Trauma, its symptoms, and the effects it leaves on a person’s mindset have been making major news within recent years. We tend to view the behaviours of young people as a cause, not a symptom, which can cause us to miss out on the effects that trauma has on the situation. So with that said, this article aims to highlight how trauma can influence a young person’s mental health, and thus affect their external behaviours.
Many of us know what it’s like to be disliked. We know the feeling of being left out in a place we want to bond with, the stress of never feeling like we have somewhere to feel at home, the struggle of facing people who have a problem with our true selves. But dislike, and bullying, are two very different situations, and bullying is not just on a wider scale, but is far more traumatic than it may initially seem.
We at The Safety Box believe internal obstacles such as depression can be dealt with solutions surrounding representation in fields dedicated to help people (i.e., counselling/therapy) alongside interventions focused on gradual processes of creating understanding before healing. We offer a program named ‘Project #318.’ Project #318 is a unique, awareness program delivered by people that have overcome depression or have a cognizant understanding of it. Aims relating to the program is to teach young people (12-21), students within the teaching sector, parents & guardians, education professionals, safeguarding officers, teachers, school/college staff, youth & social workers the importance of a support network when dealing with mental illnesses. Our program is delivered in 7 phases with an additional extension that aids young people whose previous experiences with trauma have affected them in a way that resembles a hostage of emotional expression. The assistance is expressed as a one-to-one counselling session with our HCPC registered Forensic and Clinical Psychologists who, for our young people and adults referred from our courses, will be given lead therapy support. We offer interventions akin to this such as the Aspire Higher Program for a younger generation: an AQA accredited holistic life skills & personal development program designed in partnership with Syrus Consultancy CIC to change behaviour traits and negative mindsets. These programs help to combat the struggles of mental health in the short-term and long-term.
In 1933, Harvard Graduate, American Historian, and a historical founder of Black History Month, known officially as Carter G. Woodson, once premised in his work titled ‘The Mis-education of the Negro’ that the education he witnessed for the Black community was a cultural indoctrination as opposed to an education received to provide a foundation for their lives. In his words, Woodson stated “if you can control a man’s thinking you do not have to worry about his action. When you determine what a man shall think you do not have to concern yourself about what he will do. […] you do not have to compel him to accept an inferior status, for he will seek it himself.” As a message, this can be interpreted as a person’s actions becoming a direct reflection of what has been told of them; what they have internalized and as a result, think of themselves in negative light. Now, how does this tie into Mental Health Awareness Week? Well what Woodson has described here is evident for how a lot of our internal struggles have materialized. For many of us, especially our Youth, we have found comfort in our silence more than we give permission to ourselves to open and communicate our battles. If we do not fit the standard placed upon us, then a part of us subconsciously accepts this false status- causing a type of invisibility to exist. That in this invisibility, we either feel protected or unable to see that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Deep down, we know this invisibility shields us away from harmful opinions on mental health. It’s this idea that we were taught, told to feel a certain way, rather than allowed to feel nor regulate our emotions from a healthy angle.
Project #318, as a point of reference for the work we do, involves a team who utilities their own experiences to help guide the Youth in formulating a healthy understanding about their mental health- that their battle does not define them. It is essential that our Youth know we are there for them as we care so much for them. We want you to know that our team is a support network for you. We hear you. We see you. We will do everything in our power to prioritize your needs. We, together, will work to remove these obstacles hindering your potential, dimming your light, to ensure that you step into a future- one of your choosing. Conversations around mental health are never easy, yet from a collective place of understanding comes the greatest of changes.
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Exam Season is a stressful period for many, if not all, students because all of these seasons have shown that they are a determinant for their futures. Here, we offer our perspective and insight on the ways in which anxiety and mental health affect a student’s mindset and well-being during the exam period. As an extension, we also give solutions to any problems they are facing.
As grown adults, we utilize mechanism and gestures that were taught to us as a child for any incoming that would cause our lives a distress. But what do we do when we are faced with violence from police, gangs, and anyone who sought to do us harm? Here, we offer programmes that all explore self-defense tactics and practical solutions.
The Safety Box ® and the theme for today's International Day of Education share one thing in common: we both care about unlocking potential. We see potential in all the youth we work with, and their ability to achieve in whatever they wish to. However, being able to achieve that means little if you don't know where to start or how to get yourself there.
