This Valentine\u2019s Day Tower Hamlets Council is working with young people as part of a renewed call for the eradication of violence against women and girls focusing on preventing violence in the future.
\nCouncil officers will be running workshops in schools, youth centres and other youth focussed settings to help young people recognise the signs of abuse and know how to access support if they experience domestic abuse themselves.
\nThey will also be encouraged to sign a pledge to never ignore and never condone abuse amongst their peers and to promise to never abuse others.
\nMayor of Tower Hamlets, Lutfur Rahman, said: \u201cCommunity safety, including tackling domestic violence, is one of my top priorities.
\n\u201cWe often forget that these crimes and forms of abuse don\u2019t just happen to adults. Young people are just as likely to find themselves trapped in damaging and abusive relationships.
\n\u201cThis Valentine\u2019s Day I want to remind residents of the support available for victims of domestic violence \u2013 whether they are young or old, female or male.\u201d
\nCllr Ohid Ahmed, Deputy Mayor of Tower Hamlets, said: \u201cWe are continuing our work to educate the community to recognise and prevent abuse.
\n\u201cValentine\u2019s Day is presented as a day of romance and love, but in abusive relationships, romance and \u2018love\u2019 can be used as excuses for controlling behaviour and even violence.
\n\u201cBy joining together as a community we can protect the lives of young people in Tower Hamlets, and stop violence in the future.\u201d
\nResearch over the past 5 years has shown that young people experience abuse as much as adult victims but the abuse is often minimised due to their lack of experience in relationships. In fact, emotional abuse is experienced by up to three quarters of young people and physical abuse by over a quarter of young women.
\nDomestic abuse, whilst often considered to only include physical abuse, can include a person using threatening and coercive behaviour towards their partner, sexual abuse, preventing their partner from seeing or contacting friends or managing their own finances, or humiliating their partner in front of other people.
\nSomen Banerjee, Director of Public Health, said: \u201cDomestic abuse has a serious and long standing impact on mental and physical health. This Valentine\u2019s Day let\u2019s work together to end violence against women and improve health and wellbeing in our community.\u201d
\nThis list may help you to identify whether you are experiencing domestic violence:
\nAre you afraid of your boyfriend\/girlfriend or a family member?
\nDo you feel isolated? Do they cut you off from family and friends?
\nDoes your boyfriend\/girlfriend family try and control who you are allowed to see?
\nAre they jealous and possessive?
\nDo they humiliate or insult you?
\nDo they force you into sexual acts when you don\u2019t want to?
\nDo they verbally abuse you?
\nDo they say you are useless and couldn\u2019t cope without them?
\nDo they physically hurt you? Do they shove, slap, punch or kick you?
\nHave they threatened to hurt you or people close to you?
\nDo they constantly criticise you?
\nDo they control your money?
\nDo you change your behaviour to try and stop them attacking you?
\nDo you question what you think as a result of your boyfriend\u2019s\/girlfriend\u2019s
\nDo they threaten to harm or kill your pets?
\nDo they threaten to kidnap or get residency of your children?
\nDo they tell you what to wear or try and control your appearance?
\nDo they threaten to have your family take you abroad?
\nAre they constantly texting\/calling or harassing you through social media?
\nDo they check up on where you are going or expect you to report to them?
\nIf you, a friend or a family member are experiencing any of these issues you can get further information by contacting the Domestic Violence Team on 0800 279 5434 (from 9:00 am \u2013 5:00pm Monday to Friday) or by email domesticviolence@towerhamlets.gov.uk. Help and Support can also be provided by Local and National Organisations whose information can be provided by the Domestic Violence Team. In an emergency, please call the Police on 999.<\/p>\n