Project to help abused parents and their children gets grant
A pioneering service has been set up to help parents who are abused by their children, after a 70 per cent increase in cases during the pandemic.
Break 4 Change is a new support project, backed by North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Arfon Jones, which has been established with the help of cash confiscated from criminals.
The therapeutic support provided by the Domestic Abuse Safety Unit North Wales aims to break the cycle of violence and prevent young people from becoming abusers in adulthood.
The new programme offers support to abused parents – and to their young abusers - and has received a grant of £5,000 from a special fund distributed by the Police and Crime Commissioner.
The 'Your Community, Your Choice' initiative is also supported by the North Wales Police and Community Trust, which is celebrating its 23rd anniversary this year.
It is the eighth year of the awards scheme and much of over £280,000 handed out to deserving causes in that time has been recovered through the Proceeds of Crime Act, using cash seized from offenders with the rest coming from the Police and Crime Commissioner.
Ashamed
The annual awards scheme supports organisations which aim to tackle antisocial behaviour and combat crime and disorder in line with the priorities laid out in the Commissioner’s Police and Crime Plan.
Support worker Sarah Wilkie said: “Child to parent abuse has always been there but it remains underreported because parents often feel ashamed and blame themselves.
“They don’t always recognise their child’s behaviour is not acceptable, instead believing it’s part of adolescence.
“As an organisation, we are seeing an increase in referrals for support from parents as a result of child to parent abuse, particularly during the pandemic.
“Before this programme, our response was very much reactive. We provided emotional support, checked on the family concerned and liaised with other agencies.
“This programme will allow us to take a preventative approach and equip the child and their parent with the tools to understand what a healthy relationship is.”
