Understanding Risk and Escalation in Young People’s Relationships

“We learned we could say no, but we were never taught what to do if they ignored that.”

The Rise Report commissioned by Scottish Women’s Aid (SWA) for YWCA Scotland – the Young Women’s Movement – found 36 per cent of young women had been in an intimate relationship with someone who harmed them physically or emotionally.  57 per cent of respondents said they did not learn about unhealthy relationships or domestic abuse in school.   Whilst services such as Women’s Aid exist evidence shows regardless of whether they can access adult support, young women are not accessing support from services, turning instead to peers and suggests that young people need a different response to adults.

This session will look at key principles and practice approaches to identifying risk in young peoples relationships, strategies for engaging with young women, promoting healthy relationships and pathways to support.

Participants can expect to:

• Develop an appreciation and understanding of the impact of coercive control and domestic abuse on those who experience it and how it affects their behaviour and choices
• Be able to identify signs of coercive control and abuse in young people’s relationships and respond to it appropriately
• Develop understanding of the main issues of providing a sensitive and appropriate service to young women experiencing domestic abuse and coercive control
• Develop confidence and knowledge to better identify risk, assess protective factors and increase safety.
• Consider how intersectionality may further impact young women experiencing abuse to reduce inequalities and improve outcomes

Facilitator: Judy Ferguson, SWA National Training Coordinator.

Judy has worked with Women’s Aid since 2011 and also worked with the Scotland SafeLives training team delivering the DA Matters Training Programme to 14,000 Police Scotland staff.  Judy regularly provides training and consultancy to a wide range of multi agency statutory and voluntary bodies including the COPFS, Police Scotland, Social Work, Law Society Scotland, Criminal Justice Workers, Heath, Housing and Violence Against Women & Girls Partnerships etc.  Judy has a wealth of experience informing her practice and a burning passion for working to end domestic abuse and violence against women in all its forms.

We can also offer tailor made, bespoke support with training needs analysis, training, policies and procedures and implementing new legislation. We are happy to build a package specifically relevant to your organisation and the needs of your team, building on the work of our domestic abuse specialist trainers across the country.

We are happy to deliver both virtually and face to face, and can accommodate any number of learners. Our training and inputs are fully interactive, engaging and will support your team with practical application of their learning journey with us.

Please contact judy.ferguson@womensaid.scot Scottish Women’s Aid’s National Training Co-ordinator to discuss your requirements.