The HEART Programme Scoping Exercise: youth training
A report for the Metropolitan Police and their partners
Jon Adamson
Amy Burrell
March 2011
CONFIDENTIAL
With financial support from the Daphne III Programme of the European Union
Perpetuity Research & Consultancy International (PRCI) Ltd
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Table of Contents
Section 1.
Introduction ................................................................................. 4
Section 2.
Methodology ............................................................................... 5
Scope of the research................................................................................. 5
Definitions ................................................................................................... 6
Methodology for literature review ................................................................ 7
Conceptual framework .......................................................................... 7
Search strategy ..................................................................................... 8
Screening and selecting studies ............................................................ 9
Methodology for consultation with service providers ................................ 11
Methodology for consultation with young people ...................................... 11
Section 3.
Rationale for HEART ................................................................ 13
Why focus on healthy relationships? ........................................................ 13
Addressing gaps ....................................................................................... 14
The value of a three strand approach ....................................................... 15
Section 4.
Cross cutting themes ................................................................ 17
Overarching principles for effective communication with young people .... 17
Deal with the logistics .......................................................................... 18
Ensure workers have good communication skills ................................ 18
Characteristics of key workers ............................................................ 20
Developing trust, respect, and self-esteem ......................................... 21
Getting messages to parents .................................................................... 22
Publicising HEART ................................................................................... 25
Cross over with other local initiatives ........................................................ 26
Sustainability and delivery ........................................................................ 27
Workforce issues ...................................................................................... 28
Section 5.
Youth Training .......................................................................... 31
Evidence for the value of youth training .................................................... 31
Training content ........................................................................................ 34
Sexual coercion, exploitation, and violence – identifying it and
recognising that it is wrong .................................................................. 34
Dispel myths........................................................................................ 37
What is a healthy/unhealthy relationship? ........................................... 38
Links to sexual health (where appropriate).......................................... 40
Tools to challenge sexually coercive/exploitative/violent behaviours .. 41
Focus on gangs ................................................................................... 42
Youth-led training content ................................................................... 46
Training delivery ....................................................................................... 46
Training should be youth led ............................................................... 47
Who to deliver to ................................................................................. 47
Who to deliver ..................................................................................... 54
Where to deliver .................................................................................. 56
How to deliver ..................................................................................... 58
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Section 6.
Cross-cutting recommendations ............................................... 65
Section 7.
Specific recommendations for HEART youth training ............... 67
Section 8.
Bibliography .............................................................................. 70
Bibliography .............................................................................................. 70
Useful websites ........................................................................................ 76
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Section 1.
Introduction
1.1
The Healthy Relationships Training (HEART) programme is designed
to support vulnerable young people and improve the relationships they
have with both peers and prospective partners. The primary focus is on
reducing the risk of young women either committing or being subject to
serious violence, particularly gang related and sexual violence, with a
view to reducing victimisation and crime levels. Work will take place in
both London and Lithuania, however it is intended that good practice
identified will be disseminated widely across Europe.
1.2
The focus for the programme delivery is on three boroughs in London
(Lewisham, Newham, and Waltham Forest) but examples of effective
practice are drawn from elsewhere in London, nationally, and
internationally. The focus is on providing practical lessons and
recommendations.
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Section 2. Methodology
Scope of the research
2.1
Perpetuity has been commissioned to undertake a systematic review of
the existing good practice on youth training, mentoring, and the running
of telephone helplines and websites to build an evidence base to
support the development of the three strands of the HEART
programme.
1. Youth Training: focus on best practice in the field of providing
training provision for young people affected by gangs/sexual
violence. Also to provide recommendations tailored to the HEART
programme to inform its work.
2. Youth Mentoring: present best practice in the field of mentoring
young people including those affected by gangs with
recommendations tailored to the HEART programme to inform its
work. The report will cover the various definitions of mentoring, what
each type of mentoring may usefully achieve, and
recommendations for the nature of mentoring the project should
adopt.
3. Communicating with young people through helplines and
websites: presenting best practice in the field of communicating
with young people on services to support them – covering website
and helpline support with recommendations tailored to the HEART
programme to inform its work.
2.2
This report focuses on the first strand HEART: youth training. A
separate report is available for both the other two strands (outlined
above) as well as a summary.
2.3
In addition to reviewing the current literature, Perpetuity has also
consulted with existing service providers who currently deliver support
to vulnerable young people affected by gangs/sexual/domestic
violence. This was undertaken via semi-structured interviews, largely
conducted by phone.
2.4
The third strand of investigation undertaken by Perpetuity to inform this
scoping exercise was direct consultation with young people. Nine focus
groups were carried out in Feb/March 2011 – three in each of the
London Boroughs where the programme will be targeted. The purpose
of this was chiefly to build an understanding of how training, mentoring,
and helplines/websites could successfully operate in the local context.
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2.5
The research also aimed to develop a directory of services to facilitate
local practitioners to signpost young people to appropriate support
services.
2.6
The key recommendations emerging from the literature review, service
provider interviews, and consultation with young people form a main
focus of this report. Findings are presented by theme rather than
method, with chapters on youth training, youth mentoring, and
communicating with young people through helplines and websites.
Definitions
2.7
The central theme of the HEART programme is to promote healthy
relationships, and the programme will seek to address intimate partner
sexual exploitation and violence between young people. There is no
universally agreed definition of sexual exploitation (Sex Education
Forum Factsheet, 2006) as negative sexual experiences fall along a
spectrum that include varying degrees of coercion (such as young
people facing unwanted pressure from their peers to have sex), sexual
bullying, young people being groomed into sexual activity online, to
sexual violence and rape.
2.8
Sexual coercion is a key concern for HEART. Serquina-Ramiro (2005)
describes sexual coercion as “a process where a person is forced to
engage in a physically intimate act against his or her will” (p.487).
Force can be applied through physical, economic/financial, emotional,
and/or psychological means (Cowburn, 2010). There are particular
concerns about sexual coercion between partners. In this context, a
partner is defined as:
Any young person with whom the young person is/has
been intimate, ranging from serious long term boyfriends
and girlfriends to more casual partners and one-off
encounters
(Adapted from Barter, McCarry, Berridge, & Evans, 2009)1
2.9
Vulnerability is a cross cutting theme for HEART. Maxwell (2006b), who
looked at the experiences of sexual coercion for vulnerable and less
vulnerable women, defined vulnerability by level of educational
attainment, history of substance misuse, experiences of youth
offending, homelessness, teenage parenthood, and current levels of
adult support and supervision. Other vulnerability factors include where
a young person lives/goes to school, truanting, family breakdown, a
history of abuse, and/or because they are gang involved/affected. It is
emphasised that HEART is not a gang reduction programme;
1
Barter, C., McCarry, M., Berridge, D., & Evans, K. (2009). Partner exploitation and violence in teenage
intimate relationships. Executive Summary. Available online from
http://www.nspcc.org.uk/inform/research/findings/partner_exploitation_and_violence_summary_wdf6809
3.pdf
6|Page
however, it is likely to reach a number of gang-affected young
people. It is therefore useful to outline the definition of gangs adopted
for this research:
A relatively durable, predominantly street-based group of
people who see themselves (and are seen by others) as
a discernable group for whom crime and violence is
intrinsic to group practice and solidarity
(Adapted from Hallsworth & Young, 2006)2
2.10
Again, it is emphasised that focus is placed on vulnerability rather than
gang affiliation or membership. HEART is about challenging behaviour
and attitudes to improve positive outcomes for young people; an
approach advocated by researchers (e.g. Bullock & Tilley, 2008;
Jacobson & Burrell, 2007; Youth Justice Board, 2007) who argue that it
is more effective and appropriate to target negative behaviour than
gang or peer group membership.
2.11
Most scoping exercises run a very tight timescale as there is
understandable eagerness to move from securing support and funding
for a project to its actual delivery in the shortest time possible. This
scoping review for HEART is no exception and the methodology has
been developed to take account of the short- time-frame.
Methodology for literature review
2.12
The timescales for the research project present significant challenges
and mean it is not feasible to conduct a full systematic review.
Therefore an alternative methodology – the Rapid Evidence
Assessment (REA) - has been used. This approach ensured the
literature reviewed for this research was undertaken quickly and
appropriately.
2.13
Joliffe and Farrington (2007:3)3 highlight that the main advantage of
using REA is that it is a “…rigorous method for locating, appraising,
and synthesising relevant evidence…”, documents, data, and literature.
In addition, it can produce results in a fraction of the time required for a
full systematic review.
Conceptual framework
2.14
Common to all types of REAs is that there will be many assumptions
within them that need to be made explicit. These form the conceptual
framework for the REA and underpin the:
2
Hallsworth, S. & Young, T. (2006). Urban collectives: gangs and other groups. A report for the
Metropolitan Police and Government Office London.
3 Jolliffe, D. & Farrington, D. P. (2007). A rapid evidence assessment of the impact of mentoring on reoffending: a summary Home Office Online Report 11/07. Accessed January 2011 at
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs07/rdsolr1107.pdf
7|Page

criteria for including or excluding studies;

terms for searching for relevant literature;

terms for sorting/describing literature;

detailed questions to ask of each research report;

framework for the synthesis stage of REA.
Search strategy
2.15
The search strategy was developed to ensure a wide range of
materials including local strategies and documents, policy reports, and
academic research were captured by the review. Identified items were
added to a list, which would later be screened to highlight the most
useful information for inclusion in the review.
2.16
The initial stage of the search was to source reports and documents
from previous research by Perpetuity in the areas of gangs and young
people that might be relevant to the current work. Reports and
supporting information supplied by the Metropolitan Police were also
added to the list.
2.17
Electronic searches were conducted on Google scholar (to access
academic research4) and Google (to access a wider range of
practitioner materials) to supplement the material already sourced by
the initial search. Useful websites were also noted.
2.18
Key words and phrases used for electronic searches included:

healthy relationships

vulnerable young people

vulnerable young women

young people

serious violence

gang related violence

sexual violence

sexual exploitation

sexual coercion
4
Access to University of Leicester resources ensured that copies of academic materials, which are often
difficult for practitioners to access due to subscription restrictions, were secured.
8|Page

gang rape

gangs

youth training

youth mentoring

effective communication

running helplines and websites

how to set up a helpline

helpline

digital exclusion

social networking

good practice
2.19
Phrases were contained within quotation marks for searches, as this
ensures only materials with the exact phrase are returned by the
search.
2.20
In some cases combinations of phrases were used as search terms
where initial searches were unsuccessful or poor at identifying relevant
literature. For example, “youth training” AND “healthy relationships”,
and “helplines” AND “good practice”.
2.21
Parameters were placed on electronic searches to ensure only the
most relevant material was considered for the review. The initial criteria
for consideration in the review were the title of the item returned and
the short abstract provided by the search engine. Where relevant titles
were identified based on topic, the information was downloaded. In
addition, searches were limited to information published in 2005 or
later, and only the first 10 pages of results were scanned for relevant
material.
Screening and selecting studies
2.22
The search generated a list of over 170 items which were further
reviewed for usefulness. The criterion used to select items was based
on:

Focus: subject matter relating to methods of supporting vulnerable
young people and improving the relationships they have with both
peers and prospective partners.
9|Page
2.23

Recent: Material often becomes out of date very quickly. As such
only research that has been published in the last 5 years will be
considered. The cut off point for publication is 20055.

Setting: International material was considered.

Ideologically neutral: It is important that material is unbiased and
value neutral. Although research is not afforded immunity from the
influence of different agendas, where this is explicitly identifiable the
research study will be discounted.

Population: vulnerable young people (primarily young women).
The search for relevant information to inform the development of the
HEART programme from within items took three forms:
1. Review of abstracts/executive summaries. Each abstract/
executive summary is read and compared against the inclusion
criteria, and where the abstract/executive summary meets the
criteria then larger sections of the report would be read. A number
of items were excluded at this stage for failing to meet the ‘focus’
criteria.
2. Review of sections of a report/partial review. Not all studies
have abstracts/executive summaries and some do not contain
information on all the inclusion criteria (this is particularly a problem
with electronic searching). Decisions were made on whether or not
to read the report based on the information available.
A number of methods were used to reach a decision, including
reviewing the contents page (in some cases leading to sections of
some reports being read rather than the entire report), and
searches for key words and phrases (e.g. mentor, communication,
young people, healthy relationships) to identify whether the
documents were likely to contain relevant information.
In some cases, where the overall focus of the report was not
relevant but it was felt that some useful information might be
gleaned, reports were skim read for relevant material rather than
being read in full.
3. Review full studies. Directly relevant literature was read in full.
2.24
In all cases, key information was noted. Information gathered through
all three methods (described above) was then used to build the
evidence base for the three areas of interest: youth training, youth
mentoring, and good practice for websites/helplines.
5
A few exceptions were made when the report in question matched all of the other inclusion criteria
and/or where very limited information was available on a particular subject. The documents were usually
dated 2004 which is still recent enough to be useful.
10 | P a g e
Methodology for consultation with service providers
2.25
At the initial set-up meeting for the scoping exercise (17th January
2011) a long list of appropriate contacts for service provider interviews
was discussed and subsequently provided to Perpetuity. This formed
the initial list of people who were contacted and asked to participate in
an interview.
2.26
A draft interview template was developed, consulted on with the client,
and refined to produce the final structured question template of around
twenty questions. The majority of interviews were conducted by phone
and contemporaneous notes were made and subsequently shared with
all participants for their approval. In total, twenty interviews were
completed with service providers, each lasting between 40 minutes and
an hour. Organisations participating in the interviews were:




















