T.R.A.U.M.A.
Towards Recognition of Abuse, Understanding and Mutuality through Arts
T.R.A.U.M.A. builds on our earlier research in Safe, Seen, Supported which found that a better understanding of abuse – how to recognise it, talk about it, and respond to it – is vital. In T.R.A.U.M.A. we formed an Arts Collective to safely explore these issues. Together, we created an arts-based card deck and hosted an exhibition aimed at building awareness, facilitating conversations around abuse, and animating public debate. T.R.A.U.M.A was led by an interdisciplinary survivor-only team, in partnership with Angie Sweeney (Service User Research Enterprise (SURE) and Laura Fischer (Traumascapes), with funding from VAMHN.
The TRAUMA card deck is being reprinted and will be back on sale here soon.
Safe, Seen, Supported
1 in 5 children experiences at least one form of abuse (physical, sexual, emotional, neglect, exposure to domestic abuse) before the age of 16. Rarely does this abuse come to the attention of the authorities. As a result, for many children and young people COVID-19 meant being trapped in abusive households.
The Safe Seen Supported project was a survivor-led initiative to address this concern. We asked people who know best how to reach and help children and young people experiencing abuse in their households: adult survivors who were once these children and practitioners who support survivors. Together, we identified key considerations and actions to take both during the pandemic and beyond.
We published a Report with guidance for practitioners and communities and an Infographic for young people and families, with a series of Instagram Posts you can download and share.
Read on here for more information about the research and our podcast with Lancet Psychiatry.
“Off Radar” children and young people
The COVID-19 pandemic magnified risks to children and young people who are at risk of or are experiencing violence and abuse in their home and are ‘off-radar’ – unknown to agencies and services that can help. We worked with independent survivor researchers, King’s College London, the Violence & Mental Health Network (VAMHN) and McPin Foundation to undertake a rapid research project with adult survivors and professionals, about how to reach and help such children and young people now and in the future.
We published the initial results here. See the Safe, Seen, Supported page for the final report and other resources.
Church of England
We were pleased to work with Changemaker Roz Etwaria from Little Ro , our partner organisation, in a survivor-led research project for the Church of England National Safeguarding Team, bringing the voice of survivors to their work improving the church’s safeguarding practice and response to survivors. To download the report from our research on Responding Well to survivors, please click the image (right). To join our mailing list for survivors and others interested in safeguarding in church and faith settings, please contact Jane (Chevous) who is a church abuse survivor and is leading this work.
Out of the Shadows
We were very pleased to work with campaign group 38 Degrees and Nottingham Sexual Violence Support Services to undertake research with survivors and survivor organisations, and develop guidelines for media about providing support information when broadcasting programmes that feature abuse and violence, to support a campaign for consistent and survivor-sensitive information provision. The report Out of the Shadows can be downloaded here, please do share widely.
