Summary

A toolkit for addressing relationship abuse, for use with primary school children and secondary school young people. It challenges attitudes of teenagers towards violence and abuse.

Type of intervention

Classroom setting

Target groups, level of prevention and subgroups

• (Potential) Offenders | Primary prevention | Young Children (0-5 years), Children (6-11 years), Young People (12-17 years) | Male and female | Classroom setting | English
• Children and Young People (Victims) | Primary prevention | Young Children (0-5 years), Children (6-11 years), Young People (12-17 years) | Male and female | Classroom setting | English

Target population

Children and young people in primary and secondary schools.

Delivery organisation

Expect Respect was developed by Women's Aid in the UK (info@womensaid.org.uk) and funded by the Home Office.

Mode and context of delivery

‘Expect Respect: A Toolkit for addressing Teenage Relationship Abuse’ is for use with young people aged 13 – 18 years. This is an adapted version of an earlier Expect Respect education toolkit for ages 5-13 years. The toolkit for adolescents is designed to prevent and reduce teenage dating violence. It forms part of a wider government campaign funded by the Home Office to challenge the attitudes of teenagers to violence and abuse in relationships (see website http://thisisabuse.direct.gov.uk). The toolkits are available for free download and are designed to be delivered in schools.

Level/nature of staff expertise required

Designed for delivery by teachers, using teachers' notes and lesson plans. It is also suitable for use by other professionals who work with children and young people.

Intensity/extent of engagement with target group(s)

'Expect Respect: A Toolkit for addressing Teenage Relationship Abuse' provides material for six lessons of one hour in length. The second toolkit for 5-13 year olds consists of one core lesson for each year group from reception to year 13, each with a different content.

Description of intervention

‘Expect Respect: A Toolkit for addressing Teenage Relationship Abuse’ (2013) is a toolkit for 13 -18 year old males and females, developed by Women's Aid with the support of the Home Office. It aims to challenge assumptions and change beliefs and attitudes towards men and women and to promote an understanding that abuse is a crime. It covers all forms of teenage relationship abuse, including sexual abuse.

The toolkit is published online and can be downloaded free of charge from the Home office Justice website: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/fil....

Alternatively, it can be downloaded from the Women’s aid website: www.womensaid.org.uk.
It is designed for use by teachers or other professionals who work with young people.

The toolkit consists of:

• Section 1: teachers' notes
• Section 2: lesson plans for six one-hour sessions. These include a court room game, unwritten rules and managing conflict, myths and realities, what is okay behaviour and what is not okay behaviour and information about young people and relationship abuse is not
• Section 3: supporting resources including ground rules, sources of help and historical background information

The Expect Respect (2008) educational toolkit for 5 -13 year olds is also available to download free of charge from www.womensaid.org.uk.
It is designed for use in schools by teachers, but can also be used in play schemes and youth clubs. Age appropriate lesson plans for each school year group, from age 5 upwards are provided. These each last around 50 minutes. The primary focus of this resource is domestic abuse (rather than sexual abuse prevention) however much of the material is directly relevant to sexual abuse prevention.

Sessions include:

• Friends
• Secrets and people who can help
• Resolving conflict and where to get help
• Secrets and stories

Evaluations

No evaluation information available – it is newly published resource.

References

• Primary and secondary prevention programmes for dating violence: A review of the literature. T.L. Cornelius, N. Resseguie. Journal of Aggression and Violent Behaviour (2007). Elsevier.
• Dating violence among adolescents prevalence, gender distribution and prevention programme effectiveness. L.J. Hickman, L.H. Jaycox. (2004)
• Dating violence in mid-adolescence. Theory, significance and emerging prevention initiatives. C. Wekerle, D.A. Wolfe (1999) Clinical psychology review.

Contact details

Women's Aid
Address: PO Box 391, Bristol, BS99 YWS
Telephone: 0117 944 4411
Website: www.womensaid.org.uk

INFORMATION CORRECT AT JANUARY 2021

RATING: Pioneering