a friend in need - young people's views of peer support about issues of abuse and neglect
TRANSCRIPT
A friend in need - Young people’s views of peer support about issues of
abuse and neglect.
Jeanette CossarUniversity Of East Anglia, Norwich
Funded by the Office of the Children’s Commissioner for England
Research team
Jeanette CossarMarian BrandonSue BaileyPippa BeldersonLaura Biggart University of East Anglia
Darren Sharpe Anglia Ruskin University
Anabel Acheampong Aundre BoudierDarrel Fritz-CampbellJoshua SnapeReece ThibouBen Thrower Young Researchers
Research Aims
• To examine young people’s perceptions of abuse and neglect, and to explore their experiences of telling and getting help from both informal and formal sources
• To use this knowledge to make suggestions for practice which would improve access to support following abuse
Strands of the study• A structured literature review about children’s and
young people’s recognition and disclosure of abuse.• A content analysis of an online peer support site
where young people post and respond to problems involving abuse and neglect (261 ‘threads’).
• An interview study with thirty vulnerable young people, aged between 11 and 20.
• Six focus groups with children and young people, parents and practitioners involved in working in different tiers of services for young people.
RECOGNITION TELLING HELP
Who do young people tell?• Confidante varies with age: young children more likely to disclose to a
parent, adolescents to friends or other family members (Roesler 1994).• In adolescence disclosures more likely to be to a friend (Smith et al 2000,
Jackson, 2002, Kogan 2004, Priebe et al, 2008). • Vincent and Daniel (2004) in an analysis of calls to ChildLine Scotland,
found that of those who had talked to someone prior to phoning ChildLine were twice as likely to have spoken to a friend than a parent. Only 9% had spoken to a professional.
• Studies suggest young people are more likely to speak to friends or family than professionals (Palmer et al 1999, Baron et al, 2010)
Website: Who the young people had told
Category of person Who had been told Number
Friend/partner Friend same age (female) 34 (20%)
Friend of same age (male) 8 (5%)
Friend of same age (gender unknown)
7 (4%)
Boyfriend 4 (2%)
Adult friend 1 (1%)
Total friends 54 (31%)
Family Mother 24 (14%)
Father 8 (5%)
Parent 9 (5%)
Sister/brother 2/1 (2%)
Grandparent/Aunt 2/1 (2%)
Total family 49 (28%)
Professionals Police 19 (11%)
Teacher 13 (7%)
Other professional 19 (11%)
Online support or helpline 20 (11%)
Total Professionals 71 (41%)
Overall total 174 (100%)
Who were the young people advised to tell by respondents?
Category of person Who to tell Number Friend Friend - peer 28 (9%)
Adult friend/friend’s parent 8 (2%)Total friends 36 (11%)Family Mum 13 (4%)
Dad 8 (2%)Parent 21 (6%)Sibling 3 (1%)Grandparent/extended family 15 (5%)
Total family 60 (18%)Professionals Teacher 48 (15%)
Adult at school (including 2 school nurses)
12 (4%)
Counsellor (school or other) 22 (7%)Online support or helpline 47 (14%)Police 26 (8%)Doctor 3 (1%)Social services 2 (1%)
Total professionals 160 (49%)Other Someone the YP can trust 29 (9%)
Someone 32 (10%)Adult 6 (2%)Unspecified 3 (1%)
Total other 70 (22%)Overall total 326 (100%)
Responses from friends
I told a couple of friends, one of them nearly everything, he’s been looking out for me, but I’ve never really told anyone that could get it stopped.
The boys say stuff to me like ‘have you ever kissed anyone… I mean apart from your stepdad’.
• Positive: Emotional support and help to stop the abuse, often by becoming part of a chain of referral.
• Negative: Not being believed • Negative: stigma and bullying
Peer support via the website
• Easily accessible, non-stigmatising, anonymous, the young person can retain control, no geographical barriers.
• Encouragement/emotional support, ways to think about it differently, advice about what to do next, solidarity.
Start by saying that something is happening that you don’t like. If you are still finding it hard to say what it is you could ask them to ask you questions and you answer yes and no… at some point they will probably need you to actually say it and give names. When it came to that, I asked the person I was telling if they could turn and face another direction and not look at me when I said it.
Interview sample Stop abuse
or problemInformation and advice
Emotional support
Practical strategies to minimise harm
Medical help
Professional sources of help Doctor 1 3 2 1 14Teacher 15 10 7 6 1Social worker 21 4 6 1 0Teaching assistant 1 2 3 0 0CAMHS 1 3 13 5 2Youth worker 10 7 10 4 0School nurse 0 6 6 0 8Church or religious worker 1 0 0 1 1Police Officer 23 1 1 0 1Sports coach 3 1 1 1 0Helpline or internet 4 9 3 0 0School (unspecified) 0 0 0 0 0Counsellor 0 2 9 1 0Solicitor 0 1 0 0 0Informal sources of help Friends (peers) 3 8 18 2 0Friends (adult) 6 0 5 2 0Boyfriend /girlfriend 2 2 7 1 0Parents 12 2 6 0 0Siblings 2 1 2 0 0Extended family 5 1 5 1 0Family member (unspecified) 8 3 3 0 0
Interviews: responses from friends
They sort of know what is going through your head, because they are like more like you. my friend she has got similar problems to what I have got,…. We have had the same past and everything and all I say around her I know it won’t affect her and everything like that and she can tell me anything.
I know you have your closer friends but sometimes they can go behind your back as well, ‘Oh you never guess what?’ and it goes round everywhere.
Support and solidarity
Gossip and bullying
I feel betrayed. I know he wants to help but I’m not ready to tell anyone, I’m scared! How can I convince him not to say anything, and that it should be my choice.
Dilemmas about confidentiality
Workshops: helping friends• Difficulty of telling who is trustworthy• Friendship as a safe space or distraction• Fear of consequences of probing too far• Burden of knowing
I think it’s too much responsibility, for someone to be able to…., like if someone had come up to me I wouldn’t know what to do, where to go, not straight away anyway, if they’re like ‘don’t tell anyone, don’t tell anyone I wouldn’t know what to do. I’d be really confused and that would be too much responsibility.
Girls are like more comforting types to put an arm around ‘em or hug ‘em or something, whereas boys are just more like just let’s get on with something else to forget about it.
Conclusions
• Young people do turn to their friends for support with abuse and neglect. They also value professionals.
• Young people are also wary about turning to friends, fearing gossip and not being believed.
• Young people make a distinction between emotional support and stopping the abuse. They see adults as having the power stop the abuse.
• Knowing about abuse is a big responsibility for friends.
Implications for practice
• Include discussion about abuse and neglect in the school and college curriculum.
• Provide clear information for children and young people about where they can get help if they think they are being abused.
• Provide information about how young people can support friends and how to manage the dilemmas that might arise for them if they are worried about a friend.
https://www.uea.ac.uk/centre-research-child-family
‘It takes a lot to build trust’. Recognition and Telling: Developing earlier routes to help for
children and young people.
Available at http://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/content/publications/content_747