New resource to help young people facing gender-based violence

New digital resources have been created to help young people spot the warning signs of gender-based violence and know how to say “That’s not OK”.

The resources cover everything from sexual harassment, coercion and forced marriage to revenge porn and grooming, and feature information, articles and videos to help young people understand what to watch out for.

Through the “That’s Not OK” website, hosted on young.scot, young people can also access information on how to report an incident and find help and support.

Scotland’s national youth information charity Young Scot has partnered with the Scottish Government, Scottish Women’s Aid and Rape Crisis Scotland on the project.

Louise Macdonald, chief executive of Young Scot, said: “The launch of the That’s Not OK resources will provide young people with access to information on a wide range of sensitive and vitally important topics.

“We have worked closely with young people to develop resources that provide advice on topics such as sexual harassment, revenge porn and grooming.

“Although the project has been developed over many months, the events of recent weeks highlight the importance of these resources.

“Young people in Scotland are extremely concerned about gender-based violence and this project is about helping them access critical advice and support.”

The online resources have been co-created in collaboration with young people from Amina Muslim Women’s Resource Centre and Saheliya – a mental health organisation supporting members of the BAME community.

Representatives from LGBT Youth Scotland, the BEE project at Shetland Rape Crisis, Rape & Sexual Abuse Centre and the Rosey project have contributed to the new resources which also cover areas such as honour-based abuse and stalking.

Recognising that some young people may be concerned about logging onto the site at home, there is an option for them to exit the screen immediately and be redirected to the BBC homepage.

Equalities Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Tackling violence against women and girls is a priority for the Scottish Government and this resource is an important step in our journey to a safer Scotland.

“Now more than ever, our children and young people must have information available to allow them to recognise and respond to potentially harmful behaviours.

“The ‘That’s not OK’ resource covers a range of difficult but important topics – and more crucially, provides information on where to go for help.”

The site can be found at young.scot/campaigns/national/thatsnotok.

Sue McKellar from Scotland Women’s Aid said: “Gendered violence is something that happens to people of all ages, but we need to ensure that there is information out there that is easily accessible, simple to understand and includes topics such as social media harassment, coercive control and image-based abuse, which are of a particular concern to young people.

“We’ve worked alongside representatives from a number of youth organisations to make sure the resources are tailored to the needs of young Scots, so we’ve also created a digital wellness toolbox that provides access to mindfulness and selfcare exercises.

“Through the launch of That’s Not OK, we want to reassure every young person in Scotland that there is support, advice and help available to them should they need it.”

Kathryn Dawson at Rape Crisis Scotland said the group had been “delighted to be able to support this important project”.