Llamau have teamed up with UK-wide charity, SafeLives, to develop and deliver a brand new toolkit aimed at young women, girls and non-binary young people, aged 13-24, who may be experiencing or be at risk of domestic abuse.

The signs that someone is being affected by domestic abuse can be difficult to spot, but it can be even harder if you are unsure on what signs to look out for to begin with.

We know that young women, girls and non-binary young people typically seek support from their friendship groups, rather than through traditional support services. SafeLives found that 71% of girls go to their best friend for relationship advice. It is likely they will disclose abusive behaviours and tendencies to their friends, which are not recognised for the harmful behaviours they are, and the future damage they can cause.

This is why Llamau have joined forces with SafeLives and a number of other organisations across the UK to create the ‘Your Best Friend’ toolkit. Co-created with young people who have both experienced domestic abuse and those who have not; experts from across domestic abuse organisations will develop an interactive and engaging toolkit that aims to help young women, girls and non-binary young people to identify the signs of domestic abuse in both their own relationships and those of their friends.

Furthermore, the toolkit will provide the knowledge and confidence that is needed to help keep themselves and their friends safe from harm and domestic abuse.

‘Your Best Friend’ is currently within the very early stages of development. The survey launched this week forms part of foundational plans to engage young women, girls and non-binary young people in a conversation around what they feel they need from the toolkit to be able to keep themselves and their friends safe from domestic abuse and harm.

We would like to encourage you to share this survey with young people to ensure as many voices as possible are heard and represented.

Project Lead for Llamau, Hannah Owen said,

“This survey marks the beginning of a lot of research for Llamau and the partnership as a whole. We need to know what young women, girls and non-binary young people need in order to be able to see the signs of abuse and know what to do if that should happen.

“We are taking the support to young people, putting the tools they need in their hands rather than expecting them to reach out to services that they may not be aware of, or feel confident enough to approach. We will be hosting a number of workshops and conversations alongside this survey over the coming months to make sure we have as clear a picture as possible when it comes to creating this toolkit.”

The ‘Your Best Friend’ project aims to reach and influence more than one million young people, empowering them with the knowledge and confidence they need to be able to act before they or someone they know is harmed.   

Complete the survey