New promotional DVD for VIP programme

Multi award winning child protection charity Eighteen And Under has produced a new promotional DVD for their VIP (Violence Is Preventable) programme.

Funding from The Nationwide Foundation has made it possible for the charity to focus on rolling out the hugely successful personal safety and abuse prevention programme across the UK.

The DVD will introduce a completely new audience to the programme that is already widely used in schools in Dundee and is starting to be picked up by schools in other areas of Scotland and England. People will see the full range of resources in action and get a flavour of its adaptability for use with children aged 2-18 and vulnerable adults.

PR Manager, Aileen Hunter said ‘This DVD, together with our new VIP website, will really help us to promote the programme to a much wider audience. With the Nationwide funding, we have a window of opportunity and have to do everything we can to spread the word far and wide.

‘We have hard copies to give to anyone who will use it to promote the VIP programme, and we’ve also put it on the front page of our website, and on YOUTUBE.COM to give as many people as possible the opportunity to see it.
We’d love to hear from anyone who would add it to their bebo, youtube or myspace page, or to their website to help us to publicise the work we do.’

Appearing on the DVD is Educational Psychologist, Dr Ian Barron, who did an independent study on the programme for the University of Dundee. He found that there were, on average, 5 disclosures of abuse in each classroom session. In delivering his initial findings about the programme, he said ‘Eighteen And Under has radically reframed the understanding of children's telling behaviour - it's not that children don't tell - it’s that adults don't behave in a way for children to tell - when this is addressed (as the VIP Programme has) they tell and tell.

The VIP programme tackles the roots of violence and covers racism, sexism, gender issues, relationships and sectarianism. It addresses all violence including bullying, domestic and sexual abuse, physical abuse and exploitation. It includes work on drugs, alcohol and self-harm. It teaches about all aspects of safety in a fun and non-threatening way.

Resources include DVDs, games, songs, workbooks, stories, quizzes and fun activities. The resources are adapted for hearing and visually impaired children and for those with different needs. It is being developed for use with vulnerable adults, such as senior citizens.

To see the DVD, visit www.violenceispreventable.org.uk where you will also see more information about the programme. If you’d like to use a hard copy of the DVD to promote the programme, or add it to your site call Eighteen And Under on 01382 206222 or email Aileen Hunter at ail8880@aol.com.

Notes for editors

Eighteen And Under is a registered charity (no SCO 26688) which offers free and confidential information and support to young people aged 18 and under who have experienced and kind of abuse. This can range from bullying to domestic violence and sexual abuse. Through the VIP programme, they also run personal and abuse prevention sessions for young people of all ages, senior citizens and other vulnerable adults.

Eighteen And Under is a participant in the World Health Organisation’s Global Violence prevention Alliance.

For more information about this press release, contact Aileen Hunter on 07918 083951.

Some Statistics (From the WHO)