Aurora Foundation
Beatbullying
Capita Conflict Management
Childline
Family Lives (formerly Parentline Plus)
Foundation 4 Life
LEAP Confronting Conflict
London Centre for Personal Safety
MOSAC
National Youth Agency
Newham restorative Justice Network
NSPCC
One in Four
Race On The Agenda (ROTA)
Respect
Solace Women’s Aid
Step Up
The National Association for People Abused in Childhood (NAPAC)
The NIA Project
XLP
Methodology for consultation with young people
2.27
A challenging schedule of setting up, completing and reporting nine
focus groups with young people in the space of around four to five
weeks was achieved. Three focus groups took place in each of the
three London Boroughs where the HEART Programme will be targeted:
Newham, Lewisham and Waltham Forest.
2.28
The focus groups were set up using a convenience sampling approach
using Perpetuity’s existing contacts in the three aforementioned
London Boroughs, with some additional support from one contact in
11 | P a g e
Waltham Forest. The aim was not to replicate an identical approach in
each of the three boroughs as the remit of the scoping exercise was
not designed to compare inter boroughs feedback but to build a
composite understanding from research in all three.
2.29
A draft outline for the focus groups was developed by further research,
consultation with the client and then refined. A final template was
agreed. Individual focus groups based on circumstance, number of
participants and other practical factors to ensure that the required
number of focus groups would be completed within the timescale.
2.30
The focus groups took a targeted approach, rather than a universal
one. Focus groups aimed to include a broad range of young people but
this was chiefly focused on engaging those young people which the
HEART programme was more likely to seek to work with. This was
considered more beneficial in helping the programme understand how
best to engage those most vulnerable young people.
2.31
Each focus group was conducted by two independent researchers: one
to facilitate and one to capture the information. Summary details of the
workshops are shown in Table 1, below. The target was to conduct
three workshops in each of the three London Boroughs with a minimum
of 90 young people participating and this was achieved.
Table 1: Details of focus groups with young people
borough
Lewisham
Lewisham
Lewisham
Newham
Newham
Newham
Waltham Forest
Waltham Forest
Waltham Forest
focus group
Millwall Young Footballers Class (Sydenham)
Millwall Street Dancing Class (Downham)
Millwall Young Girl Footballers
The Mix Youth Club
Newham Young Offenders
Fight for Peace School
George Mtichell School
Forest Pathways Pupil Referal Unit
Leytonestone School
date
10-Feb
03-Mar
25-Mar
10-Feb
15-Feb
04-Mar
09-Mar
14-Mar
22-Mar
Total
Percentage split
males
16
11
1
11
7
8
5
9
0
68
60%
females
1
10
9
6
2
2
6
4
5
45
40%
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total
17
21
10
17
9
10
11
13
5
113
Section 3. Rationale for HEART
3.1
It is important to ensure there is a strong rationale for HEART. The
groundwork for this was laid down by the Metropolitan Police and its
partners when they secured funding for the project. However, this
review has highlighted further evidence that reinforces the value of the
HEART programme and will help shape its delivery.
Why focus on healthy relationships?
3.2
Research reveals that peer conflict is common in many social situations
involving young people and in early partner relationships (Newman &
Campbell, 2010). Many early patterns of sexual behaviour reported by
young people appear to be strongly influenced by peer group norms
(Maxwell, 2006a), and sexual coercion is reported to be common in
adolescent intimate relationships (Maxwell, 2006a; Serquina-Ramiro,
2005), particularly for more vulnerable groups (Maxwell, 2006b).
Furthermore, young women commonly report experiences of
possessiveness from their male partners (Maxwell, 2006b). There is
also concern about girl sharing – that is groups of boys getting together
to have sex with one girl (Iwi & Worms, 2011) – and that young women
are being sexually exploited by gang members who pass girlfriends
onto lower ranking members and/or target girls for sexual assault as a
form of reprisal or warning for other gangs (Network Alliance, 2009).
Academic research also highlights concerns about girl sharing, for
example:
In response to a question about how he spent his spare
time, Lester (aged 17, interviewed at the young offenders’
institution) recounted that a “normal thing to do” among
his peer group was a sexual practice they called “battery”.
“Out of boredom” a group of friends would invite a young
woman over to have sex with each member of the group
(“one after the other”). Lester described these
experiences not as “enjoyment” but as “the adrenaline of
[a group of friends] all having fun at the same time. . .and
[being able to] talk about it after”. While this form of
activity was not reported by any other young people in the
study, anecdotal evidence released by the England Youth
Justice Board has indicated that “battery” may be
common practice within some gang cultures in deprived
inner-city communities
(Maxwell, 2006a:440-441)
3.3
The need for targeted programmes to guide adolescents in their sexual
development has been recognised both in the UK (Firmin, 2009; Sex
Education Forum Factsheet, 2006) and abroad (Serquina-Ramiro,
2005). There is growing recognition that sex education needs to
13 | P a g e
incorporate messages about consent and healthy relationships
alongside traditional messages about sexual health and pregnancy
(e.g. Firmin, 2009; Sex Education Forum Factsheet, 2006), as these
issues provide the context within which serious youth violence occurs
(Firmin, 2009).
This was further borne out in the interviews with service providers
where many expressed dissatisfaction with the fact that sex education
in schools largely constituted traditional messages about avoiding
sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and pregnancy with no
consideration of messages about healthy relationships. One
respondent commented this:
...we have found that both girls and boys appreciated the
opportunity and space to talk about relationships.
…schools teach about the biology of sex and the
prevention of pregnancy & STIs but they don’t really deal
with relationships.
(NIA Project, Feb 2011)
3.4
The key recommendation emerging from the Girls & Serious Violence
Conference (hosted in October 2009) was that teaching of Personal,
Social and Health Education (PSHE) and sex education in schools
should include discussions around healthy relationships, sexual
violence, and consent. In short, programmes such as HEART need to
focus on helping young people to develop the skills to negotiate a more
consensual, pleasurable, and non-exploitative relationship with their
intimate partners (Serquina-Ramiro, 2005).
3.5
A further potential benefit of getting groups together, specifically singlesex groups of girls, emerged from research conducted for the Female
Voice in Violence Project, led by Race on the Agenda. Based on 350
interviews with women and girls,
...what we found with the girls is that they saw themselves
as competitors so there wasn’t a lot of relationship
between girls. Having girls in the same room for research
and sharing experienced actually also helped them to
build friendships.
(Race on the Agenda, Feb 2011)
Addressing gaps
3.6
Young people are likely to be discussing sex and healthy relationships
as part of PSHE (Personal, Social, and Health Education) and SRE
(Sex and Relationships Education) (Sex Education Forum Factsheet,
2006). However, school is just part of the puzzle and PSHE/SRE
programmes are not statutory. The structure of the HEART programme
means that young people who do not attend school (and who might
therefore be at higher risk of sexual coercion) receive the relevant
14 | P a g e
messages about healthy relationships. It is also anticipated that the
HEART programme will play a key role in reinforcing messages to
young people who are in school.
3.7
Not only will the HEART programme complement school based
provision, it will also address a key gap in sexual health policy, namely
that the current focus is very much on physical as opposed to
psychological outputs. The Department for Health identifies both the
importance of cross government working to support women and girls
who are victims or violence, as well as the ability to identify those at
risk of sexual violence6. However, the overall priorities of this policy are
to reduce conception rates for under 18’s and the prevalence of
Chlamydia. The focus on physical outputs ignores the fact that there
are also negative emotional impacts to sexual behaviour (Network
Alliance, 2009). In cases of sexual coercion or violence, there is risk of
increased emotional vulnerability which risks perpetuating the cycle
and leading to more serious (psychological and physical) negative
outcomes as unhealthy relationships progress.
The value of a three strand approach
3.8
HEART will adopt a three strand approach – training, mentoring, and
website/helpline support – to deliver messages about healthy
relationships to young people. This approach has been well received
by local partners and research reveals that combining different
interventions is likely to produce the best outcomes for young people
(11 Million, 2009; Cowburn, 2010; Eby, Allen, Evans, Ng, & Du Bois,
2008; Jolliffe & Farrington, 2007; Sex Education Forum Factsheet,
2006).
3.9
People who are selected to be mentored commonly face numerous
challenges (e.g. academic problems, parental conflict, unhealthy peer
relationships) that may be difficult to overcome with mentoring alone
(Eby, Allen, Evans, Ng, & Du Bois, 2008). The Mentoring and
Befriending Foundation (MBF) also highlight that, whilst mentoring has
a clear and significant role to play, it must be implemented alongside
other measures in order to break the cycle of negative behaviour
(Transforming Lives Report, date unknown) as greater benefits are
achieved from youth mentoring when accompanied by other support
services than when used alone (Eby, Allen, Evans, Ng, & Du Bois,
2008).
3.10
Education has also been highlighted as a critical part of any strategy to
reduce male sexual coercion (Cowburn, 2010). However, combining
education with other support is likely to have more impact than
education alone. In terms of helplines, Finn, Gardner, & Wilson (2010)
Moving Forward: Progress and priorities – working together for high quality sexual health.
Department of Health (2009).
6
15 | P a g e
argue that both telephone and online hotlines should become an
integral part of support systems.
16 | P a g e
Section 4. Cross cutting themes
4.1
The research has examined the relevant literature, gathered the views
of service providers, and consulted with young people, in order to
collect data to make recommendations about the content and structure
of the three strands of the HEART programme (namely training,
mentoring, and helpline/website support). A number of cross cutting
themes have emerged which are useful to consider in the ongoing
development of the programme.
4.2
A core theme running through the report is the need for effective youth
engagement; an unsurprising outcome given that this is likely to be
central to the success of HEART. Relevant supplementary material
regarding good practice for effective communication with young people
is included here. This section also discusses the key messages needed
to communicate with parents, and how these should be delivered. The
benefits of cross over with existing services, and the importance of
sustainability are also highlighted.
Overarching principles for effective communication with young
people
4.3
Persuading young people to change their behaviour is difficult.
However, it can be achieved by convincing young people that there are
positive benefits to changing their habits (IDHTH, peer to peer
communications factsheet). Therefore the process of engaging with a
young person, and of relationship building between worker and young
person, are vital (Stone, 2009). However, there are a number of
(overlapping) challenges to active youth engagement that are indicated
here.

Often there will have been no previous contact between workers
and young people and so emphasis needs to be placed on building
trust and, at times, overcoming hostility (Stone, 2009).

Competing goals and demands – young people are busy and often
have a lot going on in their lives (Crooks, Chiodo, & Thomas, 2009).

A lack of trust (Crooks, Chiodo, & Thomas, 2009).

The troubled backgrounds of some youth that can make it harder for
them to build relationships (Crooks, Chiodo, & Thomas, 2009).

A range of cultural influences that are not always conducive to
relationship building of this type (Crooks, Chiodo, & Thomas, 2009)

Poverty (Crooks, Chiodo, & Thomas, 2009).
17 | P a g e
4.4

A lack of transportation which can make travel difficult and often
complicated by a lack of funds(Crooks, Chiodo, & Thomas, 2009;
Laureus, 2009).

Childcare – arranging and paying for childcare (Crooks, Chiodo, &
Thomas, 2009).
The challenges can seem considerable, however, there are a number
of approaches that can be built into the ways HEART is delivered to
reduce these, and/or minimise their impact.
Deal with the logistics
4.5
The first issue to consider is where and when HEART sessions will be
delivered. This needs to include consideration of a range of factors
such as location of transport networks, costs of travel/childcare,
location and availability of facilities, and youth commitments to other
things. It is also possible that schedules and locations might need to
change over time as different young people come through the
programme (Crooks, Chiodo, & Thomas, 2009). It will be important to
provide a range of opportunities that facilitate different types of
commitment, perhaps over different durations, organised at different
times that maximises the likelihood of a diverse group of youth
becoming involved in HEART.
4.6
In addition to holding sessions at the appropriate time and place
(Children’s Workplace Development Council, 2010), it is vital to create
a safe learning environment (Sex Education Forum Factsheet, 2006)
which has a number of aspects. Key pointers include:

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




4.7
Clarity around confidentiality
Agreed ground rules
Careful pitching of topics
Implementing a model of respectful behaviour
Building trust with young people
Ensuring appropriate support mechanisms are in place for workers
Recognition of diversity and the ability to adapt to differing needs
Sensitivity to gender issues
In addition to locations being accessible, venues need to be
comfortable.
Ensure workers have good communication skills
4.8
Aside from the practical issues, the key issue is to build trust with
young people (Children’s Workplace Development Council, 2010;
Crooks, Chiodo, & Thomas, 2009; Laureus, 2009; Sex Education
18 | P a g e
Forum Factsheet, 2006; Stone, 2009; Pitts, 2009). The main ingredient
of building trust is good communication and young people stressed that
the most important aspect of HEART will be how much the young
people can relate to those delivering services. Actively communicating
with young people in a positive way not only helps build trust but also
demonstrates what a healthy relationship looks like (at least a platonic
one). It encourages young people to engage with services and to seek
advice (Children’s Workplace Development Council, 2010).
4.9
There are a number of characteristics associated with good
communication. It is important to remember that not all approaches will
work with all young people, as their experiences and personalities
differ. However, there are a number of overarching principles that
denote good practice.
1. The ability to listen: Listening is perhaps the single most important
thing that a worker can do for a young person engaging with
HEART. The importance of listening is consistently highlighted in
the literature (e.g. Children’s Workplace Development Council,
2010; Pitts, 2009) and was also highlighted as key in service
provider interviews. Active listening in a calm, open, nonjudgemental, non-threatening way and the use of open questions
are the basis of good listening skills. It is key to acknowledge what
has been heard and to check it has been heard correctly (Children’s
Workplace Development Council, 2010). A National Training
Module handbook from America (National Collaboration of Youth,
date unknown) provides a checklist of listening skills which may
prove useful:









Tune into what the speaker has to say.
Pay full attention to the speaker.
Make direct eye contact (the exception here may be when
cultural norms might interpret direct eye contact as
uncomfortable or disrespectful).
Lean forward toward the speaker.
Don’t interrupt, judge, or criticise.
Use non-verbal listening skills: Nodding or shaking your head
and changing facial expressions as appropriate (e.g. showing
concern, or excitement).
Use brief verbal responses that indicate you are listening (e.g.
yes, I see, go on etc).
Ask questions to clarify what the person is saying and to
encourage the person to say more (e.g. “So, what happened
that got you so upset?” or “What did you think about that?”).
Try to figure out the feelings reflected by the speaker’s words.
Ask a question to determine whether you are correct about how
the speaker is feeling.
19 | P a g e

Get feedback: Repeat the key points the speaker is making to
clarify understanding of the problem/topic (a point also
supported by Dunhill, Elliot, & Shaw, 2009).
2. Language: Use clear language and ensure language used is
appropriate to the young person’s age and/or level of
understanding. In focus groups it was also highlighted that workers
needed to understand young people’s use of language and, for
example, ‘not go mental about swearing’.
3. Body language: Communication is not just about the words used,
but also about the way people speak (e.g. tone, pitch) and body
language. However, it will be important to take account of culture
and context, as body language can be interpreted in different ways
(Children’s Workplace Development Council, 2010).
4. Be respectful: It is important to be respectful, understanding, and
honest when working to build a rapport with children, young people,
and their parents and carers (Children’s Workplace Development
Council, 2010). It is important to feel and show empathy and
sincerity.
5. People become engaged when relationships are continuous.
4.10
Good communication is also relevant as it will be important to
demonstrate the relevance of the service to young people (Stone,
2009). Focus must be placed on how the programme is branded.
IDHTH (peer to peer communications factsheet) argue that phrases
such as “community initiative” are not popular. Similarly, young people
may be put off from engaging with a programme if it is implied that they
being perceived as a failure is a condition for involvement (Crooks,
Chiodo, Thomas, & Hughes, 2010).
Characteristics of key workers
4.11
There was commonality across the focus groups with young people as
to who would be best suited to deliver the HEART programme. Young
people in the focus groups felt that youth workers were most likely to
have the necessary skills to relate to young people and that it should
be someone ‘a bit older than them but not too old’ (around 25 years old
was mentioned on a few occasions by young people in focus groups).
4.12
Young people were not particularly concerned about the type of
background of those delivering the training sessions save that they
were very clear that the mentor needed to be someone with experience
of similar issues, of the same sex and from the same
culture/background.
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4.13
With regards to the mentoring programme, young people were clear
that the people working with them should be strangers; that is not
known to them already and not from the same area.
4.14
Young people were also very clear about what they did not want from
those delivering HEART. They did not think it would be appropriate for
anyone from the police to be involved nor anyone else viewed as
‘professional’.
Developing trust, respect, and self-esteem
4.15
HEART not only aims to improve young people’s knowledge and
understanding of healthy relationships, it also aims to help young
people develop the skills they need to make healthy relationship
choices. Part of this work will include boosting self esteem and
confidence, and so young people must feel welcome and valued by
HEART. A National Training Module handbook from America (National
Collaboration of Youth, date unknown) lists some practical approaches
that can help:




















4.16
Ask young people about their day
Look for, and discuss, commonality
Use a young person’s name when interacting with them
Acknowledge a young person’s arrival and departure
Provide wanted assistance
Work side by side on something
Do something fun together
Laugh together
Demonstrate caring—smile, show appropriate affection
Look for and comment on young person’s strengths
Have high and realistic expectations
Demonstrate your trust—maintain a confidence
Give a sincere compliment
Ask them to educate you about something
Talk in a positive tone
Listen without judgment
Use supportive language—give positive feedback
Encourage him/her to participate
Remain calm/patient when the youth is angry or upset
Comfort/console the youth when hurt/upset or disappointed
These approaches mirror the good practice in active listening skills,
and can be incorporated in day-to-day interaction between workers and
young people. Youth workers, in particular, already demonstrate these
skills and this supports the value of recruiting youth workers to deliver
the HEART programme.
21 | P a g e
4.17
Some young people might find it harder to interact with workers,
especially those who are disempowered in other areas of their lives. In
these cases it is useful to employ strategies to enhance the sense of
respect and trust between workers and young people. These strategies
include (adapted from Dunhill, Elliot, & Shaw, 2009):

Using their given name rather than terms of endearment (unless
permission is granted by the young person). Informality can
sometimes create a sense of over-familiarity which a young person
may not be comfortable with.

