The Expect Respect Educational Toolkit consists of one easy to use ‘Core’ lesson for each year group from reception to year 13 and is based on themes that have been found to be effective in tackling domestic abuse.
Although the Expect Respect Education Toolkit is targeted for use by teachers within schools, it can just as easily be used by a range of other professionals working with children and young people in a variety of settings such as youth clubs or play schemes.
‘It is important to make children and young people aware of behaviour towards them that is not acceptable and how they can help keep themselves safe. The non-statutory framework for PSHE provides opportunities for children and young people to learn about keeping safe and who to ask for help if their safety is threatened.’ Domestic abuse is a widespread social problem and living with domestic abuse is a painful and damaging experience. For the 750,000 children who witness domestic abuse each year , the damaging effects can be long lasting and impact on every area of their lives.
Each lesson is designed to be active, fun and engaging, but also challenging. Whilst not all of the lesson plans raise domestic abuse directly, they have been written using themes found to be effective in tackling domestic abuse, such as:
- challenging assumptions about gender, power and equality;
- changing beliefs and attitudes about men and women;
- managing feelings and accepting responsibility for one’s own feelings and behaviour;
- helping to resolve conflict;
- knowing the difference between abusive and non-abusive relationships;
- promoting the consistent message that abuse is not acceptable;
- understanding that domestic abuse is a crime;
- highlighting the role of peers in providing support;
- giving information about where to get help
You can download this toolkit for free here.
