ReSPECTful Relationships is an educational tool for schools and youth groups who want to deliver workshops to raise awareness of domestic abuse.
Domestic abuse affects 1 in 4 people in the UK. It is a sensitive topic that many people find difficult to raise with children and has huge consequences on children’s wellbeing and future life chances. This toolkit contains lesson plans and resources for all age groups that will help raise awareness of domestic abuse.
The toolkit helps young people learn that domestic abuse is broader than simply physical violence, and that it affects the whole family. They are shown how to spot the warning signs, where to go for help and how to support others.
The toolkit was designed by Groundwork MSSTT in partnership with Better Futures Tameside and has been piloted with over 3,000 children aged 5-18 in thirteen of Tameside’s schools.
In Tameside, the toolkit has been delivered alongside the Sitting Right with You campaign against domestic abuse which is being run by the Greater Manchester Police and Crime Commissioner’s Office in partnership with local councils.
The toolkit covers age groups from Reception to Year 11.
For more information on the toolkit, to buy specialist facilitation and training or to feedback on the resource please get in touch with a member of the team at msstt@groundwork.org.uk
Credits
Materials and ideas have been gathered from a range of sources and we are grateful to all whose work continues to contribute to the development of this important area.
We would like to thank all the children, young people teachers, organisations and individuals who took the time to comment on the materials and exercises. In particular, we acknowledge Tameside MBC for provided funding for the production of this resource.
This pack may be used for training and educational purposes.
How to use this toolkit
The comprehensive age appropriate toolkit is designed for all key stages and is split into 4-5 sessions depending on the target audience. Each lesson plan has resources, and aims and objectives as well as teachers notes for ease and guidance of the delivery. The toolkit can be used consecutively or pick and mixed to meet the needs of the school. It has resources and detailed session plans to help facilitators deliver a fun and interactive session on a very sensitive subject. Children and young people can consider what constitutes a healthy relationship compared to an unhealthy relationship. Secondary students will also discuss the new statutory guidance on “controlling and coercive behaviour” and how psychological abuse can extremely harmful to a victim of domestic abuse, affecting the victim’s self-confidence and esteem, having a knock-on effect into other areas of their life.
The resources within the toolkit raise awareness of domestic abuse and violence, how to recognise it, where to get help and how to help others. The toolkit has many resources and detailed session plans on a multifaceted problem that many people find difficult to raise with children. We can challenge an intergenerational misunderstanding of what constitutes domestic abuse by challenging young people’s beliefs, before attitudes fully harden, potentially reducing the cycle of harm to future generations. A Year 10 student illuminated the need for early intervention when he said: “Taking part in the workshop in this stage of school is important because this is the age where some people begin to form relationships.”
Through the ReSPECTful Relationships, young people will learn that domestic abuse is not only physical violence – it can also be controlling what someone wears, their money, where they go and who they talk to. The toolkit provides resources that dispels other common myths – showing domestic abuse doesn’t just affect people who drink alcohol, perpetrators are not just men and that it does affect children.
Credits
The project took influence from the following sites and organisations:
Love is respect org
Real Love Rocks
http://www.barnardosrealloverocks.org.uk/
Expect Respect
Spiralling Toolkit
http://thehideout.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/spiralling_toolkit.pdf
Break the Silence Stop the Violence
http://www.emmahumphreys.org/nominations/break-silence-stop-violence
Body Image
https://www.truetube.co.uk/body-image
Poem and spoken word video
http://www.hiddenhurt.co.uk/domestic_violence_and_children.html
