Hate crime programme from Southwark Youth Justice Service
Summary:
Southwark Youth Justice Service have shared its hate crime programme, which aims to support children to consider the impact of prejudice on others.
Description:
Southwark Youth Justice Service (YJS) has developed a six-module programme specifically aimed at children who have either committed offences or have been identified as holding negative views towards others based on any of the five protected characteristics: faith, race, disability, gender identity, or sexual orientation.
This flexible programme, which has been carefully reviewed by the service’s speech and language therapist, does not require full delivery. Instead, only the most relevant sections will be delivered with the child, focusing on their specific needs. The programme is designed to be delivered in a 1:1 format, ensuring it is tailored to each individual.
To facilitate ongoing evaluation and improvement, Southwark YJS provides both a pre-programme and post-programme questionnaire to gather valuable feedback.
The development of this programme began in 2022 and has been a collaborative effort involving a diverse range of partners and staff. While the programme has been thoughtfully created, it is still evolving, and Southwark welcomes feedback from other services that try out the programme, as part of their commitment to continuous improvement.
Additionally, Southwark has shared both its rationale document and theory of change for further insight into the programme’s framework.
Please be aware that some videos and short films used in the programme are intentionally provocative. All materials should be reviewed before sharing with children, based on their learning needs, maturity and age. See the session plan outline below.
Session plan:
Module 1 – Myths and stereotypes
The child will learn about the five protected characteristics and look at their own offence in the context of cultural, social, political, historical myths and stereotypes.
Supporting resources
Module 2 – Identity and culture
This session will make the child feel welcomed and safe when discussing protected characteristics and help the case manager assess their identity, values and knowledge in relation to their own family, faith, ethnicity, disability, sexuality and gender identity. It is designed to build the relationship between the child and case manager.
Supporting resources
Module 3 – When hate becomes hurt
An opportunity for the child to reflect on what led to their hate incident, their triggers, thoughts and feelings then and now, what they needed from the incident. Children will have time and space in a safe and non-judgmental environment to think through their own actions in the context of wider hate crime.
Supporting resources
Module 4 – The impacts of hate crime on victims
This module highlights the impact of harm on victims of hate crime and the wider community. It encourages the child to reflect on their feelings towards the person they harmed and enable them to challenge these feelings.
Supporting resources
Module 5 – Hate crime and the law
The session intends to provide the child with a basic overview of the law on hate crime. It will provide the child with an opportunity to discuss their own experiences and feelings about the law in a non-judgemental, safe and open space.
Supporting resources
Module 6 – Social media and hate crime
The final module is an opportunity for the child to think about how social media may impact how they view people and they will work to link their identity to content people, including themselves, are exposed to online.
Supporting resources
Further resources
Find additional resources to support delivery of the hate crime programme which may be useful below:
Contact:
| Name | Deirdre Leask |
| Deirdre.leask@southwark.gov.uk |