Not making physical gestures such as hugging young people –
again this may create an air of over-familiarity. Also, some young
people might not be used to physical contact and/or may feel
uncomfortable with it.

Ensure that eye contact is made easily by sitting at the young
person’s level – it is important not to appear overly authoritative as
this acts as a barrier to building trust.

Listen carefully to young people and respond in such a way that
shows they know they are being heard (e.g. reflect back their last
statement to check that you have understood).Tap into peer
influence to reinforce messages. Peer-to-peer communication is a
unique and powerful tool, and young people are more likely to
accept information from their peers than from adults (IDHTH peer to
peer communications factsheet).
Getting messages to parents
4.18
Crooks, Chiodo, & Thomas (2009) argue that youth programmes
should develop specific strategies for engaging with parents and
guardians.
4.19
IDHTH (Getting parents and carers involved factsheet) argue that
young people listen to their parents and carers and particularly their
mothers. Parents should be encouraged to communicate with their
children about sensitive topics (Jejeebhoy, 2007). They will need some
knowledge of the aims and objectives of the HEART programme in
order to reinforce messages.
4.20
Parents/carers should be working to foster an environment that does
not condone sexual coercion (Jejeebhoy, 2007). It is possible that
some parents will need support to develop the skills to achieve this.
The Home Office (2008) has published guidance to help parents learn
to talk to their children about gangs. Although HEART addresses a
different issue (i.e. sexual coercion, exploitation, and violence), the
advice is relevant as it centres on how parents can communicate with
their children about sensitive topics.
22 | P a g e

Parents/carers are encouraged to talk to their children and keep
reminding them they can raise any issues of concern with them.
When they do talk it is important to stay calm and rational no matter
how upset a parent becomes. Parents should listen carefully to
what their children are saying without interrupting them and really
try to understand the situation from their children’s point of view.
Parents should ask their children what they want to do rather than
telling them what to do to solve a problem.

Parents/carers should praise
achievements and efforts.

Parents/carers should help children understand that success
requires effort.

Encouraging children to take part in positive after school activities is
good parental/carer advice.

Parents/carers should get involved in their child’s school activities if
they can spare the time.

Parents/carers should know their child’s friends and their families.

Parents/carers should be a positive role model and remember
children learn from what they see and experience.

Teaching children how to cope with peer pressure and how to deal
with conflicts without the use of violence should be offered by
parents/carers.

Parents/carers should talk about the dangers and consequences of
sexual coercion, exploitation, and violence.

Teaching children that rights come with responsibilities should be
reinforced by parents/carers.

Setting limits and boundaries and applying them continually is key.

Parents/carers should stick to the rules to avoid appearance of
double standards.

Communicating with other parents/carers about how each other’s
children are viewed is important. Working together provides another
pair of eyes to monitor behaviour.

Identifying whether there are there other members of the family who
could lend a hand in talking to children is key. This should be
someone the young person respects and would listen to.
and
acknowledge
the
child’s
23 | P a g e

Parents/carers should be aware of what children are viewing on the
internet – social networking sites can be used to bully young people
and/or to organise crime and violence.
4.21
The literature review suggests that sessions which young people and
their parents can attend together can prove useful to building healthier
relationships between parent and child. Quinn (2009) reports that childparent sessions can strengthen family relationships through promoting
communication and understanding of each others’ points of view, with
adults reporting significant increases in how much they had talked with
their children about sensitive issues. Furthermore young people
reported a significant increase in how comfortable they felt when talking
with their parents about sensitive topics.
4.22
One service provider outlined that parents should be informed on:
What the issues are (brief summary) why it needs to be
addressed, some of the impacts of young people getting
drawn in to gang related sexual violence and a really
clear note of optimism that there are things that can be
done and perhaps some pointers to successful
experiences elsewhere. Emphasise…we all have a
responsibility to do something about it, acknowledge that
these are difficult issues but doing nothing is not an
option.
(NSPCC)
4.23
Parental consent to take part in HEART is likely to be required for any
participants aged under 16. Service providers highlighted the need to
give careful consideration to the scope and nature of information
provided to parents, and when it is provided, in order to build the trust
and confidence of young people involved in the programme.
If they [young people taking part] knew parents were also
being spoken to they would be quite anxious about what
information was being shared. This would need to be
explained very carefully to the young people. Could be
that you just provided something very generic to parents?
Or maybe involved different staff /organisations to deliver
these two aspects [information to parents and information
to young people] so that young people feel less
threatened by that?
(NIA Project)
4.24
It is important that parents are told which kinds of topics will be
discussed at HEART, as they may object to the content. They may also
be able to offer insight as to how well they think their child will respond
to, and engage with, the programme.
24 | P a g e
4.25
A challenge in engaging parents in the project and providing them
information is that:
the young people targeted for HEART may not have the
best relationship with their parent and may not want them
to know about involvement
(National Youth Agency)
4.26
However, where it is possible to engage with parents this is likely to
increase the likelihood of HEART being a success:
...in terms of youth justice initiatives generally we know
that young people are much more likely to engage if
there’s support from parents so you could argue a better
chance of success if parents are informed and involved
(National Youth Agency)
Publicising HEART
4.27
Young people in focus groups questioned how and why the programme
had been named ‘HEART’, in particular the specific reference to
healthy relationships. Young people felt that a ‘less obvious’ name for
the programme, which did not make reference to healthy relationships,
might be better as young girls would find it easier to explain going to
sessions or meeting their mentor if it had a more generic name (such
as ‘mentors for girls’) and did not focus on the negative aspects of
relationships.
4.28
Young people taking part in focus groups thought that HEART should
be publicised in schools and using Facebook and that posters should
be put up in those places where young people already go, such as
‘chicken shops’ (take-away food shops). A celebrity leading the
campaign was also thought by the young people to be likely to
encourage them to be interested in the programme. Names mentioned
where Tinnie Tempha, Jessie Jade, David Beckham (or another
footballer).
4.29
There was support from young people and from service providers, for
the use of creative arts – dance, drama, films and music – to promote
HEART. Young people described how gangs use music, rap and lyrics
to ‘diss each other, so you could use music etc. to give a positive
message instead’. Newham Restorative Justice Network suggested the
Reflex 300 DVD as a good example of this with a similar target
audience7. Step Up also described a DVD which was developed by a
group of young people aged 9-17yrs and shows their journey from
victim to survivor. The project reports that this resource has been used
7
http://www.reflex.org/300dvd/
25 | P a g e
in schools to great effect in both raising awareness of, for example,
how grooming happens and to show what help is available.
4.30
Other innovative suggestions from young people for promoting HEART
included:

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
Including the helpline number hidden within the barcode of
unbranded lip balm (this has been used in a similar way for
domestic violence campaigns8)
Place adverts on sweet wrappers & fast food packaging
Having a bus dedicated to the project
Training young people at schools to pass out the key messages to
other young people
Posters on trains, buses and bus-stops in areas where young
people hang-out
Adverts at cinemas and on radio
Cross over with other local initiatives
4.31
It will be important to find out what is already being delivered locally in
order to avoid duplication. The database of local services drawn up as
part of the scoping exercise is an important contribution to this and will
need to be regularly monitored and updated.
4.32
HEART provides an opportunity to reinforce positive messages about
sex education. HEART should complement, but not contradict,
messages delivered by schools and youth projects. Developing a good
understanding of what is being delivered as part of PSHE (Personal,
Social, and Health Education) and SRE (Sexual Relationship
Education) programmes will help here. Some young people may
already be learning about sexual health, sexuality, and possibly
emotions and healthy relationships (Sex Education Forum Factsheet,
2006).
4.33
Young people in focus groups reported that they felt well informed on
issues of sexual health and that they knew “where to go and what to
do”. However, with regards to violence there was a gap in not knowing
where to go for advice and support. Young people also strongly
endorsed the approach taken by HEART; “these things should be
there, they should already exist”.
4.34
Service providers felt that HEART could usefully link up with other
campaigns; Childline and the 99percent campaign9 were both
mentioned by service providers (e.g. Newham Restorative Justice
Network) as good examples.
8
For an example see:
http://www.icontactadvertising.com/EmailCAMP/domesticviolence300407_web.htm
9 http://www.99percent.org.uk/
26 | P a g e
4.35
It is noted that the Griffins Society are currently (March 2011) in the
process of conducting research on what works with gang-affected
young women. This, once completed, might feed into the development
and refinement of HEART.
Sustainability and delivery
4.36
It is important to avoid being a “one-hit-wonder” (Crooks, Chiodo, &
Thomas, 2009). Many youth initiatives are delivered over the short term
and are unsustainable. This can lead to young people becoming
disillusioned with services as they feel they have been let down again
(Pitts, 2009).
If you really want to develop healthy relationships you
need a long term approach. For most of these young
people issues won’t be resolved overnight they need
long-term consistent support. From young people I’ve
spoken to they’ve often found that 3 to 6 months isn’t long
enough and they’re left with nothing at the end of that.
...and that’s with young people who need a lot less
support than the young people HEART is targeting. You
need to try and find the next step, whatever that young
person needs.
(National Youth Agency)
4.37
This clearly highlights the need to ensure that the HEART programme
is sustainable, at least over the time an individual young person is
engaged with the programme.
4.38
Laureus (2009) warns that young people in some neighbourhoods can
feel overwhelmed by the number of local programmes, each with a
different agenda, and all seeking to achieve recognition and a public
relations impact. The key to long term success is long term investment
(Laureus, 2009). Programmes must retain focus, and emphasise
quality rather than quantity to succeed in the long term (Laureus,
2009).
4.39
A holistic approach is generally recommended for public services. In
this context this means enabling young people to disclose information
to HEART workers that they are able to action (e.g. onward referral to
another agency, communication with a social worker if there are
safeguarding concerns). It is important that HEART has strong links to
other support agencies, and that clear referral pathways are developed.
4.40
The proposed structure of HEART indicates clear exit points from the
programme (e.g. at the end of 6 weeks of mentoring). Since some
young people may require ongoing support HEART will need to provide
progression routes (Stone, 2009).
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4.41
Some consideration should be given to how demand might impact on
the delivery of HEART. For example, if the programme is popular, will it
still be delivered to all eligible young people or will a selection process
be introduced?
4.42
The implications of funding shortfalls need to be considered (Stone,
2009). In this case, there is funding for a set period, and if HEART is a
structured programme with a clear entry and exit point, it is anticipated
that the delivery of the programme to young people may not be
affected by the funding period ending. However, if young people need
ongoing support through HEART (and/or programme staff want to
deliver HEART to more young people) additional funding will need to
be secured or young people will need to be referred on as appropriate.
4.43
In terms of sustainability, recruiting young people who have been
through the HEART programme could be recruited as advocates.
Some young people may even be able to contribute to training
sessions, or become peer mentors. The recruitment of young people in
this way has been successful for the X-it gang desistence programme
(Julia Wolton, as cited in Pitts, 2009).
4.44
Managing the end/withdrawal of services is an important consideration
in the planning of the heart programme.
You need to be thinking about that [end/withdrawal of
services] from the outset and your knowledge transfer.
Build in at early planning stages. Exit and take-up easily
ignored but needs to be spelt out in as detailed a way as
possible, as early as possible, so that learning accrued is
not lost.
(NSPCC)
Workforce issues
4.45
Issues around recruitment and training of the workforce were discussed
at length in the service provider interviews. Some providers (e.g.
Beatbullying) specifically mentioned the need to have a ‘competency
framework’ or ‘QA framework’ in place and to provide transparent
feedback to managers and programme workers about the strengths of
and gaps in HEART.
4.46
Child protection and risk assessment around the recruitment of staff
and the ongoing delivery of the programme were mentioned by almost
all service providers as being the main primary staffing concerns.
4.47
ROTA highlight the need for specific training of workers around gender
issues:
28 | P a g e
It’s useful for people to do training around gender issues
and gangs. The amount of places we’ve been to with
brilliant structures in place for boys & gangs but who
hadn’t even thought about girls & gangs... There needs to
be training in place for people to get up to speed about
issues for girls & women [in relation to gangs].
(ROTA)
There was support from this from the NIA Project:
[What is required is] lots of training around sexual
violence and exploitation, understanding the range of
sexual violence from culture/language in schools, etc.
right through to rape.
(NIA Project)
4.48
Foundation 4 Life use ex-offenders to deliver services to young people
and make an important point about appropriate vetting of staff in
recruitment and the on-going monitoring and support of staff ‘inpractice’:
We place offenders, who have experienced these types
of situations... The number one challenge is sourcing and
vetting the right people - CRB check, training, personal
references – because we work with the most difficult &
hard to engage young people. On the job training and
monitoring ‘in-practice’. You see so many practitioners
who studied it but are then intimidated by the young
people which makes it impossible to deliver a service. So
having a pool of people is most important ...cherry pick.
Most important thing is real-life experience.
(Foundation 4 Life)
4.49
Other providers concurred with the need for ongoing support for staff,
not just on recruitment:
Seek to have more training after they’ve started doing the
job – coaching, learning groups – ‘in flight’ learning.
(LEAP Confronting Conflict)
4.50
The possibility of individuals suffering from stress and organisations
suffering ‘Secondary Traumatic Stress’ was also highlighted and it was
suggested that systems should be put in place to monitor and respond
to this:
Not only can staff individuals be affected but the whole
organisation can too. The whole command had been
stigmatised within the organisation so then organisation
has a problem with responses to what they are doing.
Organisation stress must be sensitively handled &
regularly monitored.
(One in Four)
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30 | P a g e
Section 5.
Youth Training
5.1
The HEART programme will deliver training focusing on healthy
relationships. It has been proposed (within the funding bid for the
programme) that the training is divided into two strands; targeted and
universal. The targeted training programme will last 12 weeks and
focus on the most vulnerable young people10. A scaled down version of
this training would be delivered to a wider cohort of young people
through a series of 3 sessions11.
5.2
The review identifies best practice in the provision of training for young
people, with a particular focus on provision for young people affected
by gangs and/or sexual violence. Recommendations are designed to
inform the development of the HEART programme (e.g. content,
delivery methods).
Evidence for the value of youth training
5.3
There are a number of examples of successful youth training
programmes identified in the literature review. Three relevant examples
are outlined here to demonstrate this point.
5.4
First, the Fourth R – a comprehensive school based programme
focused on reducing violence (including bullying, peer violence, and
dating violence), substance abuse, and unsafe sex – delivered
messages across a 21 lesson curriculum in Canada (Crooks, Chiodo, &
Thomas, 2009; Crooks, Chiodo, Thomas, & Hughes, 2010; Crooks,
Wolfe, Hughes, Jaffe, & Chiodo, 2008). The evaluation highlighted that
this training not only improved skills but also helped to better equip
young people to strengthen their relationships.
5.5
Second, Banyard, Moynihan, & Plante (2007) report a range of positive
outcomes for a training scheme in the USA. These included reduced
myth acceptance, increased knowledge of sexual violence, pro-social
bystander attitudes, increased bystander efficacy, and increases in
self-reported bystander behaviours. Furthermore, behaviour change
was demonstrated to persist at the 2 month, 4 month, and 12 month
follow up points.
5.6
Given the structure of HEART (i.e. targeted and universal training), it is
interesting to note here that two versions of the programme reported on
by Banyard and colleagues (2007) were implemented. Undergraduates
(ages 18 to 23) were assigned to either a one-session or a threesession programme group (with a booster session after 2 months) and
their attitudes were compared to a control sample who received no
10
The programme will run in a total of 9 sites (3 per borough in 3 boroughs), across four cohorts of 10
individuals per cohort. A total of 360 young people to receive targeted training.
11 Delivered to classes of 30 individuals. A total of 360 young people to receive universal training.
31 | P a g e
programme intervention. Participants in both programme groups
showed improvements across measures of attitudes, knowledge, and
behaviour compared to the control group. Furthermore, more marked
changes were associated with the three-session programme when
compared to the one-session programme. The results of the evaluation
showed that both sexes benefited indeed both changed their attitudes.
5.7
The third, and most directly relevant example is a UK programme that
uses street and club-based youth work to target both young people
who are heavily involved in gangs and those on the margins of gangs;
the X-it desistence programme. The success rate is reported to be
impressive (Pitts, 2006).
5.8
The X-it programme was set up in 2004 following a spate of fatal, gangrelated shootings in Brixton, South London. The programme is owned
and run by the X-it peer youth workers, young people involved in gangs
and wishing to find alternatives to gang violence, and for other young
people living in gang-affected neighbourhoods (Pitts, 2009).
5.9
John Pitts conducted an interview with Julia Wolton – who set up and
co-ordinates the X-it gangs desistance programme in Lambeth – and in
so doing highlighted a number of critical success factors for X-it which
are listed and briefly discussed below.

