Young people in Guernsey have a new online resource that offers relationship advice and support.
Be Safer launched BeSafer.gg today (30 June). The website is designed to help young people in the Bailiwick recognise unhealthy behaviours in relationships.
It's been designed around feedback from a student focus group and offers pages of advice, a Q&A section, and links to other local resources.
Head of Safer Services, Naomi Wood, says it's essential this support is available:
"Young people can experience all forms of domestic abuse the same as adults can, and unfortunately the data suggests that the levels of high severity abuse for young people might be highest of all the age groups."
She describes what an unhealthy relationship can look like:
"Controlling behaviours, like someone who wants to know where you are constantly. If they are always texting you, calling you, and making it difficult for you to go out with friends or family. Or if they are telling you what to wear, where you should be going, or have pressured you into other behaviours that you're not comfortable with."
Screenshot from BeSafer.gg
She added that this service is not just for romantic relationships:
"It's definitely not just the intimate relationships, young people have lots of sorts of friendships.
This is definitely for children and young people that might be experiencing domestic abuse in their own family environment or households.
And hopefully also if they've got a friend they might be concerned about, it'll help them get some information about that as well."