Half of vulnerable girls face abusive relationships

More than half of vulnerable teenage girls have been victims of violence in at least one of their relationships, an NSPCC study has revealed.

The research, conducted by the University of Bristol and the NSPCC, builds upon the authors’ 2009 report, which questioned young people in school about their relationships.

The latest research aimed to reach more vulnerable teenagers who were not in mainstream education, some of whom had been permanently excluded from school, were young offenders or teenage mothers.

It concluded that girls from more disadvantaged backgrounds were almost twice as likely to experience violence in their relationships as the girls surveyed in schools.

Researchers conducted interviews with 82 young people aged between 13 and 18, 44 boys and 38 girls, from a range of agencies and organisations working with disadvantaged young people across south west England.

More than half of the girls from the sample reported that they had been a victim of physical violence in at least one of their relationships. A quarter of the girls reported more severe forms of violence such as being punched in the face, pushed down the stairs, head-butted or dragged by their hair.

More girls in the latest study viewed physical partner violence as normal, compared to those in the school-based research.

The Standing on My Own Two Feet report was published as the government launched the second phase of its advertising campaign to challenge the attitudes of teenagers to violence and abuse in relationships.

Equalities minister Lynne Featherstone said: “We need to challenge the attitudes and behaviours that foster an acceptance of abusive relationships by intervening as early as possible. Bringing the issue out in the open will help teenagers feel confident to challenge abusive behaviour when they experience it or see it.”