This week we are excited to announce the next step in our journey towards building a society free from domestic abuse, sexual violence and gender inequality: the launch of our new suite of Twilight training sessions.
As an Equation supporter you will likely already be aware of the work Equation undertakes with young people, encouraging them to aspire to healthy, equal relationships. So far we have delivered training to 6000 children across Nottinghamshire.
It is a sad fact that 1 in 5 teenagers in the UK will experience physical abuse (NSPCC, 2016), a tragic statistic only worsened when the impact of domestic and sexual violence is considered. The reported effects on teenagers include reduced levels of self-esteem & confidence, a higher likelihood to experience mental health issues and unsurprisingly, a lack of attendance and ability to concentrate in class (Women and Equalities Committee, 2017). It is hard to imagine how, in their formative years, facing problems such as these wouldn’t have a direct impact on any child’s future prospects as their grades, ability to develop healthy social skills and understanding of relationship dynamics are likely to be affected.
Preventing young people from entering into unhealthy relationships, and assisting in early intervention when prevention has not been possible, is paramount to building an equal society unburdened by the impacts of domestic abuse. This is why we are always looking for more ways to encourage young people to make healthier relationship choices and improve the accessibility to support for those who tragically have already been affected.
Following on from the successes we have had working directly with young people ourselves, we are now striving to further the impact of our work by collaborating more closely and more widely with professionals who work directly with young people. We want to equip these professionals with the knowledge and skills to better safeguard the young adults they work with. This is what our new suite of courses, our Twilight briefings, will be able to deliver.
The Twilight courses are 90-minute training sessions that will educate professionals on the complexities of the varying forms of domestic violence that pose the biggest threat to the young people in our society. Professionals, such as teachers and youth workers, will not only have a better understanding of these sensitive issues but will also learn how to navigate the barriers to successfully promoting healthier choices to young adults. They will be able to more easily identify who, of the children and teenagers they work with, may be at risk and know how to provide them with access to the support available to young survivors.
These new courses can be delivered to groups of 5 plus within their own work settings for convenience and in either an interactive or prevention style format making them engaging and easily understandable for everyone. You can find more information about the full range of courses on offer here or email our children and young people team for a discussion about the particular issues facing the young people you work with.
Having already had incredibly positive feedback from school staff who have trialled these courses we cannot wait to see the impact we know these courses will have on protecting more young people in our society. We know this is the next step forwards in achieving our goal for everyone to have equal, healthy relationships, in a society free from domestic abuse, sexual violence and gender inequality.
The training delivered by Equation was well-pitched, showing expert knowledge and delivered in an interactive way. There were also practical tips and signs to look out for that could be applied the next day. Highly recommended.
Head of Year 9, Nottingham Academy