Education is important for the simple reason that it gives you the knowledge, insight and resources to make your aspirations a reality. With education, you can not only access any career field in the world, but you can keep yourself and those around you safe. Education is not just academic. It is physical, emotional, mental, social. Knowledge is power for a reason, and we want to help provide that knowledge so that youth everywhere can thrive in life the way they're meant to.
Part of today’s theme given by the UN is recognising and strengthening education as a public endeavour and a common good. Education is considered a human right, as it should, but the accessibility of that human right will be different for each individual depending on economic standing, neurodiversity, language, culture, the area you live in, and many more factors. Many of our youth struggle to gain access to the level of education they deserve because of these factors. Neurodiversity can have a massive impact on the way a young person receives and retains information, but without the knowledge and insight into neurodivergent traits from the staff, the ability to be referred and diagnosed by a professional, and the extra help and support in classes from TA’s, tutors and others, that young person can fly under the radar and have issues in the education system for their whole lives. The same goes with economic disadvantages. Financial stability is vital to gaining education in our society, and if a young person is in need of a particular kind of education, but does not have the financial means to be able to get it, it leaves them in a much more disadvantaged state than someone else with more financial means. Being of a Black, Asian or Minority background does not help the situation either. Oftentimes individuals from these groups can struggle with gaining the access to resources that other young people would, including being more likely to go undiagnosed when they are neurodivergent, or struggle with financial disadvantages. This can lead youth to end up in a life of crime, and often it can be because they feel they have no other option. Why do they feel that way, though? There are options, but without knowing what the options are, being guided towards those options, and having positive role models to follow, young people can easily return to a life that will put them at risk.
This is why we do what we do. Why we go into schools and work directly with students, why we support teachers, parents and staff, why we make sure to remind every young person we work with of their inherent potential. We believe in what these young people can do. Our programmes build on character, confidence, awareness, protection, and are created to show young people how to thrive in our society. From Aspire Higher, to our PSHE sessions, to our self-defence classes; all of them are created with the goal of giving youth more skills and encouragement to live their best lives. We want young people to know how empowered they already are, and how many skills they already possess, and we want to build on those skills and pass on as much knowledge as we can through our programmes, sessions and workshops. Knowledge is power, but the ability to use that power with skill is wisdom, and we want to help build wise, confident, safe young people.
One of our business mentees, BIG BUD, has created a survey to target this very issue. It looks at students who are neurodivergent, have a language barrier or who are struggling with literacy, and ways in which we can support them with high-quality, low-cost learning. If you are interested in taking part, please see the survey below. Thank you for your participation.
To whom it may concern,
Our philosophy in NEXUS is to connect the community for a safer Enfield. As a borough with one of the highest rates of serious youth violence, we hugely appreciate the work The Safety Box carry out. The Safety Box has been delivering the Aspire Higher programme and Peace Weeks which are violence reduction personal development programs designed to change behaviour and negative mindsets. The skills young people develop in these programmes include leadership, communication, team working, presentation, high-risk conflict resolution, violence reduction, personal development and problem-solving. We are happy to say this year approximately 600 children (60% girls) from 5 secondary schools in Enfield, including the Orchardside Pupil Referral Unit, have engaged with this project.
Significantly, The Safety Box teaches young people how to avoid gang exploitation and why carrying a knife puts you at greater risk of knife crime. These critical lessons are delivered in an engaging and impactful way. The Safety Box Founder Nathaniel Peat has also attended our HEARD events which consist of an expert panel that advise parents in Enfield for free.
Our feedback has been highly positive. When attendees were asked how they would rate the event, across all 4 events, 97.94% gave it good and above. No attendees said the event was poor. Nathaniel provided the expert advice needed for parents to keep their young people safe and raised their awareness.
Above all, The Safety Box addresses a critical issue, not only in our borough, but across the UK where youth crime has risen. We thoroughly recommend The Safety Box and their work, and are excited to continue partnering with them.
Mervin Cato
Head of the Behaviour Support Service
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To Whom it may concern,
In 2017 we were seeing an increase in knife crime, county lines, CSE and drug related crimes involving young people. To combat these problems funding was sought for two PCSO’s to work within schools. We also obtained funding from local businesses to help support training within school settings.