Participation is voluntary: the principal of voluntary engagement
forms the shape and nature of the relationship between the youth
worker and the young person. It means that young people are
enabled to retain power; if the programme does not meet the
aspirations of the young person then he or she has the power to
walk away. Young people did not like to be or feel forced into
attending programmes. One consequence may be their withdrawal
altogether, even if the programme is exciting.

Peer workers understand young people: the programme
deliberately recruited local youth workers who were respected by
young people and who had already built up strong relationships with
them. This generates trust. The peer workers are also well placed to
emphasise the value of having an open-minded police officer
working within the X-it team. Any police involvement was seen as
taboo in the feedback from young people in focus groups so this
would require further exploration before being adopted for HEART.

It is young person led: by employing young people who have
attended previous programmes as peer workers the programme
aims to ensure young people’s voices are heard and heeded. Peer
workers are well placed to identify young people to join the
programme and suggest relevant issues for discussion. Participants
were able to identify with their peer worker who became a positive
role model.
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5.10

Adult involvement is proportional: peer workers can deal with a
range of issues without needing to involve adults, who young
people can be wary of. Adult roles are often centred on turning the
young people’s ideas into practical realities. It is important to
maintain the balance to ensure young people do not feel
disempowered by adults trying to assert their authority
unnecessarily.

The programme works both at an individual level and with peer
groups: alongside supporting individuals on the programme peer
groups of young people are involved generating a mutually
supportive network. This is believed to have a greater chance of
breaking with past habits.

It brings the urban to the rural: while X-it works directly on young
people’s territory and in partnership with local agencies, it also
takes young people out of their environment to the Lake District.

It works in partnership: partnership working is therefore central to
X-it. It is recognised that no one agency is able to provide all of the
solutions and that success is dependent upon drawing on the
expertise of a number of agencies. .

The programme concentrates on needs not deeds: X-it
deliberately maintains a discrete distance from agencies involved in
the criminal justice system. This enables participants to feel they
are starting with a ‘clean sheet’. It also allows X-it to work with
young people who are offending but haven’t yet come to the
attention of workers in the CJS.

Work in a non-judgemental way.

The programme provides ongoing support: many youth
initiatives are delivered over the short term and are unsustainable.

Provide holistic services: X-it provides pastoral support including
attending court with young people, and one-to-one mentoring.

Challenges behaviour: X-it challenge behaviour and provide
boundaries for young people. It is emphasised that it is important to
express criticism when these boundaries are broken, but also
continue to provide support to young people to overcome setbacks.
There were concerns that young people might be at risk of victimisation
for moving away from gang activity. However, X-it report that this has
not presented a problem to date. It seems that rather than walk away
from gangs they instead re-negotiate their place in peer groups. X-it
participants become critical parents who still support their peers and
but walk away when boundaries are close to being breached. X-it also
report that young people who are entrenched within the gang culture
33 | P a g e
may often reflect that ‘they wish someone had offered them a way out’
and appear to respect others who do this (Pitts, 2009).
5.11
Interviews with service providers for this scoping exercise pick up on a
number of the points raised by the X-it initiative. The aspect of peer
involvement in the design and delivery of the training programme was
something highlighted by several people in interviews as being of
fundamental importance to the success of programmes and services.
5.12
Effective partnership working was seen as absolutely key to the
successful delivery of a programme such as HEART:
Having really good communication between different
agencies is very important.
(XLP)
[The] recommendation we make is joined-up thinking in
providing those services. I know people say it again and
again but it is that multi-agency approach. It’s about
whatever services are in your area and how you adapt
those services around that individual.
(Race on the Agenda)
5.13
Partnership working was also seen as important in that it can use the
existing trusted relationships between young people and service
providers to secure engagement with young people who might
otherwise not be willing to participate. It was also seen as important
with regards to ensuring a legacy to the project.
Training content
5.14
The review identified a range of themes that could be incorporated into
the HEART training. This section outlines the messages that young
people might most benefit from.
Sexual coercion, exploitation, and violence – identifying it and
recognising that it is wrong
5.15
The central issue of concern is young people’s inability to identify
sexual coercion, and even when they do they see such behaviour as
normal and don’t challenge it. HEART needs to consider how to break
down some of the myths around sexual exploitation, coercion, and
violence amongst both young men and young women.
5.16
Sexual coercion is thought to be common during adolescence as young
people are becoming aware of sex and sexuality but still developing
emotional maturity (Serquina-Ramiro, 2005). It is difficult for young
people to manage their complex feelings, make informed decisions,
and deal with conflicts that arise in their relationships. Gaps in age, and
34 | P a g e
social status, environmental conditions, and the psychological states of
partners at the time of dating are believed to be risk factors for sexual
coercion (Serquina-Ramiro, 2005).
5.17
Girls report being used and deceived by boys, being pressured to be
sexual by their peers, and then being labelled as promiscuous after a
sexual encounter, or even a rumoured encounter (Bay-Cheng,
Livingston, & Plante, 2010).
5.18
The first stage is to explain to young people what constitutes sexually
coercive, exploitative, and violent behaviour. Young people also need
to learn how to identify such behaviour otherwise they will not be able
to protect themselves from it. This emerged strongly in the interviews
with service providers. One commented,
One of the key messages is being aware of how
someone can be enticed, coerced or entrapped into
relationships in which care and attention or love is a
masquerade for abuse.
(One in Four)
5.19
A key aspect of prevention is to understand offender’s tactics and
mitigate accordingly. Serquina-Ramiro (2005) identified a range of
tactics used to force young people to submit to the sexual advances of
their partner. In order of prevalence these are:









Verbal deception
Verbal insistence
Sweet talking
Direct command or raising of the voice
Physical assault
Avoiding communication
Threats
Harsh eye contact
Bribery
5.20
This illustrates the wide range of methods that some young people are
willing to use to persuade partners to engage in sexual activity. In some
cases, the approach may seem relatively harmless (e.g. sweet talking),
but it is not always received that way.
5.21
Young women report a range of pressures that could increase their risk
of sexual coercion, exploitation, and/or violence. The following list
contains examples.


Being pressurised into playing a passive role in sexual encounters
(Adams & Williams, 2011; Maxwell, 2006b).
Girls who lack the courage to say no are more likely to be sexually
exploited (Bay-Cheng, Livingston, & Fava, 2010).
35 | P a g e











5.22
Feeling obliged to have sex when a male partner wants to (Maxwell,
2006b).
Sensing a strong male sexual desire is natural and uncontrollable
(Adams & Williams, 2011).
Feeling guilty for not wanting to satisfy their male partner’s needs
(Maxwell, 2006b).
Assigning greater importance to their partners needs than their own
(Maxwell, 2006b).
Girls fear acknowledging that a partner they care for is submitting
them to a coercive experience (Maxwell, 2006b).
Interpreting sexually controlling (e.g. jealously or possessiveness)
as ‘normal’ signs of love (Serquina-Ramiro, 2005).
Experiencing pressure to be sexual from peers (Bay-Cheng,
Livingston, & Fava, 2010).
Wanting to gain peer acceptance or not wanting to be seen as a
prude (Adams & Williams, 2011; Bay-Cheng, Livingston, & Fava,
2010).
Young women look to peers for approval of their dating partners,
and dating someone who is attractive, popular, and slightly older is
seen as a way to gain popularity (Adams & Williams, 2011).
However, dating older boys is associated with a higher risk of
sexual coercion (Adams & Williams, 2011; Serquina-Ramiro, 2005).
Having parents who are abusive, neglectful, intensely critical, or
overly protective (e.g. to the point of failing to provide sex education
information) can increase the risk of exploitation (Bay-Cheng,
Livingston, & Fava, 2010).
Women who have experienced sexual violence in their relationships
can be reluctant to insist that their partner uses condoms because
they are afraid of provoking further violence (Purdie, Abbey, &
Jacques-Tiura, 2010).
Young men also report a range of pressures that might negatively
influence their behaviour towards young women. The following list
contains examples.





Peer pressure to engage in sexual activity (Adams & Williams,
2011), e.g. verbal pressure such as teasing focussed on young men
who are not yet sexually active (Maxwell, 2006a).
The need for protection and companionship (Maxwell, 2006a) – e.g.
group offending has been shown to enhance group cohesion, and
encourage male bonding (Billinghurst & Weller, 2009).
The need to secure a high number of sexual conquests to establish
and maintain status amongst their peer group (Maxwell, 2006a).
Young men often focus on being sexually active rather than
sexually healthy (Stone, 2009).
Males advise other males to maintain control of their relationships
and not become ‘whipped’ (Adams & Williams, 2011).
36 | P a g e
5.23
It is important to understand these points of view as these beliefs will
need to be challenged in order to change attitudes to sexual behaviour.
It is interesting to note the potentially significant, negative role of peer
groups for both men and women. The need to change attitudes and
behaviour at the peer group level will often be a precursor to changing
an individual’s views.
5.24
Other types of coercion are evident along gender lines , in particular
gang members using girls to look after things such as drugs and guns:
...like sometimes these girls they find out their boyfriend
gives them this gun to look after for them because it’s like
too bate [obvious] for them for the boys to keep the gun.
(young man in focus group)
Dispel myths
5.25
Reports that sexual coercion and violence are acceptable under certain
circumstances have been sourced from around the world. SerquinaRamiro (2005) – whose work is Philippines based - - found that sexual
coercion is viewed as justifiable under certain circumstances. For
example, sexual coercion was tolerated when the coerced people allow
themselves to be alone with potential sexual partners, or when they
send conflicting cues. It is also a concern that young people reported
that sexual coercion is ‘okay’ if the couple have dated for a long time,
or if ‘she sexually excites him’.
5.26
Cowburn (2010) reports on a UK based study that found that some
young men think it is acceptable to force a women to have sex in a
range of circumstances, including:





If she is his wife or long term girlfriend
If he was so turned on he could not stop
If nobody would find out
If he had spent lots of money on her
If she had slept with a lot of men
5.27
Adams & Williams (2011) found similar views held by some young
people in the USA, with many believing the male sex drive to be
uncontrollable and that it is sometimes acceptable for a male to force
his partner to have sex.
5.28
Aside from the myths around sexual coercion being acceptable, there
is a range of other popularly held ideas that intrude on a young
people’s ability to protect themselves from unwanted sexual
experiences, and/or their likelihood of reporting incidents.
5.29
Many young people find it difficult to believe that females can be
perpetrators of sexual violence too (Arthur, 2011). However, Newman
37 | P a g e
& Campbell (2010) reported that women tended to match or exceed the
frequency and level of violence against their partners, except in the
area of sexual coercion. Some anecdotal, local information suggests
that more girls may be involved in rape situations as perpetrators12.
5.30
One area where young people perceived girls to be involved in sexual
coercion and violence is with regards to ‘honey traps’ or ‘set up girls’.
I hear about it just today actually. This group of people, a
girl told them to meet her in another area, and when they
went there... a gang came and beat up the boy, and
someone tried to help the boy and he got stabbed in the
leg and punched in the eye.
(young person in focus group)
5.31
Victim blaming, particularly of females is evident with both men and
women blaming women for their assault (Bay-Cheng, Livingston, &
Fava, 2010). In their work with young women, Bay-Cheng and
colleagues (2010) reported that girls typically distance themselves from
sexual dangers, characterising themselves as invulnerable by virtue of
their own traits, values, and actions. It is perhaps unsurprising that they
also reported that girls who fall victim to sexual dangers are typically
characterised as lacking the strength and personality to say no.
5.32
In addition, some young women do not want to be seen as a victim and
are therefore willing to blame themselves for unwanted sexual activity.
This can occur even under highly coercive circumstances (Bay-Cheng,
Livingston, & Fava, 2010).
5.33
Myths may also persist amongst young people about the prevalence
and level of gang-related violence. In focus group discussions the vast
majority of young people opined that the media exaggerated youth-onyouth violence but that ‘it is pretty bad around here’ [i.e. their local
area). This could usefully be addressed in the content of the training
sessions.
5.34
Service providers suggested HEART considers existing campaigns
focussed on changing negative perceptions about young people, such
as The Youth of Today programme or the 99percent campaign, for
examples of ways of effecting challenging myths about, and amongst,
young people.
What is a healthy/unhealthy relationship?
5.35
A recurring theme in the literature is that there needs to be more
emphasis on explaining what a healthy relationship is (e.g. Sex
Education Forum Factsheet, 2006; Crooks, Chiodo, Thomas, &
12
Source information: notes from a meeting about Sexually Harmful Behaviour held in June
2009.
38 | P a g e
Hughes, 2010), and help young people identify the characteristics of
healthy relationships (e.g. a balance of power).
5.36
The awareness of what a healthy and unhealthy relationship look like
was also something that service providers focused on in interviews.
Whilst young people are often able to articulate very well what an
unhealthy relationship is, it is often the case that they are not able to
speak about the key features of a healthy one or at least not modelled
on healthy relationship which they have experienced:
A lot of the time they [young people] could talk about
healthy relationship as love, respect but they couldn’t
contextualise it, whereas the opposite was true for
unhealthy relationships - they were obviously talking from
lived experiences, but were not able to talk in the same
way about a healthy relationship.
(ROTA)
5.37
Themes that could be included in the training on healthy relationships
are:












