Our new role of Merseyside Regional Lead – Child to Parent Abuse has been created in accordance with clear data and recommendations within Liverpool John Moores University CAPVA research study 2023.
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 – and to review the existing responses to this type of family abuse and the effectiveness of these.
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.
- Mothers 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
- 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.
Respect Merseyside Project
Our new fully funded three-year Merseyside Project will aim to achieve clear goals so that:
- Practitioners working with young people and their families in the Merseyside area have a central point of contact for support and advice
- Professionals can better recognise and respond to CAPVA
- Universal services, such as Health and Education, have access to CAPVA general awareness training and specialist skills training
- Services are carefully designed by the people that they impact, are relevant and meet their needs.
The role will enable Respect to create and build strong working relationships with a variety of professionals across dedicated services such as Health, Education, Early Help, Youth Justice Service and Children’s Services.
During the development stage of the project, we will be reaching out to key statutory and voluntary sector agencies to build strong relationships, deliver CAPVA awareness training to managers and service leads, support the development of a multi-agency steering group and work closely with organisations who are already engaged with parents. This will allow us to identify what is needed across Merseyside and co-develop plans for improved services.
Our delivery phase of the project will ensure that we build a network of trained practitioners across Merseyside by delivering the Respect Young People's Programme (RYPP) and CAPVA awareness training, to a wide variety of practitioners.
Through the development of clear and concise referral pathways across Merseyside, we will work in partnership to reduce the stigma and shame often associated with CAPVA, empowering parents and caregivers to know that they can reach out in confidence, be listened to, and feel fully supported.
Special thanks to The Peter and Dorothy Robinson Charitable Trust for supporting with the Respect Merseyside Project.
If you would like to ask a question, discuss collaboration opportunities or have a general enquiry, please contact us at YPS@respect.org.uk