Voices Unheard nationa reportThe Voices Unheard project launched their national report in March at Our Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh. The Voices Unheard project has been supported by the Scottish Government and was established by a group of young people from LGBT Youth Scotland. Using peer research, the young people from Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow and the Scottish Borders sought to find out lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender young people’s understanding, knowledge, and experience of domestic abuse in their families and relationships. A national online survey complemented this.
The report highlights the issues in services provision for LGBT young people who have experience of domestic abuse and includes recommendations for improving service responses and raising awareness.
• 61% of the respondents had witnessed some form of abuse in their families.
• Although 52% of respondents identified having experienced some form of abusive behaviour from a partner or ex-partner, only 37% recognized the behaviour as abusive.
• 79% of the young people believed that someone who had witnessed domestic abuse in their family or home would feel less confident to ‘come out’ as a result.
• 20% of respondents who had experienced abuse had tried to kill themselves since experiencing domestic abuse.
“If it wasn’t for this project, I don’t think I’d still be here.” –Anonymous Peer Researcher, Voices Unheard
The Voices Unheard project is now funded to move forward with the report recommendations. Peer Researchers are creating web-based resources and will undertake work in Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow and the Scottish Borders to visit services, attend local Violence Against Women partnership meetings; and, provide training to professionals.
The report is available on LGBT Youth Scotland’s website: www.lgbtyouth.org.uk. To invite the Voices Unheard project members to speak to your service, or for more information, please contact info@lgbtyouth.org.uk or 01415527425.
