- Doing something for your partner because you’re scared to say no, isn’t OK.
- Having any kind of sex when it doesn’t feel right, isn’t OK.
- Doing it because you’re afraid of being punished or dumped is not OK.
- ‘If you loved me you would’ doesn’t make it OK.
- ‘If you don’t, I’ll tell everyone you’re gay’ is not OK.
- ‘All our friends do it’ doesn’t make it OK.
These are just some of the messages from the ‘Disrespect Nobody’ campaign in secondary schools this Autumn. The problem hurts many people.
VAWG
Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) is a priority for Lambeth Council and for the Safer Lambeth partnership. Violence against women is a widespread social problem that causes huge suffering.
How big a problem?
The scale of abuse is often hidden – but we do know:
- 1 in 5 teenagers have been physically abused by their boyfriend or girlfriend.
- Nearly a quarter of 14 year old girls have been forced to have sex or do something they did not want to do by someone they were dating.
- 1 in 3 young people find it difficult to define the line between a caring action and a controlling one.
- Over a third don’t know where to turn for support.
Posters and messages
‘Disrespect Nobody’ uses posters – linked to a TV/radio campaign – that feature ‘talking’ underwear to remind young people that a person isn’t just a body. The campaign aims to encourage young people to re-think their views of abuse, controlling behaviour and what consent and sexting mean within relationships.
The Gaia Centre can help
The campaign also directs young people to the Gaia Centre for local support for VAWG and targets young people in PRUs, youth centres, colleges, and services who work with and support this age range.
For more information
If you are worried about how your partner treats you, you can talk to someone at the Gaia centre on 0207 733 8724. Or if you want more advice about healthy relationships, visit the disrespect nobody information pages
If you want to put up campaign materials in your school or where young people will see them, contact Stacey Bradburne SBradburne@lambeth.gov.uk or 0207 926 9706.
For more information visit the VAWG information pages