What is a healthy/unhealthy relationship?
What is healthy/unhealthy sex?
Power in relationships and gender.
How to keep safe boundaries.
Raise awareness of the dangers of unhealthy and exploitative
relationships.
Increase understanding of the right to be protected from all forms of
sexual exploitation and abuse.
Help young people understand how unwanted pressure to have sex
can lead to more dangerous and exploitative situations.
Help them explore gender stereotypes and media representations
of gender roles.
Understand responsibilities to others; and other people’s
responsibilities to us.
Increase their confidence and skills to negotiate pressures and
enjoy safe and healthy relationships.
Raise awareness of local support agencies and how to get help.
What is consent?
5.38
Discussions around the reasons for aggression in romantic
relationships (including playfulness, defensiveness, or pre-emptive
aggression) can be incorporated into educational strategies (Newman
& Campbell, 2010) to highlight the characteristics of unhealthy
relationships.
5.39
A crucial part of identifying what is a healthy and unhealthy relationship
which service providers stressed was the importance of making young
people aware that they did not have to accept an unhealthy
39 | P a g e
relationship. Moreover, they needed to be aware of the range and
variety of support available to help them address this. This was
discussed for those at risk of offending as well at risk of victimisation:
[Key messages are] about good awareness of what
constitutes a healthy relationship – boundaries, choice –
and that if you do have issues you can choose to behave
differently and be encouraged to make that choice.
There’s no inevitability to behaviour.
(Respect)
Links to sexual health (where appropriate)
5.40
It is clear that there will be some links to messages about sexual health
and pregnancy. The literature review revealed that unplanned
pregnancy remains the main concern for young women, over and
above the risk of sexually transmitted infections (Bay-Cheng,
Livingston, & Fava, 2010). Although HEART seeks to avoid duplicating
existing work, it may be helpful to reinforce messages about issues
such as condom use, and provide signposting to sexual health
services.
5.41
However, in focus groups young people mostly felt that they knew how
and where to access advice and support with regards to sexual health.
They felt that there was a gap with regards to where to turn for similar
guidance with regards to violence and relationships. Where HEART
does touch on sexual health this should focus on links between
unhealthy relationships (e.g. coercion) and sexual health.
5.42
Condom use in particular has been linked to coercion and unhealthy
relationships; Purdie, Abbey, & Jacques-Tiura (2010) found a
correlation between lack of condom use and controlling behaviour. The
research reported that:






Controlling condom use is used by some men to exert power over
their female partner.
Almost half of men who admitted to forcing a partner to engage in
unwanted sexual activity had also made their partner have sex
without a condom.
Sexually violent men who made their partner have sex without a
condom were more physically injurious.
Abusive men are more likely to have other sexual partners thus
further increasing women’s vulnerability to sexually transmitted
infections.
The trauma associated with being sexually assaulted by an intimate
partner is heightened when the partner also controls condom use.
Men who strongly endorse traditional male gender roles were not
more likely to force partners to have sex without a condom.
40 | P a g e
5.43
This research clearly demonstrates the negative behaviours associated
with not using condoms. It extends beyond unsafe sex. Males who
force dating partners to have sex without a condom are more likely to
accept verbal pressure as a legitimate tactic to persuade a partner to
have unwanted sex, to have positive attitudes to casual sex, and to
cause more serious physical injuries to dating partners. The refusal to
use condoms and the forceful nature of sexual activity could act as a
warning sign to women that they might be exposed to other risks in the
future (e.g. sexual or domestic violence).
5.44
It is also a concern that notes from a local meeting13 regarding sexually
harmful behaviour (dated June 2009) highlighted that boys only use
condoms with girls they consider to be ‘dirty’. The consequence is that
a girl would be offended if the boy wants to use a condom. This too has
serious implications for sexual health.
5.45
It is imperative that young women are equipped to be able to resist
pressure to have unwanted unprotected sex. Equally important is to
educate young men of the importance of respecting and accepting
partners’ wishes around condom use and not applying pressure. This is
about the underlying unhealthy relationships which lead to negative
outcomes, one of which is with regards to risky behaviour and poor
sexual health. It may also be beneficial to highlight to young men that
some partners might be scared to discuss condom use due to previous
experiences with an aggressive partner (Purdie, Abbey, & JacquesTiura, 2010).
Tools to challenge sexually coercive/exploitative/violent behaviours
5.46
The key to preventing sexually coercion, exploitation, and violence, is
to reduce vulnerability. One way to achieve this is to provide young
people with the tools to challenge negative behaviour.
5.47
Young people are less likely to have the necessary communication and
negotiation skills required to resist sexually coercive tactics (Newman &
Campbell, 2010). Furthermore, younger girls are considered more
vulnerable sexually and are less likely to implement strategies to
mitigate risk (Bay-Cheng, Livingston, & Fava, 2010). However,
vulnerability could be reduced by enhancing self esteem and
confidence, as this could boost the young person’s likelihood of saying
no to situations they are uncomfortable with (Bay-Cheng, Livingston, &
Fava, 2010).
5.48
Adams & Williams (2011) argue that over-simplistic intervention models
urging young people to “just say no” are ineffective in substantially
reducing sexually transmitted infections, unplanned pregnancies, and
dating abuse. This is not to say that there is no value to the “just say
13
Source information: notes from a meeting about Sexually Harmful Behaviour held in June
2009. Information received from the Met Police via email.
41 | P a g e
no” message but recognition that there are limits, and risk overlooking
a critical opportunity to help young people develop life skills.
5.49
Young people in focus groups stressed the importance of being helped
to develop practical skills to deal with problems in relationships, which
they can implement straight away. A strong link between training
session and mentoring will be essential for young people to be able to
change behaviour by adopting these practical skills.
5.50
Leap Confronting Conflict is an organisation with an ethos based
around resolving conflict and this has a direct application with regards
to the aims and objectives of HEART and empowering young people
with the tools to make better choices:
Leap’s basis for our work is around conflict so the important
thing for Leap in relationships is how you deal with
conflict/breakdown in relationship. Leap believe that conflict is
inevitable in life and, if you have the right knowledge and selfawareness skills, conflict is an opportunity for self-development,
to grow and mature through the experience and doesn’t need to
lead to violence and negativity.
(Leap)
5.51
Teaching young people the skills to intervene in situations where they
are the bystander can also be effective at changing attitudes (Banyard,
Moynihan, & Plante, 2007). Not only does this encourage pro-social
bystander behaviour (Banyard, Moynihan, & Plante, 2007) but it also
allows young people to reflect on scenarios from a detached, objective
perspective.
Focus on gangs
5.52
The HEART programme includes some emphasis on supporting gangaffected young people, as gang involvement, affiliation, and/or
exposure can increase vulnerability. It is therefore important that any
gang-related issues that might influence the structure or content of the
HEART programme are considered.
5.53
Interviews with young people have shown that friendship, territoriality,
and respect define and justify gang activity, and that gang membership
is a source of protection and fear for young men (HM Inspectorate of
Prisons, 2010).
5.54
Focus groups with young people identified that a major driver behind
gang involvement was about protection. For girls protection extended
to the whole family, particularly for male siblings.
5.55
Young people in focus groups identified a number of reasons why girls
became involved in gangs:
42 | P a g e






‘to feel safer’
‘because they are forced to’ or are controlled by force ‘slapping’
because they feel they will get ‘respect’ and ‘for status’
‘believe it is the norm’/’runs in the family’
‘they don’t want to be left out’
‘to solve their problems’/’get help’
5.56
Young people did not identify any all-girl gangs in the three borough’s
(Lewisham, Waltham forest and Newham).
5.57
Young people highlighted the most common role for girls affiliated with
gangs was as a girlfriend or ‘sweet girl’. Typically girls affiliated with
gangs were thought to be sexual exploited and that sexual coercion
took place because girls were frightened of gangs. This was one of four
broad roles attributed by young people to girls involved with gangs:




As sexual objects ‘girls get passed around’
To ‘do the dirty work’ – cooking, laundry
Carry or look after drugs and guns
Help them against other gangs by acting as ‘honey-traps’ or ‘setup girls’.
5.58
The fourth issue listed above (‘honey-traps’) was mentioned much less
often in focus groups than the first three which were most often
mentioned.
5.59
One focus group identified a second role of the ‘tomboy’ which was
‘much rarer’ but involved a girl being ‘a full gang member who dresses
and behaves like a male gang member’.
5.60
Young people thought that gangs largely operated around territory,
particularly postcodes,
‘Certain gangs operate in certain areas, like when one gang rolls
into another gang’s area they won’t like and they’ll fight.’
It’s our turf!’
Some gangs were thought to exist based around ethnic or cultural
groupings but this was mentioned only rarely in focus groups.
5.61
Young people are motivated to get involved in territorial activity as a
method of gaining respect from peers (Kintrea, Bannister, Pickering,
Reid, & Suzuki, 2008). Furthermore, territoriality increases as male
teenagers become sexually aware and girls as well as geographical
areas are considered to be ‘owned’ by the gang. This generates the
need to protect gang assets (Kintrea, Bannister, Pickering, Reid, &
Suzuki, 2008).
43 | P a g e
5.62
Young women are less focused on loyalty to gangs (HM Inspectorate of
Prisons, 2010) but some engage in relationships with gang members
where they think this will be beneficial. It is not unusual for young
people to date someone attractive, popular, and slightly older as a way
to gain popularity (Adams & Williams, 2011) and this was also
suggested in focus groups. This could expose young women to sexual
coercion as they strive for acceptance (e.g. within a gang). The more
fluid nature of girls association with gangs (HM Inspectorate of Prisons,
2010), means that they may have links to multiple gangs, which can
expose them to even more risk of sexual exploitation or violence.
However, this was not something noted by service providers or young
people.
5.63
There are particular concerns that sexual violence has become
normalised in some peer groups (Billinghurst & Weller, 2009;
Jejeebhoy, 2007). There are also concerns that sexual violence is
being used by gangs as a method of control, retaliation, and/or
revenge.
5.64
This point was reinforced in interviews with practitioners who highlight
the blurring of boundaries in relationships and sex and how this can
lead to sexual abuse. The difference between friendships with peers
and relationships with prospective partners (boyfriends and girlfriends)
‘is more fluid than it used to be in youth culture’ (XLP):
A lot of young people see friendships/relationships as
being able to exist very separately from sexual relations.
Making informed decisions about being in a relationship
with someone else… danger is whether young people
feel able to think about choices and feel it’s something
they have to do [sex] separate from relationships.
Scary work we’ve done recently in which we discussed
what would be considered rape but they think is just a
part of everyday life of relationships with boys and this
needs to be looked at away from the other gender…
(XLP)
5.65
A lack of awareness of sexual consent is reported across both genders
(Billinghurst & Weller, 2009), along with a lack of understanding about
what sexual coercion is (Jejeebhoy, 2007).
5.66
Group cohesion amongst males can be enhanced by young men’s use
of sexual violence in a gang context (Billinghurst & Weller, 2009). In
fact, addressing concerns about the sexual exploitation of young
women by gangs lie at the centre of the HEART programme
development. Offending in a group context diminishes responsibility,
encourages male bonding, and validates masculinity (Billinghurst &
Weller, 2009; Jejeebhoy, 2007). The lack of positive role models often
44 | P a g e
means that gang-involved males are modelling masculinity on the
hyper-alpha male persona (Centre for Social Justice, 2009); which
fuels the risk of sexual violence.
5.67
Sexually violent and coercive acts that young women face when
associating with gangs include14:









Rape (including by multiple perpetrators) – e.g. as an act of revenge
Girls being ‘passed around’
Sexual acts being filmed and/or distributed without consent (which
can also encourage future exploitation due to the negative impact
on reputation)
Coerced sex
Groping
Sexual exploitation
Physical violence within intimate relationships
Kidnap alongside sexual violence
Initiation rituals (i.e. being ‘sexed in’)
5.68
In some cases, young men may use sexual violence against other boys
to feminise or humiliate them (Billinghurst & Weller, 2009).
5.69
In many cases, young people are not able to identify sexually coercive
acts (Jejeebhoy, 2007). Girls may see being sexual as being valued
(Billinghurst & Weller, 2009) suggesting that there are issues of selfesteem that need to be addressed.
5.70
Additional concerns have been raised about the difficulties around
disclosure of sexually coercive, exploitative, and violent acts
experienced by young people. Male attitudes to young women in the
gang context often centre around ownership (e.g. girls seen as
trophies), suggesting the need to tackle male views of female gender
roles (HM Inspectorate of Prisons, 2010).
5.71
Gangs remain male dominated (HM Inspectorate of Prisons, 2010),
and some young men have attitudes that hold girls accountable for
sexual violence (Billinghurst & Weller, 2009). In fact, studies reveal
double standards and power imbalances between the sexes that
perpetuate a sense of entitlement among young men to have forced
sex whilst holding the girl responsible for provoking the assault (e.g.
Jejeebhoy, 2007). Furthermore, it is not just males who are guilty of
victim blaming in sexual assaults against women; some females also
buy into the myth (Bay-Cheng, Livingston, & Fava, 2010).
5.72
Young women can struggle to find their place in a gang, with their role
often undefined (Firmin, 2009). Young women can find themselves
being categorised as something that can be used sexually, protected
14
List generated based on information from Billinghurst & Weller (2009); Jejeebhoy (2007),
and HM Inspectorate of Prisons (2010).
45 | P a g e
from rivals, and trusted or mistrusted, depending on the situation. It is
perhaps unsurprising therefore that many young women feel protected
by young men in gangs despite being exploited by them (HM
Inspectorate of Prisons, 2010).
5.73
Firmin (2009) states that the role of young women in gangs – e.g. as
instigators, perpetrators, and/or sanctioners of gang violence – requires
further research. It is important to challenge the attitudes of girls as well
as boys to help reduce sexual violence. For example, if girls do not
recognise sexual coercion and do not have the tools to resist sexually
coercive acts, boys are more likely to think that sexual coercion is
acceptable and continue to use sexually coercive tactics.
5.74
The research summarised here emphasises the need to consider how
gang dynamics impact on female risk of sexual exploitation. It is clear
that the attitudes of both young men and young women need to be
challenged to ensure sexually coercive and violent behaviour can be
reduced. The key point is that although gang association may make
young people more vulnerable to sexual coercion and violence, HEART
should not seek to break up friendship groups; instead focus should be
on challenging negative attitudes wherever these are found.
Youth-led training content
5.75
Young people suggested that some of the content of training sessions
should be about issues they wanted more information on. One example
for this was for information about the use of stop and search. Several
participants in focus groups explained that this was an important issue
for them as they were being stopped and searched 5 or 6 times a day.
Some service providers also stressed the importance of at least part of
the training content being decided by young people. This would be in
addition to content focused on the main learning goal of healthy
relationships.
Training delivery
5.76
The delivery of the training will be central to the success of the HEART
programme. The review has identified good practice recommendations
from a range of sources. The key theme emerging from the review is
that training should be youth led. The rationale for this approach is
outlined. This chapter goes on to make recommendations for:




Who to engage in the training
Who should deliver training
How training should be delivered (e.g. techniques to engage
young people in sessions)
Where to deliver training
46 | P a g e
5.77
Consideration is given as to how training might differ for the targeted
versus the universal group. Gender specific issues are also considered.
Training should be youth led
5.78
Research in community and programme development has consistently
shown that people of all ages are more likely to make a commitment to
a programme when they are involved in meaningful decision-making
about it (Crooks, Chiodo, & Thomas, 2009). Young people, in
particular, will be encouraged to engage in programmes where they
initiate, and adults share in, decision making (Pearce, 2011). Adult
roles in programmes should focus on translating youth ideas into
actions, and providing guidance on making big decisions (Crooks,
Chiodo, & Thomas, 2009); an approach advocated by Julia Wolton who
manages the X-it programme in Lambeth (Pitts, 2009).
5.79
Young people should be involved in the design and delivery of
programmes, and it is imperative that adult workers act upon the
feedback they receive (Sex Education Forum Factsheet, 2006; LEAP
Confronting Conflict, date unknown). Programmes need to be flexible
enough to allow the content and pace to be directed by young people
(Stone, 2009).
5.80
Over a hundred young people across the three Boroughs where
HEART will be delivered have contributed to the scoping exercise. It is
recommended there is an ongoing dialogue with young people who are
accessing HEART services to check it remains relevant. There is also
an opportunity to gather intelligence about the kinds of issues faced by
young people.
5.81
On a related point, it is also advisable to consult with local practitioners
to ensure training is focused in the right area, and can realistically be
delivered within the constraints of the local context (an approach used
by Banyard, Moynihan, & Plante, 2007). The scoping exercise included
extensive interviews with twenty relevant service providers,
demonstrating that service provider consultation is already central to
HEART.
Who to deliver to
Vulnerable young people
5.82 The central theme emerging from the literature review is that young
people who are socially, emotionally, and economically vulnerable are
at higher risk of exposure to sexual exploitation and violence (Sex
Education Forum Factsheet, 2006). For example, the results of a study
by Maxwell (2006b) clearly demonstrate the differing experiences of
47 | P a g e
sexual relationships and violence by vulnerable and less vulnerable
women15, summarised below:






