Rabbit in Headlights: evaluation of non-specialist practitioners' use of co-produced stories and resources for holding space with children and young people when disclosing domestic abuse.

• In Event: Gender, Crime and Justice Working Group Panel 7: Barriers and challenges in reporting of and responding to violence and abuse

Abstract

Previously, when responding to domestic abuse, focus has often been on the adult victim. However, in England, the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 now recognises children as victims of domestic abuse in their own right if they witness or experience the effects of abuse. As such, thinking about domestic abuse should be at the forefront of safeguarding children. Many practitioners such as youth workers, teachers, and social workers, who are in frequent contact with children and young people, are not domestic abuse specialists. Yet, these professionals are frequently required to hold the space with children and young people when responding to domestic abuse disclosures alongside safeguarding procedures and whilst waiting for support from domestic abuse specialists. Rabbits in Headlights was a project created by Changing Relations CIC to address this gap in support through co-producing stories with children and young people in the Northeast of England, which describe their real experiences of neglect, domestic abuse and controlling behaviours, both within families and young people's own romantic relationships. The use of these co-produced stories, alongside activities and worksheets, by non-specialist practitioners was evaluated, through interviews with social workers and teachers across primary and secondary schools, focus groups with young people, and participatory observation of training on using the resources. The stories were seen as invaluable resources which provided the space for practitioners to have difficult conversations and discuss the diverse representation of real young people’s experiences of these issues, highlighting the importance of co-production with children and young people themselves. The evaluation of the resources highlighted key challenges around time, overwhelm and support needed to implement the resources but also discusses best practices so that practitioners not only use the resources to start the conversation but can to then hold the space that children and young people need when disclosing domestic abuse.

Authors

• Cait Jobson, Durham University Centre for Research into Violence and Abuse

• Nikki Rutter, Durham University