Project
Rabbits in Headlights
Enhancing educator confidence to support children affected by domestic abuse through impactful training and engaging activities built around our Sometimes it Hurts stories.
Project Purpose
Our consultation process as part of the preceding project – The Child’s View – made it clear that young people wanted the Sometimes it Hurts stories to be used to enhance adult understanding and support where they are experiencing challenges at home.
Therefore, to increase professional confidence to navigate these potentially triggering issues with their young people, we set out to design and trial:
- creative activities that would make it easy for educators to pick up and use the stories to open up the conversation;
- professional training to support their understanding of the issues from a young person’s perspective and how to use the stories and creative tolls we had designed.
Project Impact
Of the educators attending the Victims in their Own Right CPD resulting from the Rabbits in Headlights project:
- 89% agreed that the workshop had enhanced their understanding of the need to treat young people as active participants in surviving and recovering from abuse
- 86% agreed that the workshop had developed their insight into the challenges that different demographic characteristics can create for those affected by domestic abuse
- 89% agreed or strongly agreed that the workshop had increased their awareness of the stereotypes and misperceptions to be mindful to avoid in responding to young people affected by domestic abuse
Of those attending the Stories that Speak CPD, 100% agreed or strongly agreed that the workshop had increased their:
- Awareness of the range of ways young people experience domestic abuse, including its manifestations and impacts
- Confidence to address themes of tricky situations at home
- Perception of the value of creativity to explore tricky issues with young people
Bringing the Project to Life
Literature review and Youth Creative Action Group
We wanted to ensure that young people’s voices continued to shape developments and so formed a Youth Creative Action Group from Primary and Secondary schools across South West Durham. We were also guided by Durham University academic Dr Nikki Rutter, who supported research assistant Alice Westall to conduct a literature review.
Resource development and testing
These partnerships shaped the development of new illustrations for the story series, a set of resources outlining creative activities for educators to use with their young people and a website to house this content. After a development day to support their understanding, our partner schools tested the content with their students.
Sharing, learning and training
Research Assistant Cait Jobson interviewed children and teachers to gather learning about our resource pilot, which was shared in a symposium we co-hosted with Durham University. We used this understanding to develop two educator training sessions: one taking a myth-busting approach to children’s experiences of domestic abuse, the other focused on building familiarity with our resources to build educator confidence to use them.
Our
Impact
Book our CPD to enhance your understanding of children’s experiences of domestic abuse and how you can better support them.
Get in touchRelated materials
Sometimes It Hurts stories & resources
Access our Pay As You Feel Sometimes it Hurts stories and creative resources to help you support young people navigating challenges at home. These tools can also be used to support classroom learning about healthy relationships, coping strategies and support-seeking.
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Sometimes It Hurts books
Buy a physical copy of our Sometimes it Hurts story series to help you support young people navigating challenges at home.
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