Vulnerable young women in the study reported having embarked on
sexual and romantic relationships on average two to three years
earlier and having a larger number of partners than their less
vulnerable peers.
Vulnerable young women tended to have serial relationships
spending little or no time out of a heterosexual relationship from
their early youth.
Vulnerable women’s relationships were more likely to be strongly
influenced by a need for companionship and/or protection.
Vulnerable women were more likely to prioritise relationships over
other areas of their lives, such as education and careers.
Vulnerable women were more likely to become sexually intimate
with partners at an early stage of the relationships
Both groups of young women described negative experiences
within their relationships, including sexual pressure (discussed
further below) and infidelities by partners. However, vulnerable
young women experienced more violence, and described far more
serious incidents of violence and psychological control in their
relationships.
5.83
This highlights the importance of targeting HEART to meet the needs of
vulnerable young people in the three boroughs, as they are more likely
to benefit from additional information and support around healthy
relationships.
5.84
Risk factors for vulnerability include16:














15
16
Physical and sexual abuse
Neglect and emotional abuse
Domestic violence
Parental drug/alcohol misuse
Parental mental health problems
Family breakdown
History of going missing
Homelessness
Care or foster placement breakdown
Disengagement from education
Substance misuse
Peer involvement in sexual exploitation, including prostitution
Association with ‘risky’ adults
Sexual identity issues (especially in young men)
Sample of 17 vulnerable and 13 less vulnerable women with an average age of 18.
Source: Sex Education Forum Factsheet (2006).
48 | P a g e
Peer groups
5.85 Social learning theory suggests that young people actively use
observations about the behaviour of important people around them
(Newman & Campbell, 2010). In most cases, this is peers (Crooks,
Wolfe, Hughes, Jaffe, & Chiodo, 2008; Maxwell 2006a; Newman &
Campbell, 2010). Newman & Campbell (2010) warn that observing the
aggressive behaviour of others may influence adolescents to adopt
aggressive behaviour themselves. This may be heightened in an
impoverished, urban environment where there is little trust in outside
remediation of conflicts, and where street culture dictates the use of
domination of others to achieve desired means.
5.86
The peer group approach was backed up by service providers as a
good way of engaging effectively with young people, particularly for the
cohort of young people that HEART is trying to reach.
Nottinghamshire Youth Offending Team do an awful lot of
work with their [young offender’s] peers rather than
parents as if you get their friends involved they are more
likely to stay involved and you’re also getting the
message to those other young people too. They’ve found
this approach works really well.
(National Youth Agency)
5.87
It is therefore clear that the negative attitudes of the whole peer group
will need to be challenged in order to change behaviour (an approach
advocated by the Laureus Foundation (Laureus, 2009)), as it will be
difficult for an individual to adapt his or her behaviour if this flows
against the attitudes and/or ‘normal’ behaviour of the peer group.
Maxwell (2006a) argues that the influence of the peer group should be
a crucial focus for education in sex and relationships, particularly
sessions aimed at young men.
5.88
It is of interest to note here that a central theme of Operation Ceasefire
– the Boston based project focusing on reducing gang related
shootings – was to focus on the behaviour of a whole peer group (in
this case gangs) using a pulling levers deterrence strategy (i.e.
promising an immediate response to violence that would interfere with
group activities) (Radtke, Sousa, & Hart, 2008; US Department of
Justice, 2001). The outcome of this approach was that groups started
to self-regulate their behaviour.
5.89
Groups of young people are often chosen to participate in programmes
together because they are part of a friendship group that can support
each other outside of the programme (Stone, 2009). The literature
review reveals that there are a number of organisations who recognise
the value of working with established peer groups; for example, LEAP
Confronting Conflict, and the Laureus Foundation.
5.90
Young people can enjoy attending sessions with small groups of
friends as this enables them to have personal conversations (Sex
49 | P a g e
Education Forum Factsheet, 2006; Stone, 2009), and allows them to
explore sensitive issues with people they trust. This reinforces the
message that whole peer groups should be considered as part of the
HEART training; not only will it be more effective as the attitudes of the
whole peer group are challenged, but also young people may be more
likely to engage in sessions if they attend with their friends.
Age and gender
5.91
Stone (2009) reports that young people commented that they wish they
had completed a programme on sex education at age 13/14. If this is
the preferred age for sex education, it is recommended that healthy
relationships work should be running concurrently to ensure young
people receive a holistic view of sex and relationships.
5.92
This is supported by the research with service providers and young
people undertaken for this scoping exercise. Childline report that the
majority of calls & online contact they receive are from young people
aged 13 to 15 years. There was also support from the focus groups
with young people to suggest that this might be the best age-range for
HEART to target:
...most of these are like young girls innit? They’re like 14,
15 years old and they like do stuff because obviously 16
year old don’t really do stuff like that, because they’re
more in control.
(young woman in focus group)
5.93
Although HEART is focused on females at risk of sexual exploitation, it
is important to engage young men in the training as attitudes of some
young men puts young women at risk of sexual exploitation.
5.94
There is evidence from the literature that it would be beneficial to
deliver some of the HEART training to single sex groups (Crooks,
Chiodo, & Thomas, 2009). Often males and females respond to
learning methods in different ways (Crooks, Wolfe, Hughes, Jaffe, &
Chiodo, 2008), and some young people welcome the opportunity to
discuss sensitive issues in a single sex environment (Crooks, Wolfe,
Hughes, Jaffe, & Chiodo, 2008). There is also evidence that sex and
relationships sessions are often disrupted by young men (Maxwell,
2006a). It is not surprising therefore that feedback from teachers in
London was that young men were more receptive and displayed less
bravado, once girls had left the room.17 This underlines the value of a
single sex learning environment.
5.95
The majority of service providers were very supportive of delivering at
least part of the training content in single sex groups:
17
Source: Debrief from the Girls, Gangs, and Consequences school-based session sent to
the research team from the client via email.
50 | P a g e
Yes [there is a need for training in single sex groups]. I
think both girls and boys have misconceptions when it
comes to the opposite sex. Some young boys have
negative views on women, which comes out in their
relationship with girls. Some girls feel that this is the
accepted norm and boys negative behaviour towards
them is not often challenged.
(MOSAC)
Single sex delivery really, really helps – for girls & boys to
ask the kind of questions they want to ask. Young people
feel nervous about talking about this in front of their
peers. Small peer group work can be really successful.
(NIA Project)
We believe that for the deep initial work it’s best delivered
in single gender groups, not necessarily without a man in
the delivery team but it needs to be right sort of person.
There are some opportunities in having a man who can
model a different way of being so it’s not just women…
(LEAP CC)
5.96
A further point of clarification was made that:
If any of this single gender work needs to be done in
isolation, to be deep and effective, then it’s important that
it is then brought back into the wider community as that’s
where life plays out.
(LEAP (CC)
5.97
Some elements of the training may be better delivered in a mixed sex
environment. For example, sessions concentrating on breaking down
gender stereotypes (Maxwell, 2006a). Service providers also
highlighted the need for both single-sex and mixed-group delivery:
It depends on topic. Things such as elements of gang
culture may be universal to discuss but issues to do with
potential exploitation its important single sex work is done
there & positive female role models can be very beneficial
for young people.
(XLP)
Recruiting participants
5.98 Research suggests that young people are more likely to commit to a
programme when they are approached by people who they already
have a relationship with (Crooks, Chiodo, & Thomas, 2009). This
approached is utilised by the X-it gang desistance programme to good
effect (Pitts, 2009).
5.99
Many schemes select young people for participation based on
vulnerability, risk taking behaviour, their influencing potential, self51 | P a g e
identification and/or existing social/friendship groups (e.g. Stone,
2009). However, vulnerability can be hard to measure, particularly
when young people are not in contact with services and/or fail to report
abuse. It is therefore recommended that recruitment of young people
for HEART is based on a simple measure of vulnerability, perhaps
based on geography. Whilst simplistic, this suggestion is also rooted in
the knowledge that it can be unrealistic to offer local services to some
young people and not others.
5.100 For example, in their evaluation of a gang reduction programme
(modelled on Operation Ceasefire in Boston), Bullock & Tilley (2008)
reported that there were serious differences between practitioners who
struggled to agree on which young people fit the criteria of being gang
involved. Evidence on gang involvement was very variable and there
were unresolved concerns about the risks of labelling and stereotyping
young people.
5.101 It would be a missed opportunity not to engage with young people who
want to participate in HEART. Furthermore, good practice suggests
that educating the whole peer group is more effective than educating
the individual. Therefore, HEART should aim to engage with vulnerable
young people and their peers (who may also be vulnerable) to help
achieve the long term aims of changing attitudes and behaviour.
However, given the loose selection criteria it can be difficult to manage
the influx of young people into programmes (Bullock & Tilley, 2008).
5.102 The approach to invite young people to engage with HEART needs to
avoid stigmatising young people (Sex Education Forum Factsheet,
2006). One service provider highlights this problem:
We ran one group where communication between the
school and young people hadn’t been great and it had
been very problematic as the group of young men felt that
they had been picked out as potential rapists. [You] need
to concentrate on promoting the positive aspects of the
programme not the negative ones.
(The NIA Project)
5.103 A good approach to recruiting young people is to concentrate on the
positive outcomes which will be achieved, rather than the negative
behaviour which the programme seeks to change – i.e. focus on the
solution not the problem. This is also backed up by the literature where
there is evidence that avoiding stigma and labelling of young people
can be achieved by packaging courses as focusing on skills
development and confidence building (Sex Education Forum
Factsheet, 2006). Making young people feel privileged to be selected
for the course is also helpful (Stone, 2009).
5.104 The research suggests that young men are less likely to engage in
programmes (Adams & Williams, 2011; Banyard, Moynihan, & Plante,
2007; Stone, 2009). For example, females are more likely to engage in
52 | P a g e
research (Banyard, Moynihan, & Plante, 2007), and say more during
research sessions (Adams & Williams, 2011). Childline also reported in
interview that around 80% of their calls are from young females and
only 20% from young males. Concerted effort will be needed to engage
young men in the HEART programme.
5.105 Service provider interviews stressed the importance of effective, joinedup partnership working with current service providers in the recruitment
of participants for the programme:
Where referrals are being made these should ideally be
from organisations who have long-term supportive
relationship with the young people so more likely they are
suitable referrals and have right support before and after
the program.
(LEAP CC)
5.106 This was also important on a practical level as Foundation 4 Life
described their process for working with young people as one whereby:
Young people are welcome to self-refer but we have a
process which forms part of the risk assessment and they
need to refer through statutory agency dealing with the
person. This is necessary even if the young person or
family contact makes a direct referral (and this does
happen) so that we can understand who else currently
works with them, what other interventions they are
receiving, and so on.
(Foundation 4 Life)
Specific recommendations for targeted versus universal provision
5.107 Research has shown that condensed versions of programmes can
have a positive impact (e.g. Banyard, Moynihan, & Plante, 2007)
suggesting that this is a usable model for HEART. It is recommended
that the universal programme should cover the same core messages
as the targeted training, and that the overarching messages around
how to effectively engage with young people should be considered
when designing the implementation of the universal programme (e.g.
where will it be delivered, who should deliver it).
5.108 If it is not possible to cover all of the topics in sufficient depth, then
prioritising key topics should be undertaken by taking account of young
people’s needs (Sex Education Forum Factsheet, 2006). Overarching
issues that are likely to emerge as priorities include recognising what
sexual coercion is and how to prevent it, what consent is and why it is
important, and dispelling myths about what is acceptable or ‘normal’
behaviour.
53 | P a g e
Who to deliver
5.109 Interviews with service providers for the scoping exercise elicited
strong support for peer-led approaches in the delivery of existing
services and for HEART:
Young people have to play a role in designing the training
sessions. We ran taster sessions and pilot projects and
young people came up with the content themes, issues
and shaped the whole programme. They used various
techniques to pull it all together and construct the
programme: there has to be young people involved in
constituting the programme.
(Foundation 4 Life)
5.110 This was a common theme across all three strands of HEART –
training, mentoring, and helpline/website – with strong support from
young people in focus groups.
5.111 Selection of the right people to deliver training will be central to the
success of HEART. In interviews, most service providers stated that
having appropriate and highly skilled staff was one of the key factors in
the success of their work.
5.112 A training module published by the National Collaboration for Youth in
America18 reports that respected non-parent adults can teach social
skills, model behaviour, give positive or negative reinforcement, provide
emotional support, and introduce young people to diverse social
interactions and contexts.
5.113 However, although it is recognised that schools will be delivering
messages about healthy relationships as part of the PSHE (Personal,
Social, and Health Education), SEAL (Social and Emotional Aspects of
Learning), and/or SRE (Sex and Relationships Education), research
has shown that some young people do not want to work with a teacher
because they do not want them to know personal things about them
(Stone, 2009).
5.114 Young people in focus groups did not feel that a programme delivered
by teachers, or others perceived to be positions of authority, would be
successful. Typical comments from young people were ‘No I wouldn’t
tell my teachers anything’ and often this was in part due to a perceived
lack of support ‘they tell you what to do but won’t help you do it.’
...teachers or a doctor won’t help you; they’re not going to
do anything. They just tell you to stand up for yourself but
don’t actually help you.
(young person in focus group)
18
The date of publication is unknown.
54 | P a g e
5.115 Young people thought that youth workers would be the most
appropriate adults to deliver the training sessions because they could
relate to young people and knew about the issues they were facing.
Service providers commonly employed people with a youth work
background. One provider commented that:
In terms of recruitment, staff came from a youth work
background. We didn’t set out with this goal but that’s
how it turned out as they tended to have the most
appropriate and relevant skills.
(NIA Project)
5.116 In one of the focus groups, two young people withdrew at the start as
they were convinced that the two researchers facilitating the group
were police officers using the session to gather information (they were
not). Another two wanted to stay and be part of the group but would not
sign any forms or provide any personal details. This highlights the level
of suspicion which HEART will need to overcome to engage with some
young people for this programme.
5.117 In terms of gender, it is interesting to note that Arthur (2011) reported
that having a male and a female facilitator (both adult) to run sessions
with young males with learning disabilities who use violence or have a
history of violence in their intimate relationships was useful. Sessions
explored the themes of violence and gender roles and the female
facilitator was well place to challenge their preconceived views of
women and sex (e.g. that women do not perpetrate violence, women
don’t enjoy sex, and sex is something men do to women). The use of a
pair of peer leaders – one male and one female – was cited in a
successful US based programme targeting negative bystander
behaviour (Banyard, Moynihan, & Plante, 2007).
5.118 Service providers also stressed the importance of using male and
female staff to deliver the training, including those sessions in single
sex groups. As one interviewee stated:
There are some opportunities in having a man who can
model a different way of being so it’s not just women…
(LEAP CC)
5.119 The delivery of training presents the opportunity to model healthy male
and female roles in relationships and more than one service provider
was keen to emphasise this.
5.120 Trainers must be very well informed and have the right skills to facilitate
challenging discussions between young people on sensitive topics (Sex
Education Forum Factsheet, 2006). Maxwell (2006a) found that adult
confidence in the subject and their ability to manage youth interaction
was central to promoting participation.
55 | P a g e
5.121 Local experience19 suggests that some of the facilitators used in
previous programmes have been ‘out-of-touch’ with young people and
that this limited the ability to build rapport with young people. This will
be a crucial factor in the success of HEART. Although it may be more
appropriate to use adult trainers to deliver messages on healthy
relationships, the selection of these trainers needs careful
consideration to ensure that young people feel comfortable discussing
sensitive issues with them.
5.122 Workers need to be enthusiastic as young people can easily identify
whether workers are sincere (Pitts, 2009). Some service providers use
ex-offenders for delivering their programmes and see this as best way
of getting young people engaged and maintaining their interest:
Programme content has to be captivating, exciting
through the people that are delivering it. [We] always put
ex-offenders or people from that background at the heart
of the solution. Centred around the experience of people
who can cover those issues. It gets young people
absolutely engrossed because they feel the credibility of
people delivering the programme.
(Foundation 4 Life)
5.123 This was supported by young people who wanted the sessions
delivered by “someone who’s been through the same thing”, and
someone to whom they could relate.
5.124 The evidence suggests that adult facilitators with a background in youth
work are strong candidates to be recruited to deliver the HEART
training sessions, and suggest that the model of one male and one
female facilitator per session will often have much to commend it.
Facilitators need to be able to:





