Teenage Relationship Abuse Workshop
Teenage relationship abuse affects teens of all backgrounds but often goes unnoticed by the victims’ friends, family members and school teachers. Physical violence is common but verbal and emotional abuse is even more widespread and can be just as damaging to the young people affected.
Although teenagers of any gender or sexual orientation are targets for abuse, statistics suggest that girls are more often on the receiving end. Abuse within same-sex relationships is also a significant problem.
The Impact of Teenage Relationship Abuse
The impact of teenage relationship abuse extends beyond the social group. When young people are hurt, unhappy and afraid it pervades their whole life, negatively affecting family relationships and their school work, harming their future prospects.
Some of the effects of relationship abuse include anxiety, depression, eating disorders, self-harm, reduced self-esteem, suicidal thoughts and substance abuse. Where sexual abuse is a factor, there is an increased risk of STDs and teenage pregnancy.
Recognising Teenage Relationship Abuse
Part of breaking the cycle of teenage relationship abuse is recognising that it is happening. Both the victims of abuse themselves and those closest to them have a part to play and part of our 2020 Dreams Teen Relationship Abuse workshop deals with recognising the signs – from within and without.
For example, teenagers might rightly associate being hit, kicked and slapped with abuse but not realise that humiliation, name-calling, emotional blackmail and overly controlling behaviour are also not acceptable – whether or not the behaviour escalates to violence. Being pressurised into behaving in a certain way, including texting nude images or having sex, is another common example of relationship abuse.
Some teenagers may have even normalised relationship abuse. This can happen if they have grown up in a household where abuse was commonplace.
Sometimes a friend can pick up on the signs (e.g. mood changes, constant mobile calls and anxiety when answering them) but may not know how to reach out. Our workshop educates teens not only on picking up on the signs but also on how to act on them and where to get help.
The workshop will also look at concepts such as respect and freedom and how these are at the core of healthy relationships.
What Happens in a 2020 Dreams Teen Relationship Abuse Workshop?
As part of the 2020 Dreams Sex and Relationship (SRE) programme, our Teenage Relationship Abuse Workshop uses powerful strategies to enable students to engage with the issues involved.
The NHS Choices guide: ‘Abuse in Teenage Relationships,’ explains how victims can find it, “difficult to find the right words,” to talk about their experiences. Our facilitated open forum discussions, led by the teens themselves, provide a safe environment for talking through the issues raised, making finding those words much easier.
Sensitively designed role play scenarios bring the issues to life and gently challenge participants to explore their understanding of relationship abuse, helping them to make healthy lifestyle choices. They are also an ideal tool for helping young people to reach out to their friends and offer support in a non-judgmental way.
While the workshops themselves are not therapeutic, teenagers will be made aware of the many ways in which they can seek help – whether they are a victim of abuse or even a perpetrator.
As with all of our workshops, the content can be tailored to your particular institution’s curriculum, PSHE programme or specific demographic. All 2020 Dreams courses are fully risk-assessed and our facilitators are DBS-checked with experience in both the subject matter and workshop design.
For more information about this specific workshop or 2020 Dreams in general, please email us at hello@2020dreams.org.uk or call 0800 471 4983.
