Day 4
Tender and the TRUST Campaign
Submitted by karenb on Wed, 11/26/2008 - 14:44.
Tender (formerly known as ‘Until the Violence Stops’) continues its work to prevent violence against women and girls through its schools based violence prevention project TRUST.
TRUST is an interactive drama-based campaign that engages and educates 13 -18 year old young people about the importance of healthy, non-abusive relationships. TRUST empowers young people to lead their own campaigns to prevent domestic and sexual violence by engaging their schools and communities in positive social change through drama and the arts.
We have reached over 1,600 young people in Greater London since the launch of the project in April 2004. We aim to challenge young people's tolerance towards abuse in relationships and to identify the early warning signs of intimate violence. Through the process of performance, students are able to ‘rehearse the reality' of relationships, and to explore healthy alternatives to abusive behaviour.
As the VDay campaign expanded over 10 years, we saw the potential of developing a project specifically for younger people with the express aim to prevent domestic and sexual violence from happening in the first instance. This project is TRUST and after 5 years of success in educational settings, we are now developing online platforms on which young people can effectively engage.
Changing attitudes
When working in schools, PRUs (Pupil Referral Unit – this an education setting/school for young people who have been socially excluded in some way such as having emotional/behavioural problems, teenage mothers or young offenders) and youth centres, we have encountered attitudes that condone violence in relationships from both young men and young women.
“You have to have sex with your boyfriend if he wants you to”
“Some girls dress like sluts and they act all flirty so then obviously boys will rape them or whatever”
“It’s ok for men to hit women sometimes”
During the TRUST project, our workshop leaders examine young people’s attitudes around gender-based violence and challenge tolerance towards violence. Young people communicate their learning to us through the process of role-play and discussion.
“The Trust Project has taught me so much and made me aware how bad domestic violence can get. It has prepared me for any possible relationship problems ahead and has had a good impact on my confidence. Thank you.” Girl, 15
“I learnt how to empathise and about a person’s rights in a relationship.” Boy, 16
“I’ve always thought that domestic violence was wrong full stop but I had no idea about what people’s reasons were for it. I’ve learnt that I should always stand up for myself and to always be on the look out for early warning signs in a relationship. I think that we should all help in some way to stop domestic violence” Girl, 16
We have, with limited staff and resources, been able to affect a demonstrable change in young people’s lives and want to continue engaging young people in the prevention of violence through new innovative campaigns.
A TRUST workshop at a London school.
‘The idea of the Tender/Hollyoaks survey is to get young people talking, to raise awareness about the truths and challenge the myths surrounding the uncomfortable subject of domestic abuse.’ Susie McDonald, Education Manager, Tender.
On Valentine’s Day this year, popular teen soap Hollyoaks screened an episode in which the local heartthrob Jake tried to rape his newly wed wife Nancy. Jake, played by Kevin Sacre, had inflicted a long cycle of verbal and emotional abuse played out over the last few months on Nancy, played by Jessica Fox.
(Jake) Kevin Sacre and (Nancy) Jessica Fox from Hollyoaks With permission from Channel 4 and Lime Pictures
Inspired by the burgeoning response to this domestic violence storyline, Tender launched a national online survey called Wufoo, in collaboration with Hollyoaks to get young people thinking about what constitutes a healthy relationship. The survey, developed by a 14 year old young woman working with Tender, was designed to raise awareness of domestic violence and spousal rape.
The partnership with Hollyoaks facilitated a new way of engaging with young people about the issue through their popular soap highlighting a young woman’s experience of abuse and sexual violence. We got just under 400 responses to the online survey in 6 weeks and we successfully reached young women in that 93% of respondents were female and 78% were 21 and under. The discussion generated on online forums helped raise awareness and encourage young people to talk about domestic and sexual violence in an open way. Most debate generated on the forums was around if the perpetrator was accountable for his actions and male-excusing was unpicked and actively challenged between forum participants. The forums also gave young people the opportunity to talk about their own experiences of abusive dating relationships with complete anonymity. Our campaign with Hollyoaks was successful in playing a vital role in educating the young people about domestic abuse.
Trust, Interchange Studios
Hampstead Town Hall
213 Haverstock Hill
London NW3 4QP
+44 (0)20 7692 5801
www.tender.org.uk
