young people’s attitudes to relationships, date violence and domestic abuse,” said Ms Robertson.
“It’s great that Kaleidoscopic is the mayor’s charity this year.
“It’s helped us to get local schools on board, and we’re encouraging families to talk about relationships around the table.
“There are so many ways in which young people’s relationships are affected, including wider access to pornography, online abuse involving the sending of pictures, and online bullying.
“Before we had the internet, young people could shut off when they needed to, but now there is unlimited accessibility, and partners can contact them 24/7.
“They can know where you are, and who you are with, all the time.”
There is evidence that young people may be confused about what constitutes a healthy relationship.
The Safe Young Lives report indicates that 49% of boys and 33% of girls aged 13 to 14 thought that hitting a partner would be ‘okay’ in at least one of 12 scenarios.
“It really is that bad,” Ms Robertson said. “There is a lack of education, and a shift in what we accept as excusable behaviour.
“Cases of violence in relationships don’t just happen, it all starts somewhere, and everyone is accountable to understand what is happening.”
An Ofsted review of sexual abuse in schools and colleges found that nine out of 10 girls had experienced sexist name-calling, and 92% of girls had been sent unsolicited explicit pictures or videos.
“The onus is always on women to change, but this is something that all of us need to be addressing,” said Ms Robertson.
The Teen Dating Violence Awareness campaign highlights advocacy and education to stop dating abuse before it starts. For more information, and advice, visit Love Is Respect: www.loveisrespect.org
To read the Ofsted review on sexual abuse in schools and colleges, visit: www.endviolenceagainstwomen.org.uk
For the Safe Young Lives report, visit: www.safelives.org.uk
Kaleidoscopic UK supports children and adults subjected to any form of domestic abuse. For more, visit: kaleidoscopic.uk
Need help over domestic abuse?
- Call 101 or make a report on the Thames Valley Police website
- Call the National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247
- Contact Women’s Aid via: www.womensaid.org.uk
- Call the Men’s Advice Line: 0808 8010327
- Call Mankind, a helpline for male victims: 01823 334244
- Call Galop, for members of the LGBT+ community: 0800 999 5428
- Contact Victims First via: www.victims-first.org.uk
- Call SAFE! For victims of crime aged 5–18: 0800 1337938.
