Past Respect Events
Respect conference: You just don't get it! Young People's Violence in Close Relationships
17th February 2011, The Wellcome Collection Conference Centre, London
On the 17th of February 2011 Respect hosted the "You just don't get it!" conference marking the launch of our toolkit for working with young people on their violence in close relationships. The event was extremely well attended by a mixture of professionals, many of which worked directly with young people.
We tried to find speakers that would represent a wide range of views points and responses to young people's violence in close relationships and we hope all who attended found the day thought provoking.
If you missed the event or want the PowerPoint slides in an electronic format we have them here:
Investigating Adolescent Violence towards Parents - Dr Rachel Condry
Adolescent to Parent Violence - A Psychiatric Perspective - Dr Peter Misch
Respect's Toolkit for Addressing Young People's Violence in Close Relationships - Kate Iwi and Charles Kyazze
Evaluation of the Respect Young People's Tool Kit Pilot - Thangam Debbonaire and Dr Chris Newman
Research into Young People's Experiences of Exploitation and Violence in their 'Dating' Relationships - Christine Barter
Adapting the Work for Young People with Learning Difficulties - Debbee Arthur
Working with Fathers and Sons - the Missing Link in Violence Prevention Work - David Mandel
Agency Responses to Sexually Exploited Children and Young People: Developing Participatory Practice - Prof Jenny Pearce
Using Film and Other Media to Reach Young Parents - Matt Hay and Kim Brown
Respect conference: Men's Involvement in children's Lives
31st March and 1st April 2009, The Park Inn, York
There has existed for sometime a tension between approaches that espouse father involvement and co-parenting post separation and those that address safety and child protection. Finding a way forward that ensures that both the value that fathers bring to children lives and the damage they sometimes inflict are both acknowledged and responded to is one of the challenges for everyone working with families.
Through this event, Respect wanted to develop a dialogue between practitioners and policy makers from all sectors which:
- Values what men can bring to children’s lives
- Promotes a positive view of fathers
- Recognises fathers have responsibilities to children
- Listens to the needs of children and young people
- Holds men accountable when they endanger their children’s welfare.
Day One - Morning Session
The Chair, Dr Oliver Williams set the scene with a discussion of the importance of fatherhood in his own life and implications for practice.
Copies of Dr Williams' presentation can be requested by contacting Respect on 0207 022 1801.
Scott Cameron and Heather Coady, Scottish Women's Aid
Scott talked eloquently about his own experience of parental separationafter domestic violence and what his needs were in re-establishing contact with his father. In particular Scott talked about how he made the decision to re-establish contact with his father and what supports were necessaru to make this safe. Heather talked about how we can involve children and young people in the design of services and in professionals' decision-making about their lives and the services provided for them. For presentation, please click here.
Yvonne Kee
As the CEO of the National Association of Child Contact Centres (NACCC) Yvonne discussed:
- The role their services can play in re-eastablishing contact.
- The barriers to fathers' involvement in children's lives and post parental separaiton, specifically where there has been a history of domestic abuse.
- What the problems are for fathers in establishing responsible fathering post separation.
To download Yvonne's presentation, please click here.
Alex Brochardt
Alex is the assistant CEO of Families Need Fathers (FNF), an organisation that is pro father involvement. Alex talked about the work of FNF and their perspective on current debates about father involvement.
For father involvement presentation, please click here.
Anthony Douglas
The Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass) are at the front line in enabling the courts to make decisions on child contact. there has been a raft of recent family legislation - the 2006 Children and Adoption Act, 2002 Adoption and Children Act and the Children's Act of 2004. Athony talked about the implications of this on Cafcass and the family courts.
Download presentation here.
Jo Todd
Jo set out Respect's view on domestic violence and men's involvement in children's lives and Respect's objectives in this area over the next few years.
Download presentation here
Day one - Afternoon Session
Johnny Rice (Lisa Nitsch was due to speak with Johnny but was unable to attend)
Johnny talked about the challenges in creating responsible fathering programmes in Baltimore that are both positive about the contribution that men have to make to their children's lives and accessible damage that they sometimes inflict.
For Johnny and Lisa's presentation, please click here.
Ben Jamal, Sarah Clarke, Kate Iwi and Chris Newman
These speakers, from DVIP, Ahimsa and PACT looked at the use of expert risk assessment in the family courts, the research basis for these reports, their value to children's services and the family courts and the practice and skills to undertaken these assessments.
Presentations:
Neil Blacklock and Lesley Weber
Lesley and Neil talked about the two stranges of Dads Space and the soon to be launced Mum's Space.
- Providing a pro fathering website that aims to support father involvement
- Managing a virtual contact centre
Day Two - Morning session
The Chair, Dr Oliver Williams
Beatrix Campbell, Broadcaster
Beatrix Campbell covered the changing pattern of men's involvement in the family commmunity and consequently in children's lives. she has written extensively on this area in particular Bea's work challenges the orthodox view that young men's community violence if a function of absent fathers. More recently she embarked on a project working with young male offenders which led her to develop a radical approach to gender, generations and the organisation of stable communities. Beatrix's presentation was verywell received and did not use slides.
Professor Brid Featherstone and Sandy Ruxtongave a joint presentation covering the work of the Coalition on Men and Boys and some of the themes from Brid's new book on fatherhood. For presentation, please click here.
David Bartlett
David from the Fatherhood Institute shared his views on current policy in relation to fathers. Please click herefor David's presentation.
Deborah McIlveen
Deborah is the policy manager for Women's Aid and gave a presentation covering the many challenges that we face in working towards gender equality. To download Deborah's presentation, please click here.
Respect conference: Does gender matter?
17th January 2008 at the Sage Centre, Gateshead
9am - 4.45pm
Respect, with support from the Northern Rock Foundation, hosted a conference at the beautiful Sage Centre in Gateshead. The theme of the conference was to explore the meaning and function of gender in the experience, and use of, a range of abusive behaviours in intimate relationships. Gender remains a topic of debate, for example, in terms of how we understand women’s use of violence, men’s experience of abuse and in the construction of responses to domestic violence.
Chair
The conference was chaired by Beatrix Campbell.