Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 26
26
Deferred
High prevalence of sexual violence and controlling behaviour affects young people aged 11-20.
Conclusion
Professor Katin Hohl told us that the most common age of survivors and perpetrators of sexual violence is between 11–20 years old.63 Evidence submitted by the Youth Endowment Fund suggested that 7% of girls and 6% of boys between 13–17 years old had experienced sexual violence in the last year. The research also found that 27% of these respondents had been in a romantic relationship over the past year, with nearly 49% having experienced violent or controlling behaviours. This research also found that children aged 13–15 years in relationships are significantly more likely to report violence or controlling experiences (58%) compared with those aged 16–17 (42%).64 Written evidence from Operation 58 C&AG’s Report, para 15 59 Q 46 60 C&AG’s Report, para 15 61 C&AG’s Report, para 1.5 62 VAWG0050 63 Q 8 64 VAWG0014 19 Encompass highlighted that the likelihood of becoming a perpetrator of domestic abuse in the future is increased if you experienced or witnessed it as a child.65
Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the committee's observations and states that the new VAWG Strategy, due by September 2025, will prioritize prevention, focusing on education, challenging societal norms, and identifying early risk factors in children and families to reduce future perpetration and victimization. Further details will be in the forthcoming strategy.
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government
Deferred
6.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: September 2025 6.2 The new VAWG Strategy will place prevention at the very heart of the government’s approach to halving VAWG in a decade. A key part of the Home Office’s approach will be improving the policing, criminal and family justice response. However, enforcement alone is not enough. 6.3 The preventative measures in the forthcoming VAWG Strategy will be designed to achieve long-term change, underpinned by the Theory of Change. This includes challenging the societal norms, attitudes and misconceptions about relationships and consent, how children are educated in school, in communities and online, and identifying those early risk factors in children and families so that fewer children go on to perpetrate abuse or become victims themselves. Prevention of VAWG is a wide-reaching area requiring cross-government effort across DfE, DCMS, MHCLG, DSIT and MoJ, and others. 6.4 The review process for the Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) statutory guidance is almost complete and new guidance will be published in the coming months. The Home Office and the Department for Education have worked closely with a range of stakeholders including those who are working to end VAWG to get the guidance right. 6.5 The Home Office has met with young people who shared their experiences as well as contributing ideas on practical steps schools should take on these matters. Ministers in the Home Office and Department for Education are continuing to work together to ensure that future funding will deliver a positive and lasting impact for children and young people. More detail on this joint work between the Department for Education and the Home Office will be set out in the forthcoming VAWG Strategy 6.6 The Home Office will also continue to work closely with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to enhance media literacy among children and parents, so that they are educated to critically assess and be aware of content they are viewing online, including misogynistic content. 6.7 The government’s Opportunity Mission is also dedicated to setting up every child with the best start in life, helping all children to achieve and thrive and creating environments in which young people feel they belong - these are the best available tools for combating violence and prejudice, including misogyny. 6.8 The implementation of the actions outlined in this response by September 2025 is contingent on the publication of the Tackling VAWG Strategy within that timeframe.