Teenage relationship abuse remains too often overlooked: welcoming new research from The Children’s Society

We welcome the recently published report from The Children’s Society, Red flags we don’t see: Missed signs and missed support in teenage relationships. The report was launched at a fringe event at the Labour Party Conference last week, where SafeLives’ Associate Director of Authentic Voice, Sally Steadman, spoke alongside two young people from The Children’s Society, Mark Russell OBE, CEO of The Children’s Society, Jess Asato MP, Alistair Strathern MP, and Jess Southgate from the Youth Endowment Fund. 

 

This important research shines a light on teenage relationship abuse (TRA), an issue that remains too often overlooked. The report shows that the systems and professionals we rely on to keep young people safe frequently fail to recognise and respond to the harm they are experiencing in their relationships. 

 

Despite increasing awareness, including greater confidence among teenagers in recognising unhealthy and abusive behaviours, there is still no dedicated legislative framework for identifying and responding to TRA. The report highlights the troubling reality that rates of abuse among teenagers remain disproportionately high compared with other age groups. 

 

The findings also underline the role that social media and digital technology can play in sustaining harmful behaviours and patterns, including monitoring and controlling. At the same time, online spaces can amplify the influence of misogynistic content, harmful relationship norms and pornography, all of which can contribute to unhealthy attitudes and behaviours in relationships. 

 

We welcome The Children’s Society’s recommendations, including the development of a shared definition of teenage relationship abuse that can be used consistently across agencies and services. 

 

We also agree that action must extend beyond education alone. Young people need access to specialist support that reflects the complexity of their experiences. Investment in workforce training, alongside support for parents and carers, should be prioritised before any changes are made to the age threshold for domestic abuse within the Domestic Abuse Act 2021. 

 

Most importantly, young people’s voices must be at the centre of these discussions.  

 

We join the call for the voices of young people to be central to this work. Meaningful engagement and co-production with young people are essential if we are to create support systems that keep them safe while allowing them to explore relationships and their identities in healthy and safe ways.   

 

At SafeLives, the authentic voice of those with lived experience is at the heart and start of everything we do. The Changemakers are a group of dedicated young people using their experiences and expertise to help end domestic abuse and address the challenges facing young people today. 

 

Working with City St George’s, University of London and the VISION Consortium, the Changemakers have contributed to Too Soon, Too Late, a research project exploring whether the current legal age threshold of 16 is too late to recognise young people experiencing harm in their own relationships, or whether lowering the threshold to 13 would be too soon. During the panel discussion at Labour Party Conference, Sally highlighted this work and shared how the Changemakers have been leading the development of a listening room workshop for young adults aged 18 to 24 who experienced abuse in relationships when they were aged 13 to 16. 

 

The Changemakers have also worked with SafeLives on research into Relationships and Sex Education (RSE), identifying significant gaps in both the delivery and quality of RSE classes. While education alone cannot replace the wider systemic changes required, it remains an important way of supporting young people. 

 

Their research led to the report ‘I love it but wish it were taken more seriously’, which found that young people want RSE to be introduced earlier and discussed more openly. Many reported being exposed to conversations or content about sex and relationships before receiving formal education on the subject. 

 

The findings also revealed that only 24% of students recalled being taught about coercive control, and highlighted that domestic abuse and recognising harmful behaviours were rarely covered in RSE lessons. Young people also demonstrated a strong awareness of professionals’ safeguarding responsibilities, particularly around information-sharing. While important, this can sometimes discourage young people from disclosing abuse or seeking help. Clearer communication about safeguarding and confidentiality boundaries could help create greater trust and encourage help-seeking. 

 

At the launch event, Sally also discussed the Your Best Friend project, which was designed to give young people the knowledge and confidence to support themselves and their friends. Drawing on the experiences of hundreds of young people, the project explored what makes someone more or less likely to recognise harmful behaviours and intervene when they see them. The resulting #FriendsCanTell campaign reached five million young people, helping them recognise red flags within their relationships and encouraging them to seek support when needed. 

 

The Children’s Society’s research similarly highlights the important role of peer groups in both the experience of abuse and the response to it. Young people must be empowered not only to identify teenage relationship abuse, but also to know how to support their friends and help them access appropriate support. #FriendsCanTell. 

 

We want to thank The Children’s Society for shining a spotlight on teenage relationship abuse through this important research and for inviting SafeLives to contribute to the launch event. 

 

The publication comes as we celebrate the success of our recent Big Give campaign, which raised more than £7,000 to support young people affected by domestic abuse. 

 

Through our Safe Young Lives programme, we place young people’s voices at the centre of everything we do, ensuring solutions are informed by lived experience and grounded in what young people tell us they need. The programme enables more young women and girls affected by domestic abuse to shape the services, systems and policies that affect their lives. 

 

Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, we can continue creating opportunities for young women and girls to lead change in their own communities and beyond. With the right wraparound, trauma-informed support, they can influence decision-makers, share power and drive lasting change. 

 

Every pound raised through the Big Give campaign will help us amplify young voices, challenge harmful systems and work towards a future where every young person can live free from abuse and fear.