Build trust with young people
Have a good and relevant knowledge base
Receive appropriate training
Address challenging behaviour in sessions
Facilitate discussions on sensitive subjects
Where to deliver
5.125 The selection of the venue for the training is important to encourage
engagement. Kintrea and colleagues (2008) report that territoriality
frequently makes it hard for gang-affected young people to access
services and facilities. Therefore, if gangs are an issue locally, care will
need to be taken to ensure sessions are delivered on neutral territory.
19
Source information was contained within an email from the client containing the notes from
a meeting about Sexually Harmful Behaviour held in June 2009.
56 | P a g e
5.126 This was also highlighted by service providers,
Very important where it’s held – issues of territory and
ownership of particular areas and buildings, particular
times and days of the week. Lots of issues we don’t
particularly think about but are very relevant to young
people. I held an event in Birmingham and was told
because of the young people we were bringing together
there was a big risk (of problems) between certain
individuals attending. You have to look at content, have
the right staff and rigorous risk assessment processes to
minimize the risk.
(National Youth Agency)
5.127 One project described an alternative view of the issue around
territoriality and suggested there may be merit in not avoiding particular
areas:
You need to do a full risk assessment etc, but sometimes
we make a point of delivering in areas they (young
people) say they can’t go to to demystify the whole thing.
Not just down to standard risk assessment & location –
need these, but it’s about creating a controlled
environment in which they feel at ease.
(Foundation 4 Life)
5.128 If HEART chose the approach (outlined above) of using venues which
directly challenge young people’s perception so of a ‘no-go’ area this
would require:
Very strong facilitators with lots of presence. [A good ratio
of support staff to young people] e.g. for a group of 15
young women, we have a team of 5. The mixture of
adults & young people helps them to feel safe. Seeing
other young people in the same environment they feel
more at ease.
(Foundation 4 Life)
5.129 Furthermore, it is useful to note that females associated with gangs
appear to be relatively mobile compared to males (Kintrea, Bannister,
Pickering, Reid, & Suzuki, 2008). This suggests that finding the right
location of training for young men affected by gangs might be more
challenging.
5.130 Young people need to be able to access the training venue easily and
with minimal travel expenses (Debbonaire, 2011; Laureus, 2009), and
so it is important that programmes are local (Sex Education Forum
Factsheet, 2006). Stone (2009) reports that engagement will often start
in places young people naturally frequent, and that informal
environments (i.e. those that are not like school) work well.
Characteristics associated with an informal and nurturing setting
include those that cater for small groups, have creature comforts
(settees, drinks, food, warmth), and place focus on the young person
57 | P a g e
as an individual (Stone, 2009). It is not surprising therefore that the
literature review and interviews revealed that youth organisations often
deliver their sessions in safe environments that young people are
comfortable with and/or familiar with:
We try & access young people at places that they’re
going anyway, e.g. college, PRUs etc. It’s very rare that
we would ask them [young people] to go to a LEAP
training facility somewhere else. Use areas they are
already going to anyway & that are appropriate for them.
(LEAP CC)
5.131 Finally, it is important to consider that selecting an unfamiliar location
and running sessions containing young people who don’t know each
other may discourage attendance and/or limit engagement in sessions
(Debbonaire, 2011).
5.132 Laureus (2009) advocate plugging into existing resources (e.g. facilities
and people) as an effective method of engaging with young people:
Consider venues, travel arrangements, etc through
talking to partners & through taking advice, not pretending
to be local experts.
(LEAP CC)
5.133 Feedback from young people was mixed as to where training sessions
should be provided. Young people were not keen on sessions being
held in schools and most suggestions raised in focus groups were for
sessions to be delivered in environments that were ‘comfortable’ for
them such as youth clubs, community centres and McDonalds.
5.134 Some young people felt that a doctor’s surgery might be a good place
because ‘no one knows why you’re going there so you can tell them
you need support without anyone knowing’ and it gave them an excuse
to be there that was not connected with authority or ‘sneaking’.
How to deliver
Challenge attitudes and behaviours, not friendships
5.135 The central message for how to deliver the HEART programme is that
it is important to focus on changing the attitudes and behaviours of
young people rather than their affiliations with other young people
(Bullock & Tilley, 2008; Jacobson & Burrell, 2007; Youth Justice Board,
2007). For example, Bullock & Tilley (2008) – who evaluated a
programme in Manchester which used Operation Ceasefire as a
template – argue that it is better to focus preventative work (in this case
to tackle shootings) on individual or group rather than on gangs or gang
membership per se.
58 | P a g e
5.136 In fact, the focus on tackling specific, problematic behaviours in
Operation Ceasefire has been highlighted as one of the key elements
contributing to the success of this work. The benefits of this approach
include:





Focusing interventions around explicit behaviours ensure both
perpetrators of violence and practitioners are clear about what a
programme aims to achieve (Bullock & Tilley, 2008).
It is easier to identify young people who should be targeted by
interventions as decisions are based on behaviour rather than
background characteristics (which may or may not be
associated with problematic behaviour) (Bullock & Tilley, 2008).
Focusing on behaviour rather than status may have been more
meaningful to young people who might not perceive their “gang
membership” to be anything more than hanging around with
friends (Bullock & Tilley, 2008).
It is harder for young people and their parents to object to or
resist interventions when they are focused on reducing
identifiable, specific, and dangerous behaviour (Bullock & Tilley,
2008). There is also more scope for community support for
behaviour focused programmes (Jacobson & Burrell, 2007).
Initiatives to tackle specific forms of violence are a more efficient
use of resources as the programme is more manageable than
one focusing on the much broader area of gang membership
(Bullock & Tilley, 2008).
5.137 It may be tempting to try to force young people to disengage from other
young people who are believed to be a negative influence; however,
the choice to cease such relationships must come from the young
people themselves. HEART can focus on highlighting the behaviours
and attitudes that are inappropriate, which might lead to young people
breaking away from certain friends; however, there should not be a
sense of forcing young people to end their friendships as it is likely that
they will become defensive and disengage from the programme.
Interactive sessions
5.138 Sessions need to be creative and interactive to encourage engagement
(LEAP Confronting Conflict, date unknown; Sex Education Forum
Factsheet, 2006). Examples of what works well include:




Quizzes
Creating posters, CDs, DVDs etc
Discussions and debates
Scenarios and role play
Use scenarios and role play
5.139 Scenarios and role play can be useful tools to explore psychological
and physical aggression in relationships (Crooks, Wolfe, Hughes, Jaffe,
& Chiodo, 2008; Firmin, 2009; LEAP Confronting Conflict, date
59 | P a g e
unknown; Newman & Campbell, 2010; Sex Education Forum
Factsheet, 2006), and to help young people identify strategies for
safely resisting or intervening in situations (Banyard, Moynihan, &
Plante, 2007).
5.140 Role play and scenario work needs to be culturally relevant (Crooks,
Chiodo, Thomas, & Hughes, 2010). It is also important young people
have the chance to practice the new skills they are learning (such as
assertiveness, communication, and problem solving) in different
situations (Crooks, Wolfe, Hughes, Jaffe, & Chiodo, 2008; LEAP
Confronting Conflict, date unknown). Simply being instructed in skills,
discussing them, or even writing out responses is not enough; young
people need realistic opportunities to practice and receive feedback, as
this will increase the chances that these skills will be implemented
appropriately in future (Crooks, Wolfe, Hughes, Jaffe, & Chiodo, 2008).
Furthermore, role play can be particularly effective with young people
who struggle to engage with traditional teaching methods (LEAP
Confronting Conflict, date unknown).
5.141 Role play sessions need to be carefully planned and implemented to
ensure that they are effective. This is particularly pertinent as poorly
planned and executed role play exercises are likely to be counterproductive (e.g. by increasing anxiety thus reducing the young person’s
likelihood of engaging in future sessions) (Crooks, Wolfe, Hughes,
Jaffe, & Chiodo, 2008).
5.142 Participants can role play a range of conflict situations relating to peer
and dating relationships. Breaking role play down into small steps is
helpful when introducing difficult scenarios. Crooks, Wolfe, Hughes,
Jaffe, & Chiodo (2008) report that the young people engaged in the
Fourth R programme were given scripts for the first few exercises to
ease them into the topic and minimise discomfort. As the session
progresses young people can start to brainstorm solutions and try out
responses. This encourages them to identify what works and what
does not work in conflict situations. Furthermore, young people can
watch other young people’s approaches to scenarios and critically
analyse the pros and cons of different approaches. The adults’ role is
to offer advice as to which tactics might work as young people learn to
adapt their behaviour to deal with potentially difficult situations.
5.143 Scenarios need to be realistic and relevant (Crooks, Chiodo, Thomas,
& Hughes, 2010; Maxwell, 2006a); for example, discussing sexual
relationships with reference to the specific type of sexual activity and
the location in why they actually occur is cited as critical in promoting
youth engagement (Maxwell, 2006a).
5.144 It can be useful to link scenarios with national events and/or media
stories as this provides a good hook for engagement (Sex Education
60 | P a g e
Forum Factsheet, 2006). Local evidence20 has highlighted that the use
of real life stories and scenarios in school-based sessions was effective
at capturing the attention of young people and getting them engaged in
sessions.
5.145 Open discussions on topics such as the role of media pressure, power,
and gender roles increases the young person’s confidence and ability
to make informed choices (Sex Education Forum Factsheet, 2006).
5.146 Scenarios need to cover a wide range of intimate partner situations,
and should not focus exclusively on traditional male-perpetrator
scenarios (Newman & Campbell, 2010). The message to get across is
that intimate partner violence is characterised by control and power
regardless of the gender/ sexuality of the intimate partnership.
5.147 Scenarios and role play are (when done well) good approaches that
allow young people to discuss problematic behaviour and sensitive
topics anonymously. Other distancing techniques that can be used
include anonymous question boxes that allow young people to ask
questions that they would not want to voice out loud in front of peers
(Sex Education Forum Factsheet, 2006). Drama productions are also
popular; LEAP Confronting Conflict use drama techniques, and there
are a number of companies that have developed and delivered youth
drama productions on relevant issues (e.g. Arc Theatre, and the Y
Theatre, Leicester). There are several examples of how drama can be
used in the NASUWT Gangs and Schools toolkit21.
Think about language
5.148 Be careful not to use gender specific language when delivering
messages to mixed-gender groups (Newman & Campbell, 2010).
5.149 It is important workers use language that young people understand
(Sex Education Forum Factsheet, 2006) to ensure messages are clear
and not open to misinterpretation.
5.150 Language is a useful tool to build rapport (Crooks, Chiodo, & Thomas,
2009). In many cases it can be useful to mirror youth terminology
although care must be taken to ensure derogatory language is flagged
as inappropriate and harmful (Crooks, Chiodo, & Thomas, 2009).
Reinforce positive behaviour
5.151 Although negative behaviour (such as the use of derogatory language)
should be labelled as inappropriate by workers, it is important not to
appear overly critical of young people. Workers should reinforce
positive behaviour to discourage risk taking behaviour (Stone, 2009).
20
Source information emails from the client containing debriefs for a Girls, Gangs, and
Consequences school based session, and the notes from a meeting about Sexually Harmful
Behaviour held in June 2009.
21http://www.nasuwt.org.uk/InformationandAdvice/Professionalissues/Behaviour/GangsToolkit
/CaseStudy1/index.htm
61 | P a g e
Also, it is important that achievements are celebrated as this promotes
resilience (Stone, 2009).
5.152 Conversely, any system where young people feel they might be
branded as criminals/delinquents etc will have low participation rates
(Pitts, 2009).
Focus on skills development
5.153 Skills development has emerged as a fundamental principle of best
practice in prevention programmes regardless of the behaviours being
targeted (Crooks, Wolfe, Hughes, Jaffe, & Chiodo, 2008). Programmes
that build in skills development (e.g. assertiveness, communication,
conflict resolution, and problem solving) are often the most successful
as they equip young people with the tools to deal with difficult situations
(Crooks, Wolfe, Hughes, Jaffe, & Chiodo, 2008; LEAP Confronting
Conflict, date unknown).
5.154 This theme is reinforced in Stone’s (2009) research into teenage
pregnancy which found that the most successful programmes helped
young people to develop their ability to make safe, informed choices,
and to develop their confidence.
Build in support mechanisms
5.155 One of the advantages of HEART is that there are different modes of
delivery with mentoring and help-line/websites offering young people
support in addition to training. Holistic services are always
recommended when working with young people (Stone, 2009), and the
level of pastoral support that some young people need can be easily
underestimated. Julia Wolton reported this challenge with reference to
the X-It desistence programme (Pitts, 2009).
Build in flexibility
5.156 It is difficult to place strict time limits on interventions (Stone, 2009).
Young people progress at different rates and programmes need to be
flexible enough to allow the content and pace to be directed by young
people (Stone, 2009). Furthermore, research highlights that 1 hour
sessions might not allow sufficient time for young people and workers
to explore all of the themes they want to (Stone, 2009).
5.157 It is important that learning tools can be adapted to suit different groups
of young people. There will be variations in the experiences of sex and
intimate relationships for different young people and this will need to be
considered when developing scenarios to ensure these remain relevant
to the audience with which they are being used (Maxwell, 2006a).
Think about change as a process
5.158 Change usually does not happen quickly and it is likely that it will take
time for young people to learn new techniques and be able to
implement them in their everyday life. Workers will need to be patient
with young people and recognise that some are likely to face setbacks
62 | P a g e
along the way. Diagram 1 below, provides a useful illustration of the
process of behaviour change22:
Diagram 1: The process of change
5.159 Young people will need to progress through each step to achieve
changes. It is likely that individuals will start at different stages of the
process, depending on their previous experience. As illustrated there is
always the potential for relapse, which could take a young person back
to any of the earlier stages; however the process can start up again to
support them to reach the maintenance stage. Table 2 lists some
techniques for supporting young people at each stage.
Table 2: Techniques for supporting young people at each stage of
change
Stage
Techniques
Pre-contemplation





Validate lack of readiness
Clarify the decision is theirs
Encourage re-evaluation of current behaviour
Encourage self-exploration, not action
Explain and personalise risk
Contemplation



Validate lack of readiness
Clarify the decision is theirs
Encourage evaluation of the pros and cons of
22
Diagram 1 and table 1 are based on information provided by Stone (2009).
63 | P a g e

Preparation




behaviour change
Identify and promote new, positive outcome
expectations
Identify and assist in problem solving around
obstacles
Help person identify social support
Verify that the person has the underlying skills
for behaviour change
Encourage initial small steps
Action



Focus on re-structuring cues and social support
Bolster self-efficiency for dealing with obstacles
Combat feelings of loss and reiterate long-term
benefits
Maintenance



Plan for follow up support
Reinforce internal rewards
Discuss coping with relapse
Relapse



