Blog
October Update from our Sexual Violence Prevention Worker
The dark and cold autumnal nights are most certainly upon us now but October saw a lot of positivity within the classrooms of Keith Grammar as we embarked upon a series of the Sexual Violence Prevention Programme’s Consent workshops.
Once again, it is a privilege to facilitate great conversations with young people and to listen to them as they illustrate what life is like for them living in Moray. We discussed great talking points and ideas together and even with the two week school break, I managed to have workshops with classes from most Year Groups. Workshops are continuing there into November also.
The Sexual Violence Prevention Programme runs throughout the year during a High School’s PSE lessons. For more information about the programme, please visit our website.
Update from our Sexual Violence Prevention Worker
It is great to be back visiting some of Moray’s High Schools now that the new Academic Year has started and whilst the summer break gave me scope to continue my professional development, join webinars/seminars and bring my sexual violence prevention research together, nothing quite beats being back around the young people of Moray as the Sexual Violence Prevention Programme workshops resume.
Many S1 students are being introduced to the concepts of ‘Consent’ and ‘Power’ and our more senior year groups are developing understandings around ‘Sexual Violence’ and the role ‘Pornography’ and online content shapes our ideas about what we believe relationships should look like.
International Youth Day
Today, 12th August, is International Youth Day. The day celebrates the determination, creativity and leadership of young people everywhere.
Young people have huge dreams and the drive to create change. We see this first-hand in our prevention workshops in schools. These workshops give young people space to discuss their questions and concerns and help young people develop the skills and confidence to be able to make and maintain healthy, consensual and safe relationships with their peers and others.
Harry, our sexual violence prevention worker, writes about her experience in workshops and what working with young people is like to mark this day and to celebrate the work Moray’s young people are doing to help create change.
“It is a real privilege and fun experience for me to go into High Schools in Moray and meet with really bright, friendly, intuitive and curious children/young adults during their PSE lessons.
The way our young people engage with one another in the workshops shows me how determined they are to have really healthy friendships and relationships that help build the safety and community spirit in Moray.
Hearing what they have to say about what their lives look like day to day is really insightful and through our working together in a safe, non-judgmental space, we have the opportunity to listen to their voices and encourage each other to shape an environment they can all thrive in.”
Stalking Awareness Week 2025
This week (21st-25th April) is Stalking Awareness Week. The week aims to make people more aware of what stalking is and how it might affect a victim/survivor. There are many myths and misconceptions about what stalking looks like and who perpetrates it. We hope this blog helps to shed some light on the issue and combats some of the myths and misconceptions by answering some frequently asked questions.
We’re launching our first Zine!
In May last year, members of our women’s group support programme welcomed the Mockingjays from RASASH (Rape and Sexual Assault Service Highlands) for a zine workshop. The Mockingjays are a group of survivors of sexual violence who lead creative activism workshops. Across a couple of sessions, group attendees created a zine sharing their experiences of healing and coping with sexual violence and also fighting against rape culture and patriarchy. Participants were given a pile of magazines, some stickers and some scissors & glue and were given free space to express themselves.
TRIGGER WARNING: Due to the nature of sexual violence, the Zine may be quite triggering. It’s important to look after yourself and give yourself space to acknowledge difficult emotions.
The group facilitators described the sessions as collaborative and that the activity invited some really powerful conversations. There was a really strong community feel and it gave the survivors attending the sessions space for connection. Although each of their individual experiences may be really different, there was a shared understanding and they came together and stood in solidarity with one another to create the zine.
“It felt really powerful the act of cutting up magazines, which can often relay outdated, disempowering stereotypes of what a woman should be and do, and reclaiming that in a healing and empowering way and survivors rewriting the narrative.” - Quote from workshop facilitator
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