Bringing partners together to prevent and respond to abuse by young people towards their parents and carers

MERSEYSIDE'S Violence Reduction Partnership has united with partners from across the Region to focus on tackling and preventing the often still hidden issue of parents and carers being abused by their children.

Child and Adolescent to Parent Violence and Abuse (CAPVA) is a form of family abuse which involves a child using harmful behaviours towards a parent or carer to get their own way or hurt, control, or punish them.

The Regional event was held to share the findings of a new report on CAPVA commissioned by the Merseyside Violence Reduction Partnership (MVRP) and produced by Liverpool John Moores University's (LJMU) Public Health Institute.

The research study was undertaken to shine a spotlight on the issue and extent of CAPVA, helping professionals to understand the triggers and causes, and the impact on children, families, and the wider community.

Crucially, it was also undertaken to review the existing responses to this type of family abuse and their effectiveness, to help increase and enhance the support for those affected and protect those in the future using a whole-family approach.

The research made some key findings:-

Nearly 65% of parents and 85% of professionals agree that CAPVA is a problem in Merseyside, with a significant proportion of practitioners (65%) believing the issue has increased in the past year.

CAPVA is rarely confined to a single form of abuse, with most parents and caregivers experiencing multiple types. While physical abuse is often the most reported, other forms like verbal, emotional, and financial abuse are considered:- "lesser" and often not reported to authorities. Emotional abuse is pervasive, with threats, insults, offensive comments, and humiliation being commonly reported. Coercion tactics such as manipulation, threats, and self-harm are also common. Destruction of property, restrictions on behaviour, and financial abuse are also prevalent.

Mums or female carers are most at risk...  Behaviour peaks when a young person is in their early to mid teens and abuse often escalates in severity over time, leading to parents and carers fearing for their safety as their children grow older.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACES) are influential. For example, when a child has witnessed domestic abuse it can lead to them learning such behaviour.

Only 3% of professionals believed there is currently enough support for young people or their parents or carers.

The event focused on bringing partners from a wide range of sectors together to discuss how to use these findings to improve the response, including:- through raising awareness within the community, swift interventions, improved education, and greater training for professionals.

This new partnership will meet again in the new year to start planning how they can work collectively to drive the research recommendations forward.

Merseyside's Police Commissioner, Emily Spurrell, said:- "CAPVA is still an under-recognised hidden harm that we know is affecting families in our Region. Our MVRP is determined to prevent serious violence. By working with LJMU, this study has focused on identifying and understanding the triggers, causes and impact of this type of family violence, so we can better equip partners with the knowledge and tools to intervene effectively to stop it from occurring and keep more families safe."

Temporary Director of the MVRP, Supt Georgie Garvey added:- "The impact of CAPVA can be devastating, causing immense heartache and distress in families. This research study shows that violence against parents and carers is very rarely a 1 off and some are suffering every day. Commissioning this report was an important 1st step in increasing our understanding of this type of crime and I'm pleased we can now share its findings with partners to help ensure we can all better support young people and those affected by their abuse to prevent harm and protect families across our Region."

The MVRP commissioned LJMU to conduct this research following a stakeholder event in 2022 which highlighted a growing concern about the prevalence and severity of CAPVA.

Professor Zara Quigg, from the School of Public and Allied Health, and 1 of the study authors said:- "CAPVA poses a significant challenge to children and young people, families, professionals, and communities. Addressing CAPVA's multifaceted challenges requires collaboration and comprehensive strategies. Raising awareness, training professionals, defining responsibilities, securing funding, enhancing data recording, and recognising the nuances of neurodiversity are vital components. By navigating these complexities, Merseyside can pave the way toward fostering safer, more empathetic, and supportive environments for families contending with CAPVA."

Ellie McCoy, from the School of Nursing and Advanced Practice, and 1 of the study authors said:- "There are high levels of underreporting of CAPVA due to shame or fear, limited awareness among parents and professionals about CAPVA, and gaps in available support services tailored to this specific issue. This report highlights the importance of supporting reporting of CAPVA and enhancing data collection systems to inform prevention activity."

Finalists revealed in the 5th annual Liverpool City Region Culture and Creativity Awards

JUDGING has taken place ahead of this year's Liverpool City Region Culture and Creativity Awards, with the independent panel sending a total of 47 people and organisations through to the final of the competition.

More than 600 nominations came in from across the 6 local authority areas of the Liverpool City Region and the judges, including experts in the field of arts, science and culture, had some difficult choices to make.

The winners will be announced at a glittering awards ceremony at St Helens Rugby League Stadium (Langtree Park) on:- Thursday, 7 March 2024, the area being this year's Borough of Culture.

There are 15 awards up for grabs including Artist/Creative of the Year, Community Cohesion and Inspirational Young Person as well as 2 new awards considering Innovation in the fields of technology, business and science where creativity has been key.

Cllr Mike Wharton, Portfolio Holder for Economic Development and Business said:- "These awards give us a chance to showcase what our area has to offer. I'm delighted we're continuing to see so many nominations from across the city Region and from such a variety of businesses, organisations and individuals. Well done to all the finalists. I look forward to the next stage of the competition!"

But 1 award won't be decided by the judging panel. The winner of the People's Choice Award for Outstanding Contribution to Culture, is voted for by the public from 6 finalists. Online voting for this category will open in the New Year. The finalists are:-

• Sarah McLoughlin; Creative Balance.
  

• Imaginarium Theatre.
  

• Writing on The Wall (WoW)
  

• Africa Oyé.
  

• Liverpool's Royal Court Theatre.
  

• Wirral History and Heritage Association.

Tanya Wilcock Director of Communities at St Helens Council and 1 of this year's judges said:- "This is the 1st time I have taken part in the judging for the Culture and Creativity Awards, and I found the calibre of the entries was incredibly high. It was a tough job to whittle down the nominations to create the shortlist for 2024. St Helens was the LCR Borough of Culture for 2023 elevating the culture and creativity within the area. We're very excited to be hosting the awards for the 1st time as when we held the title in 2018 the awards hadn't yet been created so we can't wait until March!"

Voting for the People's Choice will open in the New Year and the Liverpool City Region community will then be able to vote online for their chosen winner.

Established in 2019 under the Mayor Steve Rotheram's 1% for Culture initiative, which commits to invest 1% of the Combined Authority's annual budget directly into cultural activities, the awards are in their fifth year of honouring the value and contribution the cultural and creative sectors bring to the Region and the difference they make to people's lives.

The 2024 event is sponsored by:- The ACC Liverpool Group Ltd, Davies Partnership, The Manufacturing Technology Centre Limited, Liverpool 1 and Novotel Liverpool Paddington Village.

For more information go to:- LCRCultureAwards.Co.UK.