Hansard

I, too, welcome the debate, and congratulate Scottish Women's Aid, and rape crisis centres and other voluntary sector projects on the excellent work that they do.

I also want to mention the Lindsay Armstrong Support Group. I am sure that most members know about Lindsay Armstrong, who came from New Cumnock, in my area. Lindsay was a victim of rape who was, sadly, so traumatised during the court case that she took her own life before the perpetrator was sentenced. Lindsay's mother set up the Lindsay Armstrong Support Group with the help of people in the community. Her mum says on the group's website:

"The day after Lindsay passed away, a reporter from the Daily Record came to our door. We invited her in and told her everything that had happened to Lindsay. I vowed then to let everyone know what horrors Lindsay went through in court. We never knew the scale of what was to begin."

The Lindsay Armstrong Support Group is still thriving in New Cumnock. I visited it recently: it has a charity shop in which it raises funds and, more important, it has a 24-hour helpline that is used by people throughout the country who have suffered in the same way that Lindsay suffered. Lindsay's mum has also said on the group's website:

"We have now volunteers to man the telephone lines, but still need more to keep a successful 24 hour helpline running. We know from experience that night times were the worst for Lindsay because this was when she needed someone outwith the family to talk to."

I raise the matter because we must never allow anyone to suffer as Lindsay did. I was happy to hear about the forthcoming review of the law and that we will soon have a report. Nevertheless, women who have been through similar experiences have visited my surgeries. One of those women ended up in the mental health ward of the local hospital and was sectioned after going through a traumatic experience in court.

I ask the minister to consider how the Executive might financially support the Lindsay Armstrong Support Group to keep the 24-hour helpline going. I know that Cathy Jamieson has visited the group and has made a great number of contacts there, but I would be grateful if the minister would write to me with suggestions about how we could help to keep the group running.

I congratulate Scottish Women's Aid on the excellent courses that it runs for teachers to raise awareness of the effects of domestic violence on children. When I was a teacher, I attended some of the courses and found them to be absolutely invaluable. As many members have said today, the impact of domestic violence on children and young people is hard to measure.

As Shiona Baird rightly pointed out, education in schools as well as for teachers is extremely important. We must educate our young people in conflict resolution and to work towards the peaceful resolution of situations in order to remove the impact of the violence that they see on television and in the computer games they play, as Stewart Stevenson said. Schools must act against such experiences because—as I said in yesterday's debate—many young people have no one to engage with properly: there is no running commentary and there is no one to endorse the positive things that they do or to discuss with them the negative things that happen. The role of the school is crucial.

The effects of domestic violence on children are immeasurable, as I said. Children witness domestic violence; they either hear it from another room in the house or it happens right in front of them. Such children often withdraw, but they sometimes display violent behaviour. One of the things that teachers must be aware of is that the child who comes to school in the morning half-slept, as we say, and who does not pay attention in class could well have been lying in bed the night before listening to what was going on in the background at home. Teachers must be aware that there are reasons why some children do not concentrate or are unable to pick up their lessons, so that they do not increase the burden on those children by giving them a row, marking them out or giving them detention for circumstances that are beyond their control.

As I also mentioned in yesterday's debate, it is crucial that teachers ensure that children get good counselling and support. Children do not often want to disclose what is happening, but the signs are there to be seen. It is up to skilled people to counsel such young people well. We must recognise that that takes expertise that most teachers do not have. I know that I am repeating what I said yesterday, but it is extremely important that we acknowledge the impact of domestic violence on young people.

Today's debate has been measured. All the speeches have been positive and the minister's motion and all the amendments are worthy of support.