Identify and evaluate trigger for relapse
Reassess motivation and barriers
Plan stronger coping strategies
Don’t use scare tactics
5.160 Even when young people have been provided with the behavioural
skills to make better choices, they may lack the motivation to
implement the changes (Crooks, Wolfe, Hughes, Jaffe, & Chiodo,
2008). Previous attempts to motivate young people have relied on
scare tactics, and there is evidence that such tactics are not effective
(Crooks, Wolfe, Hughes, Jaffe, & Chiodo, 2008; Jacobson & Burrell,
2007; Youth Justice Board, 2007). Some researchers specifically
advise against using scare tactics (e.g. Petrosino, Turpin-Petrosino, &
Buehler, 2004, cited in Jacobson & Burrell, 2007). Instead, peer
relationships can be used to increase motivation; an approach
described as a particularly powerful tool when working with young
people (Crooks, Wolfe, Hughes, Jaffe, & Chiodo, 2008).
64 | P a g e
Section 6.
Cross-cutting recommendations
6.1
Young people should have a leading role on the design and delivery of
HEART.
6.2
Effective youth engagement is central to the success of all three
strands of HEART. Changing young people’s behaviour needs to have
a strong focus on the positive benefits to them.
6.3
Workers across all strands of HEART will need to demonstrate
understanding and application of excellent communication skills and
that through this, young people can relate to them. Important features
of communication include a respectful manner, good listening skills,
appropriate use of language (including body language), and making it
relevant to young people.
6.4
HEART should seek to engage parents/carers and to inform them of
the key messages, aims and objectives of the programme. Information
provided should briefly outline what the main issue is, why and how it is
being tackled and should be optimistic about the positive change which
can be achieved. Information provided to parents should be mindful of
how it may affect young people wanting to engage with the programme
and of what is appropriate for different cultures.
6.5
Young people should be engaged to promote the HEART programme.
Consideration of whether the name of the programme – and the explicit
reference to ‘healthy relationships’ within the acronym – might
discourage young people from getting involved. Promotion should
utilise young people’s social networks amongst friends, at school and
online (Facebook) and combine this with more innovative methods
such as covert bar code numbers.
6.6
HEART must be sustainable over the time an individual is engaged
with the programme. Effective partnership working is crucial to avoid
duplication and ensure young people receive holistic support. HEART
needs to ensure there are strong links with other support agencies and
establish clear routes for progression and referral pathways.
6.7
The HEART directory of relevant services provides a useful snapshot
of other initiatives in the local area but to remain relevant this must be
regularly monitored and update on at least a six-monthly basis.
6.8
HEART should consider recruiting reformed ex-gang members to
deliver the programme as this will provide experiential understanding of
the issues at the core of the programme and credibility in the eyes of
young people.
65 | P a g e
6.9
Effective youth engagement is central to the success of all three
strands of HEART. Changing young people’s behaviour needs to have
a strong focus on the positive benefits to them.
66 | P a g e
Section 7.
Specific recommendations for
HEART youth training
General principles for youth training
7.1
Young people supported a combination of universal and targeted
training amongst young people, with many identifying universal
provision as an access point to more targeted training and
subsequently to one-to-one mentoring.
7.2
Practitioners did not think there should be a fundamental difference in
training content for universal and targeted training – i.e. key messages
about healthy relationships – but that methods of delivery may need to
be different.
7.3
Extra, concerted effort will need to be made to engage young men in
the programme.
7.4
Young people should be involved in designing the content of the
training sessions and peer workers should be used in some capacity to
deliver training sessions.
7.5
The fundamental youth work principle of young people engaging with
projects and initiatives on their own terms, voluntarily, should be
adopted by HEART as the basis of all strands of the programme, not
least the training sessions.
7.6
Sessions need to be delivered by highly skilful, experienced staff who
are not intimidated by the audience or subject matter.
7.7
For HEART to be a success it will need to draw on the expertise of a
number of agencies and effective partnership working will required to
ensure the programme is integrated with other local provision.
7.8
The location of training sessions is an important factor in getting young
people involved. Several different views were expressed about the
most appropriate location. On the whole it was felt that schools may be
suitable for ‘universal’ training sessions, whilst more targeted sessions
would need to be hosted at other neutral venues, ideally which the
young people already knew are were comfortable in.
7.9
Issues of territoriality related to current gang activity need to be
carefully considered when selecting locations for training sessions.
Practical considerations such as travel arrangements/access should
also be considered and advice should be sought from local partners.
67 | P a g e
Training content
7.10 HEART training session should assist young people to identify what
sexual coercion, exploitation and violence is and that it is wrong.
7.11
Training should seek to dispel myths around unhealthy relationships,
sexual coercion and violence. For example, studies have identified
attitudes amongst some young men in the US and in the UK where
sexual coercion is considered ‘acceptable’. There is an opportunity
here for HEART to link in with other campaigns such as ‘My Strength is
Not for Hurting’ and the ‘99percent’ campaign.
7.12
Training should look at what is a healthy and unhealthy relationship?
What does it look like? What are the key features of healthy
relationships?
7.13
Where HEART touches on issues around sexual health and risky
behaviour this should avoid duplicating what young people in focus
groups felt was already a well promoted area; information and about
avoiding STIs and unplanned pregnancies. HEART should have a
focus on how sexual coercion and unhealthy relationships link to
problems of sexual health.
7.14
Young people in focus groups stressed the importance of needing help
to develop practical skills to deal with unhealthy relationships. They
favoured acquiring skills they can use straight away. A strong link
between training session and mentoring will be essential in helping
young people to change behaviour and in putting the practical skills
that have been acquired into practice.
7.15
HEART needs to address issues of fear and protection as drivers for
young people’s involvement in gangs.
7.16
HEART should challenge young people’s perceptions of girls in gangs
and the unhealthy relationships which they create.
7.17
Some of the content of training sessions should be decided by young
people and could be about a separate issue to healthy relationships,
such as their rights with regards to ‘stop and search’.
Training delivery
7.18 Young people should be targeted for participation in HEART using a
simple measure of vulnerability based on geography working in
partnership with local service providers.
7.19
Vulnerable young people should be targeted for training sessions as
they area t higher risk of exposure to sexual exploitation and violence.
68 | P a g e
7.20
Training sessions should be delivered in small groups, by experienced
facilitators who are able to challenge negative attitudes and
behaviours.
7.21
Training sessions should be informal and interactive and must avoid a
‘school lesson’ format of ‘sit and listen’.
7.22
Ideally training should be delivered to peer groups, rather than
individuals as this increases the likelihood of young people sustaining
their engagement in the programme and changing behaviour.
7.23
There was universal agreement between service providers and young
people involved in this scoping exercise that at least part of the training
content should be delivered in single sex groups. Both male and female
trainers should be used for training sessions, even where they are
being delivered to single sex groups. Using male and female trainers
can be used to help participants explore issue from different views
points but crucially can also be used as a means of modelling healthy
relationships.
7.24
Young people’s voluntary engagement with the programme is crucial to
its future success and this should be clearly communicated to young
people.
7.25
Training sessions must be fun, exciting, interesting and relevant to
young people. Interactive and creative sessions are favoured by young
people and the use of dance, drama, music and digital media were all
recommended by young people and service providers.
69 | P a g e
Section 8.
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National Collaboration for Youth (date unknown). Communicates and
develops positive relationships with youth. Training Module. Available online
at:
http://www.nydic.org/nydic/staffing/workforce/documents/PositiveRelationsMo
dule.pdf
Network Alliance. (2009). Girls and Serious Violence: Improving outcomes for
girls involved in serious violence. Summary of the Girls and Serious Violence
conference held on 15th October 2009.
Newman, B.S. & Campbell, C. (2010). Intimate partner violence among
pregnant and parenting Latina adolescents. Journal of Interpersonal Violence,
published online 13 December 2010.
Pearce, J.J. (2011). Agency responses to sexually exploited children and
young people: developing participatory practice. Respect’s conference on
young people’s violence in close relationships on 17th February 2011.
Pitts, J. (2006). An evaluation of the X-it gang desistance programme,
Lambeth. University of Luton.
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Pitts, J. (2009). The X-it gang desistance programme: an interview with Julia
Wolton. Safer Communities, 8, 42-46.
Purdie, M.P., Abbey, A., Jacques-Tiura, A.J. (2010). Perpetrators of intimate
partner sexual violence: are there unique characteristics associated with
making partners have sex without a condom? Violence Against Women, 16
(10), 1086-1097.
Quinn, S. (2009). Responding to a fistful of tears. Te Awatea Review, 7, 3-8.
Available online at:
https://www.familyhelptrust.org.nz/downloads/Te_Awatea_Review.pdf
Radkte, T., Sousa, W., & Hart, T.C. (2008). Operation Ceasefire in Clark
County, Nevada: evaluating a cross-jurisdictional approach to reducing gun
violence. Available online at:
http://www.unlv.edu/centers/crimestats/pdf/OCF.pdf
Rhodes, J. (2008). Improving youth mentoring interventions through researchbased practice. American Journal of Community Psychology, 41, 35-42.
Rhodes, J.E. & DuBois, D.L. (2008). Mentoring relationships and programs for
youth. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 17, 254-258.
Rhodes, J., Lowe, S.R., Litchfield, L., & Walsh-Samp, K. (2008). The role of
gender in youth mentoring relationship formation and duration. Journal of
Vocational Behavior, 72, 183-192.
Riverpath (2010). Organising online: what do digital social networking tools
mean for engagement and cohesion in our societies? Available online at:
http://www.riverpath.com/wp-content/uploads/Organising_Online_170610.pdf
Serquina-Ramiro, L. (2005). Physical Intimacy and sexual coercion among
adolescent intimate partners in the Philippines. Journal of Adolescent
Research, 20, 476-496.
Sex Education Forum Factsheet. (2006). Addressing healthy relationships and
sexual exploitation within PSHE in schools. Accessed January 2011 at:
http://www.kingston.gov.uk/sex_ed_forum_factsheet_sexual_exploitation_030
7.pdf
Spencer, R., Basaldo-Delmonico, A., & Lewis, T.O. (2011). Working to make it
work: the role of parents in the youth mentoring process. Journal of
Community Psychology, 39 (1), 51-59.
Spencer, R. & Liang, B. (2009). “She gives me a break from the world”: formal
youth mentoring relationships between adolescent girls and adult women. The
Journal of Primary Prevention, 30, 109-130.
Stone, M. (2009). Supporting vulnerable young people to raise and realise
their aspirations – how to improve outcomes. Report for Government Office
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North East. Available online at:
http://www.gos.gov.uk/nestore/docs/cyp/change_children/aspirations/raising_
aspirations.pdf
Telephone Helpline Association (1999). Telephone helplines – guidelines for
good practice. Downloaded from: http://www.helplines.org.uk/
Telephone Helpline Association (2006). Telephone helplines in a multichannel environment. Downloaded from: http://www.helplines.org.uk/
Telephone Helpline Association (2007). Confidentiality – good practice
guidelines. Downloaded from: http://www.helplines.org.uk/
Telephone Helpline Association (2008). Good telephony guide. Downloaded
from: http://www.helplines.org.uk/
The Hamilton Fish Institute on School and Community Violence & The
National Mentoring Center at Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory.
(2007). Foundations of Successful Youth Mentoring. Available online at:
http://gwired.gwu.edu/hamfish/merlincgi/p/downloadFile/d/20699/n/off/other/1/name/foundationspdf
US Department of Justice. (2001). Reducing gun violence: the Boston gun
project’s Operation Ceasefire. Available online at:
http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/188741.pdf
Youth Justice Board (2007). Groups, gangs, and weapons. Youth Justice
Board for England and Wales. Hard copies can be ordered from:
http://www.yjb.gov.uk/Publications/Scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=342&eP=
Zand, D.H., Thomson, N., Cervantes, R., Espiritu, R., Klagholz, D., LaBlanc,
L., & Taylor, A. (2009). The mentor-youth alliance: the role of mentoring
relationships in promoting youth competence. Journal of Adolescence, 32, 117.
Useful websites
Service providers (UK only)
Aurora Health Foundation - http://www.aurorahealthfoundation.org.uk
Barnardo’s - http://www.barnardos.org.uk
BeatBullying - http://www.beatbullying.org
Childline – http://www.childline.org.uk
Family Lives (formally ParentlinePlus) - http://familylives.org.uk
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Foundation4Life - http://www.foundation4life.co.uk
LEAP Confronting Conflict - http://www.leapconfrontingconflict.org.uk
Little Miss Raw - http://www.in-volve.org.uk/In-volve/Services/LMR.html
London Centre for Personal Safety http://www.londoncentreforpersonalsafety.org.uk
Mentoring and Befriending Foundation - http://www.mandbf.org.uk
Mosac - http://www.mosac.org.uk
National Association for People Abused in Childhood (NAPAC) http://www.napac.org.uk
National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) http://www.nspcc.org.uk
National Youth Agency - http://www.nya.org.uk
Race On The Agenda (ROTA) - http://www.rota.org.uk
Respect - http://www.respect.uk.net
Solace Women’s Aid - http://www.solacewomensaid.org
The Helplines Association - http://www.helplines.org.uk
The NIA Project - http://www.niaproject.info
XLP - http://www.xlp.org.uk
Resources23
American Youth Policy Forum
http://www.aypf.org/forumbriefs/2006/fb091506.htm
Australian Youth Mentoring Network
http://www.youthmentoring.org.au
Barnardo’s
http://www.barnardos.org.uk/what_we_do/our_projects/sexual_exploitation.ht
m
Beatwise
http://www.norfolkbeatwise.org.uk/stay-safe/healthy-relationships.aspx
23
Web addresses correct as of 22nd March 2011
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Big Brothers, Big Sisters
http://www.bbbs.org/
Children’s Workforce Matters
http://www.childrensworkforcematters.org.uk/node/819
Community Service Volunteers (CSV)
http://www.csv.org.uk/volunteering/mentoring-befriending/young-people
Center for Young Women’s Health
http://www.youngwomenshealth.org/healthy_relat.html
Forensics Talk
http://harfordmedlegal.typepad.com/forensics_talk/gang-rape-profiling.html#tp
HealthyPlace
http://www.healthyplace.com/relationships/healthy-relationships/what-is-ahealthy-relationship/menu-id-63/
I wanna know!
http://www.iwannaknow.org/teens/relationships/healthyrelationship.html
Laurier Student Affairs
http://waterloo.mylaurier.ca/development/info/Relationships.htm
Mentor Foundation
http://www.mentorfoundation.org
NSPCC
http://www.nspcc.org.uk/Inform/resourcesforprofessionals/space_wda72045.h
tml
Restorative Justice Council
http://www.restorativejustice.org.uk/?Restorative_Justice:RJ_Works
Respect – Young People’s Services
http://www.respect.uk.net/pages/young-peoples-services.html
Sexperience (Channel 4)
http://sexperienceuk.channel4.com
Soulwork
http://www.soulwork.net/sw_articles_eng/healthy-relationships.htm
TeensHealth
http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/relationships/healthy_relationship.html
Teen Relationships
http://www.teenrelationships.org/
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Welsh Women’s Aid
http://www.welshwomensaid.org/children/healthyrelationships.html
Women’s Support Project
http://www.womenssupportproject.co.uk/content/commercialsexualexploitation
/173,172
Ygoy Health & Lifestyle Updates
http://www.ygoy.com/index.php/talking-to-teens-about-healthy-relationships/
Youth Engagement and Social Media
http://www.practicalparticipation.co.uk/yes/what/what_does_it_change
Youth Mentoring Connection
http://www.youthmentoring.org/
Youth Mentoring Network, New Zealand
http://www.youthmentoring.org.nz
Youth Mentoring Partnership
http://youthmp.org
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