Our 16 Days of Activism 2025
This year, for the 16 days of activism that follow the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls, Stop Domestic Abuse are shining a light on those whose experiences are too often unseen or misunderstood — children and young people living with domestic abuse.
For far too long, children have been described as “witnesses” to abuse. But we know they are victims in their own right. The fear, control, and harm they experience has deep and lasting impacts on their wellbeing, relationships, education, and future.
By focusing on children and young people, this year’s campaign asks us to:
Listen to their voices, even when they are silent.
Believe their experiences, even when they are hard to hear.
Respond with compassion, consistency, and coordination.
Empower them to shape the services that affect their lives.
Putting a Coordinated Community Response (CCR) into Action
The CCR model reminds us that ending domestic abuse is a shared endeavour. It takes the combined efforts of schools, health services, the police, social care, youth organisations, local authorities, and the voluntary sector all working in partnership with victim-survivors themselves.
Our 16 Days of Activism campaign embodies the CCR principles by:
Building Shared Understanding: Delivering training for professionals across education, youth services, and family support, helping them recognise and respond to domestic abuse in the lives of young people.
Creating Safe Spaces: Supporting parents, carers, and communities to have open conversations about relationships, safety, and respect.
Empowering Young Voices: Launching our Young People’s Domestic Abuse Ambassadors and Survivor Voice Advisory Group platforms where young people can lead peer support, raise awareness, and influence change.
Strengthening Local Coordination: Bringing partners together to design interventions that are consistent, survivor-centred, and trauma-informed.
Looking Ahead: A Call to Action
As partners, we all have a role to play in making this campaign meaningful. Whether through attending training, engaging with community events or amplifying young people’s voices our collective action can create a culture where safety, respect, and equality are the norm.
Throughout the campaign, we will be hosting a range of initiatives that bring these principles to life, including:
Children’s Art Exhibition
“The Art of Being Heard”. A moving showcase of creativity and resilience, sharing children’s own perspectives on safety, fear, and hope.
Training for Schools
Recognising and Responding to Domestic Abuse. Practical tools for educators, teachers and pastoral staff to spot the signs and provide safe support.
Training for those that work with Young People
“Spot the Signs, Start the Conversation” Helping professionals who work with young people understand how abusive and unhealthy behaviours present in young people’s relationships including coercive control and navigate healthy relationship conversations confidently.
Parent Drop-In Sessions:
Talking About Relationships with Teenagers
Guidance for parents and carers on navigating challenging but essential conversations.
Launch of the Young People’s Domestic Abuse Ambassadors
Empowering young people to be leaders, peer supporters, and advocates for change.
Young People’s Survivor Voice Advisory Group Launch
A platform for young survivors to influence local services and shape future policy.
16 Days of Activism reminds us that the fight against domestic abuse doesn’t begin or end with one campaign.
It’s a continuous commitment to partnership, to learning, and to listening especially to the youngest and most vulnerable among us.
Because when we make the world safer for children and young people, we make it safer for everyone.
If you work within an education or youth setting and are interested in being a pilot site for our Young People's Domestic Abuse Ambassadors,
please contact us on info@stopdomesticabuse.uk
Here is the full timetable. For bookable events, please click on the images below to access the Eventbrite booking pages:
