Students at New College Swindon have completed a pilot programme on healthy relationships, delivered by Swindon’s domestic abuse charity, Society Without Abuse (SWA).
Specialist workers from SWA spent six weeks working with a group of students to help them recognise the signs of domestic abuse and understand the importance of healthy relationships. The sessions covered a range of issues, including recognising coercive control, honour-based violence, and understanding consent and boundaries.
Coercive control, which includes behaviours such as isolating a partner from friends and family, monitoring their actions, and controlling how they look or behave, was recently recognised by a change in the law, putting it on the same legal footing as physical abuse. Statistics show that young people aged 15 to 25 are more likely to be victims of domestic abuse than any other age group.
Emma Maclennan, CYP Manager at SWA, explained: “Domestic abuse can happen to anyone, in any type of relationship. Coercive control can be particularly hard to spot because it often starts with small, seemingly innocent actions that gradually become more controlling. Love-bombing is a common early sign – where a partner showers the other with attention, gifts, and affection, often moving the relationship along at a fast pace. While it might feel flattering at first, it can quickly become overwhelming and leave the victim feeling trapped and guilty for having doubts.”
Emma continued: “Educating young people to recognise these behaviours, and giving them the tools to seek help if they need it, is key to breaking the cycle of abuse. Understanding what a healthy relationship looks like – and knowing where to turn for support – is a crucial step towards building a society free from abuse.”
New College Swindon student Liam said the sessions were eye-opening: “It was really good, and I learnt a lot of important things. The session on rape and honour-based violence was shocking. It’s made me more aware of how to spot the signs and how to have a healthy relationship.”
The pilot programme has been hailed as a success, with SWA hoping to expand it to reach more students across Swindon in the future.
For more information on SWA, visit www.societywithoutabuse.org.uk.
If you need advice or support related to domestic abuse, call Swindon’s domestic abuse helpline on 01793 610610.
