Domestic abuse within youth justice can affect young people as perpetrators, witnesses or victims. It can affect various types of relationship including those between parents or carers and child, or intimate teenage relationships.

Domestic abuse covers a wider range of behaviours than domestic violence, and does not just mean sexual and physical violence.

There are many other forms of abuse that can take place within relationships, such as:

• intimidating and threatening behaviour
• playing down the impact of violence
• financial abuse
• isolating a victim from their family and friends
• emotional abuse
  

Definition

A new definition of domestic violence and abuse came into effect on 31 March 2013.

The extension of the definition includes 16 and 17-year-olds, and includes 'coercive control', meaning that there does not have to be a single incident of violence, as previously required.

The Home Office, in partnership with Against Violence and Abuse, has created guidance for local areas on how this definition will affect their services.

Definition of domestic violence and abuse: guide for local areas

Interventions and tools for practitioners

Toolkits for work with young people

Respect

Respect focus on young people using violence against others in close relationships.

They have developed a toolkit for work with young people in 2011, which has been piloted and evaluated across five sites in the UK.

You can access the evaluation on their website, and receive details of their bi-annual practitioners network, giving you an opportunity to find out more about developing practice in this field.

Break4change

Break4change is a programme for young people who are abusive or violent to their parents or carers. The programme is run in partnership between the YOT, youth crime prevention workers, Rise and the Family Intervention Project.

Visit the effective practice library for more information on the programme.

DARE (domestic abuse, recovery and education)

This is a community-based programme for children and young people who have experienced domestic abuse, delivered by Newcastle YOT .

Visit the effective practice library  for more information on the programme.

Online resources

The resources below can be used to work through with young people, or shown to a young person to work through themselves.

Sites like these will often be the first places that a young person will visit if they are looking for information or help around domestic abuse.

Two well known interactive sites are:

• The ‘Play’ area of the Childline website
• The Hideout, run by Women’s Aid
  

This is ABUSE
This Home Office campaign currently focuses on rape and sexual assault among young people.

It is aimed at young people directly, but practitioners can make use of the materials and information on the site when working with a young person.
The site contains videos, quizzes and a section on getting help if a young person is worried about abuse.

Nottingham Domestic Violence Forum

The Nottingham Domestic Violence Forum (NDVF) runs two sites dedicated to young people on the subject of domestic abuse:

• Respect Not Fear
  Aimed at young people, with a set of resources aimed at helping them recognise and report abusive relationships.
  
  
• The GREAT Project
  Aimed at children of primary school age, and also has a section for adults worried about domestic abuse and young children.

Both sites contain interactive elements, including an iPhone app.

The NDVF site - holds information about domestic abuse practice, training and events for practitioners.

Further information for practitioners

The three sites below contain a wealth of background information for practitioners on domestic abuse, including newsletters, national campaigns, academic research and online forums.

Teenage relationship abuse campaign

This Home Office campaign ran from September to December 2011.

Contains:

• Support materials
• Publications and research, including the action plan ‘A call to end violence against women and girls’
• Advice to schools and young people
• Links to newsletters on the work to tackle violence against women and girls
  

Against Violence and Abuse children and young people campaign

Against Violence and Abuse are a charity that provides support, resources and training to local authorities and individual practitioners.

Their website contains information on their children and young people focused project, which includes a forum for practitioners to seek and share good practice.

NSPCC domestic abuse practice page

The NSPCC have a section online that deals specifically with domestic abuse practice, and work with children and families.

Contains:

• Examples of interventions
• Links to relevant research
• Information of assessment and referrals