Gender based violence

Cutting across all boundaries (e.g. age, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation), gender based violence covers multiple forms of abuse against people linked directly to their gender.

Whilst gender based violence is mainly aimed at women and girls, there are also instances affecting men. There is significant under reporting of violence against boy and men in regards to domestic and sexual abuse, this is thought to be due to societal stereotyping.

Cutting across all boundaries (e.g. age, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation), gender based violence covers multiple forms of abuse against people linked directly to their gender:

VAWG – violence against women and girls
VAM – violence against men
Domestic violence – based on gender
Sexual violence – rape, forced sexual acts, forced pregnancy, abortion or sterilisation, FGM
Psychological violence – threats, isolation, emotional abuse
Faith abuse – forced marriage, exorcism due to sexuality, forced circumcision,
Economic violence – controlling their access to all of the family resources: time, transportation, food, clothing, shelter, insurance, and money
Use of children – to maintain control over a partner by not paying child support, requiring the children to spy, threatening to take children away, legal fights over custody, kidnapping or taking the children hostage to force

Definition:

“Gender-based violence (GBV) is the general term used to capture violence that occurs as a result of the normative role expectations associated with each gender, along with the unequal power relationships between the two genders, within the context of a specific society.”

(Bloom 2008, p14)

Spotting the signs

aggression
non-compliance at school
difficulty concentrating
difficulty developing relationships
reduction in attendance and/or attainment
eating disorder
low self-esteem, depression or anxiety
self-harm
substance misuse

Approximately 85,000 women are raped and over 400,000 women are sexually assaulted in England and Wales every year. Sexual violence is even more prevalent for younger women as one in three teenage girls has experienced some form of sexual violence from a partner. (University of Bristol for NSPCC).

Young women and girls affected by gangs experience high levels of sexual violence including sexual exploitation, sexual assault, individual rape and multiple perpetrator rape. (University of Bedfordshire)

In 2013, the police recorded at least 1,052 reports of sexual violence in schools, of which 134 were reported as rape.

What you can do

Create an environment based on equality and informed choice. Schools are well placed to help…

through prompting equality
avoiding serotyping and dispelling societal gender stereotypes
embracing difference
demonstrating tolerance
prompting equality of opportunity across the curriculum
tackling any gender bias based language, assumptions
addressing gender based bullying or harassment swiftly

Check young people have safe relationships – in their family, with their peers and with your staff. Create the environment where it’s ok to talk even about the most difficult things.

Spot the signs & know what to do – use the checklists above, your safeguarding procedures and be confident in raising gender based violence as a possibility. Remember although the highest proportion of GBV is against women and girls, boys and men also suffer.

Take action – and keep taking action until you know they’re safe

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Training resources for DSLs to use in team meetings
Reference documents for additional information
Handout for school staff summarising gender based violence
Quiz to test staff understanding

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Gender based violence

“Gender-based violence (GBV) is the general term used to capture violence that occurs as a result of the normative role expectations associated with each gender, along with the unequal power relationships between the two genders, within the context of a specific society.”

Spotting the signs

What you can do

For resources to develop staff knowledge of safeguarding, subscribe today.

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