Meeting of the Parliament 05 December 2024
Thank you.
We need absolutely every penny. This is about not just domestic abuse and sexual violence but making sure that the streets are safe, so that our women and girls can go out in them. I absolutely welcome that money, but we have a lot more to do in the Parliament. We need not just to hand out money but, as members will hear, to change behaviours.
As today’s debate is about empowering young people’s voices, we must highlight the prevalence of violence among young people. One organisation that I spoke to, which helps survivors of domestic abuse, indicated that it is witnessing a stark increase in the number of young people who seek support. Many times, the perpetrator is also under the age of 18.
Coercive behaviour is also a form of abuse and is increasingly being reported in further and higher education. I attended a recent BBC lecture on violence by Dr Gwen Adshead, who said:
“if schools are not about emotional education, then I’m not quite sure what they’re for.”
That is why my protection of domestic abuse bill is very important. It provides for a statutory requirement and has received overwhelming support, with 94 per cent of consultation respondents agreeing with it.
I will conclude with some personal thoughts. I know this because I come from an Asian family. Why, when our daughters leave our homes, do parents say to them, “Be safe, text us or phone us when you get there,” or ask, “Should your dad or your brother pick you up? Will you get home safe?”? When will parents—mothers—say to their sons, “See when you’re out there, just be careful, son, that you do not make any female feel uncomfortable, and that you respect women”? What a change that would make. If we had changed the behaviours of boys and men, we would not be standing here today. I hope that, next year, we can report that something has been done and that changes have been made in men’s behaviour.
16:22