Teenagers are to learn more about what is appropriate behaviour as part of £427,000 funding aimed at tackling violence against women and girls in Norfolk.
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School pupils are one of the largest groups in Norwich, Great Yarmouth and King’s Lynn affected by sexual harassment and violent crimes and a new programme aims to help young victims have the confidence to report it.
Funding secured from the Home Office’s Safer Streets programme is being used for work to enable women to feel safer in public spaces and for education projects focused on changing attitudes and behaviours.
Norfolk Police and Crime Commissioner Giles Orpen-Smellie said: “Preventing sexual assault and misogynistic behaviour from happening in the first place is as important as how we respond to incidents, and so I am particularly pleased that some of this funding will go towards programmes that will educate and empower young people.
“If we are to tackle these issues effectively, then we must take steps to prevent perpetrators and empower young people to challenge behaviour they know is wrong.”
The University of East Anglia is to develop a programme targeting students focused on open conversations about appropriate behaviours and empowering young people to challenge others.
Known as a ‘bystander programme’ the work will help students to know how to recognise and respond to problematic attitudes and behaviours.
A similar programme for school age students will also be developed by Norfolk County Council’s children’s services department.
John Fisher, cabinet member for children’s services, said: “The issue of violence against women and girls is rightly under huge scrutiny at the moment. Women and girls need to be able to feel safe in society and prevention of violence starts with education in the home, as well as at school.
“We know that Norfolk’s schools and colleges want to do all their can to ensure the safety of all of their students and we will be providing this programme to enhance the good work that we know is already happening in many schools.”
Crimes in public places such as sexual harassment disproportionately affect women and the issue has been thrown into fresh focus by the murder of Sarah Everard by serving Met Police officer Wayne Couzens.
In August the government published the tackling violence against women and girls strategy which promised “radical change” in stopping violence and abuse including practical action to improve women’s physical safety in public spaces.
Speaking at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester, Boris Johnson said there is "a massive job" to do in restoring women's confidence in the police.
"I believe police officers, men and women up and down the country, will be absolutely sickened by what has happened, and they will be doing everything they can, and I know they do everything they can to help and reassure the public,” he said.
Norfolk chief constable Paul Sanford has said the force must work harder to rebuild trust and make streets as safe for women and girls and was working on improved training for officers.
The prime minister added: “What we need to do is do some things to make the streets safer and we are investing massively in CCTV and street lighting, and those sorts of things, but also make sure we change the culture of policing.”
Amongst other planned measures the latest round of Safer Streets funding will allow is an expansion of the CCTV network in King’s Lynn, whilst Great Yarmouth will benefit from improved street lighting in the town centre.
Carl Smith, leader of Great Yarmouth Borough Council, said:“This successful bid of £427,000 from the Home Office for the third round of the Safer Streets Fund will allow us to work with the local police force to invest in transformative crime prevention initiatives, such as cleaning up, painting and improve lighting in certain areas of the town to help increase feelings of safety.”
Funds will also be used for a campaign to challenge some of the attitudes and behaviours associated with violence against women and girls developed by the community safety partnership and rolled out across the county.
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