Domestic abuse campaign: Activity 2 - Hear / say!
Contents
Learning aims
- To understand the damaging effects of derogatory language
- To use creative skills to develop positive messages
Time
1 hour.
Resources
- I.T equipment / facilities to play a short film, pens and paper to brainstorm language used and create positive messages
- Let's keep ourselves and others safe - Pre workshop guidance
This can be found in our resource pack and should be read out at the start of all activities and copied or emailed to all students so they have their own personal copy.
Activity description
Film
Play this short film using the following link:
YouTube: Victim blaming language
This is a film featuring the views of young people who have experienced Child Sexual Exploitation.
It focuses on the use of unhelpful and misleading language that often characterises their involvement as participants rather than victims of CSE.
This film highlights the powerful effect of language and how it can have an impact on how the victims feels and how they are regarded by others.
Discussion
Divide the class into small groups and ask each group to come up with as many sayings, myths and / or derogatory language as they can, relating to 'domestic / relationship abuse'.
Examples of this could include:
- 'she / he had it coming'
- 'he only does it cause he loves me'
- 'I'm walking on eggshells'
- 'out of sight, out of mind'
- 'he / she is just an attention seeker'
- etc
Follow this with a discussion based around these questions:
- How do you feel when you hear these statements?
- Why do you think potentially harmful behaviour is described in these ways?
- What impact do you think this language has on victims of domestic/relationship abuse?
- Would you challenge someone who uses this language? If not, why not?
- How could you challenge some of this language appropriately? What could you say or do if you heard possible domestic / relationship abuse described in these terms?
Finish the session by asking students to turn some of these 'negatives' into 'positives'.
This section of the lesson plan is designed to be a creative activity, to generate artwork that challenges negative language with a positive image. For example, 'walk on feathers, not eggshells' or 'out of sight, but not out of mind'.
They may wish to then make these 'positive messages' into posters or postcards that can be displayed in and around school.