Children's care provider opts in for equality education
One of the UK’s largest children’s charities is recognising the importance of educating young people around equality, coercive control and violence by adding a voluntary module to the curriculum at its secondary school. Kibble support young people who have experienced trauma with services spanning across the West of Scotland.
Kibble has added the module to its curriculum as part of work being undertaken through funding received from the Scottish Government’s Delivering Equally Safe (DES) programme, resulting in praise and support from all students who attend the school.
The course aims to raise awareness of discrimination, coercive control, and the impact of language - particularly how words might affect others in the context of respectful relationships.
Older pupils have become peer mentors and support in the lessons by posing questions for discussion and younger pupils appreciate having the perspective of a senior student. A key project has involved young people creating and designing a board game.
A female student, aged 13, from Kibble who took part in the course, said: “I actually like knowing this stuff now because it means I have more of an idea about what is right and wrong, and I can confidently say it out loud to others.”
Young people taking part in the programme, achieved a National 2 qualification in Social Subjects as a result of their participation.
Jim Gillespie, Chief Executive Officer, Kibble said: “We are proud of the young people at Kibble who have enthusiastically taken part in the Delivering Equally Safe programme. These are important topics and we are pleased to be playing a part in advocating for this type of education, raising awareness and understanding for young people.”
Delivering Equally Safe is Scotland’s strategy for preventing and eradicating violence against women and girls.
It outlines the ambition to stop it occurring in the first place, build the capability and capacity of support services, and strengthen the justice response to victims and perpetrators.
The priorities of the Equally Safe 2023 refresh are; achieving greater gender equality; intervening early and effectively to prevent violence and maximising the safety and wellbeing of women, children and young people; and tackling perpetrators.
DES funding is managed by Inspiring Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Government.
For further information on Kibble and the work it does with young people, visit: Kibble - Specialist Services & Support for Young People Facing Adversity.