British Youth Get Domestic Violence 101

Coral
wrote on August 11 2009 @ 05:38 pm: [report]

I think this is a great idea to teach young children about how to have a healthy relationship. But it’s something that parents also need to reinforce at home.

gsplsngr
wrote on August 11 2009 @ 06:01 pm: [report]

Although this is important, I think it is lost teaching to 5 year olds in school. I don’t think that England’s problem with violence against women is one about education but rather more about rampant binge drinking and alcoholism and a society that accepts being victims. Many of the large cities are known for having roaming bands of kids who commit all kids of violence and nothing is done to them. You think that this same lawless bunch are going to treat their girl friends any differently than they treat everyone else.

veda6
wrote on August 11 2009 @ 11:17 pm: [report]

I don’t think it will be lost on teaching 5 year olds at all. If kids see dad hitting mum at home, they are going to develop a sense that violence is normal and acceptable. The earlier schools can start enforcing the message that people should be safe from the threat of violence, and that violence is not an acceptable means of handing disputes or frustrations, the more likely the country can achieve the social/behavioural changes so greatly needed and likely to have positive effects beyond the home environment. I’m sure that this is not going to be the only weapon in Britains’ arsenal against domestic violence, but it will be an important one.

Anniekins
wrote on August 12 2009 @ 05:16 am: [report]

Maybe holding abusers more accountable for their actions is a better idea.

As a teacher, I find all of this kind of frustrating. I’d like to think that the educational system can fix all of society’s wrongs, but parents hold a lot more power here than we do.

Example- When my second graders were studying the election, we had many lessons on the importance of picking the best candidate.  We discussed what characteristics we want in a leader.  They learned that gender, race, age should not influence a decision.  They got it!  It was so rewarding to hear them having actual discussions about what they wanted to see in a president! The day after the election, on of my students started complaining that we have a black president who hates white people, and that Obama never should have been elected, because things will get bad for all the white people out there.  I asked him where he heard that, and he informed me that his dad told him how it “really is”.  No matter what I or his classmates said, he held onto the belief that his father knew the truth.

Teachers can talk until they’re blue in the face; ultimately, what the child sees at home is going to more powerful in this situation.  If society tells dad, “If you beat your wife or kids, you WILL be held accountable”, I think that will send more of a message.
Let’s let schools stick to academics.

Eye Linder
wrote on August 12 2009 @ 09:22 am: [report]

This sounds great! I just wish they weren’t limiting it to women/girls. What about men? What about the LGBTQ factor? DV can happen to anyone…in any type of relationship! But This looks like a really great start. Anniekins - I also agree that what happens at home tends to be more salient, but maybe this program will create more longitudinal change. Many people witness DV in their homes as kids and many of them have a similar response: “I thought it was normal/I thought everyone’s parents fought like that/etc.” But maybe by getting it out in the open, naming it, and making it okay to talk about, kids will learn that it’s not okay/normal/acceptable. Maybe some kids will disclose that they have experienced or witnessed family violence once having these lessons, which I would assume would lead to greater support for that child and his or her family. I have facilitated lessons/discussions about healthy relationships with middle school kids and many of them already hold beliefs about this subject (who it happens to, why it happens, what to do). I think starting the conversation when they’re young is a great way to go about it. I look forward to hearing more about this and how they roll it out!

Coral
wrote on August 12 2009 @ 12:00 pm: [report]

@anniekins: Although parents of little children may feed their kids the wrong information, most children will learn to know that it is wrong by the time they are a teenager and wanting to break away from their parents and those ideas. But in order for that to happen, the education at school has to be unbiased and fair. And so I think most kids will turn out okay.

@eye linder: I really doubt that most little kids think that it’s normal for their parents to be hitting each other. I know I didn’t. I think kids realize that it’s ‘normal’ for the family, but not normal for everyone else. But I do agree that they need to expand their teachings on DV to include everyone.

Arsenic
wrote on August 12 2009 @ 05:40 pm: [report]

@Eye Linder
Hell yeah!
I totally agree with you on this one- all too often the LGBTQ community and men are left out of the discussion. Yes, it’s true that women all to often get the brunt of it, but that doesn’t mean everyone else should be left out in the cold! I’d also love to see a reasonable discussion of BDSM in such programs - all too often I’ve seen misunderstandings surrounding such relationships that could be easily prevented with a little education.