Knowing the police alone wouldn’t be able to combat the problem, we went out to a number of charities and organisations who have reformed offenders who could give lived experiences to young people. We were met by Nathaniel Peat, the founder of The Safety Box, and we were instantly blown away by his story, and the team’s passion and drive in this area. The Safety Box was able to build and tailor a bespoke product for us to suit our schooling community, these were labelled as either “Peace Days” or “Peace Weeks”. This saw whole year groups being given 1 hour classroom based training in groups of 30, these were impactive, hard hitting and thought provoking sessions. Whilst within these schools The Safety Box also upskilled teachers and school staff on local trends, early warning signs and what to do. These sessions helped teachers and staff members to develop the ability and confidence needed to both address and identify the early signs of vulnerability and risk for girls and boys. This helped to foster a positive and safe learning environment for all students where their overall well-being can flourish. They also put together evenings where parents and statutory youth support personnel could attend and learn more on the subjects of knife crime, county lines and CSE.
We have been really impressed with The Safety Box team, they have lived experiences, are full of energy and ensure every child gets something out of the sessions. Not only are we happy, we have got 100% feedback from the young people, teachers, professionals and parents.
When we have seen a particular issue in a year group or class, again The Safety Box has been able to come into the school quickly and work with the police to negate risk and upskill young people, this allows them to have a better understanding and make better decisions themselves.
We continue to work with The Safety Box and would be happy to recommend them, likewise happy to be spoken to in more detail to go over outcomes, numbers etc.”
Yours Sincerely
Luke Mitchell PS 1162
Community Safety Unit - Sergeant
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Black History Month has been a pillar of our central history since 1987 when the UK first celebrated it in October. Since then, Black History Month has had multiple school events, monuments, and large celebrations, all highlighting the vibrant culture, history, inventions and pioneers that black people have given the world. The impact black people and history have had on the education system is one of interest, as it ranges from the integration of black students into white/predominantly white schools, to consciously introducing more knowledge of black history into the education system. However, although that knowledge is present, it is lacking in our schools and courses, leaving students with a narrow view of history, and black students left out of the conversation.
How did Black History Month originate? We have historian Carter G. Woodson to thank for its creation. He originally started with a single week in 1926 in the US, as a symbol of recognition and importance, and immediately set on encouraging the history of Black Americans to be taught in public schools all over. Then in 1969, Black History Month was proposed by university students, and a year later, it was celebrated by institutions across the country. It encouraged an influx of Black History clubs and interested teachers. Then it was brought over to the UK in 1987, through the leadership of activist Akyaaba Addai-Sebo. October was chosen as it coincided with the African Jubilee Year, and by pure coincidence, the year also coincided with the 150th anniversary of Caribbean Emancipation and the 100th year anniversary of Marcus Garvey’s birth. Black History Month has been celebrated in the UK for 34 years now, and with the publicity the month gets, it should encourage more black history into the education system. However, 3 decades later, students, parents and teachers are still advocating for more black history in classrooms and the curriculum.
In the education system, Black History Month is viewed as a time to revisit well-known black pioneers, inventors, and people who have done something great for the black community, but more and more conversations are taking place about the essence of Black History Month, and its standing in education. Black History in schools ends up only fully and truly being addressed one month of the year, in Black History Month, and then it gets discarded in place of general British History, which rarely ever includes discussions about black people. The Guardian highlighted this in a July 2020 article, when it showed that since the changes made to the curriculum regarding history in 2014, Black history has become optional to teach instead of explicitly focused on. This impacts not only the way students learn in class, but also exams and modules, as out of the 59 history modules across AQA, Edexcel and OCR, only 13 of those modules reference Black history, and only 5 explore British Black History. Not only does this leave students in general with only a portion of the conversation, but this leaves Black students out of the conversation entirely. Although it is taught, the way it is taught makes it seem as though it is just a requirement, with little passion or enthusiasm behind the subject.
This omission of Black History does not just stop here, it also happens outside the UK. In February 2021, a Utah public charter school in America made waves when it sent out a letter to parents allowing them to withdraw their children from their Black History Month curriculum, due to the parents’ request. The request was met with backlash however, and the school reversed their decision. But the fact that the decision was made in the first place is telling about the opinion of Black history in the education system. Schools are teaching children, but how deep is the education going? Touching the surface of Black History is not good enough anymore. Black History Month ended a month ago, and with that, mainstream black history education went too. Black History is not just a diversity box to tick, it is the real-life experiences and achievements of everyday Black individuals who did amazing things. In addition, the information relayed in many Black History lessons in mainstream schools are surrounding familiar Black faces: the Martin Luther Kings, the Rosa Parks, the Mary Seacoles of the world. These people are vital to our knowledge of the impact Black people have left on the Western world, but by leaving out individuals such as Charles Richard Drew, surgeon and blood transfusion pioneer, Frederick McKinley Jones, the inventor of the refrigeration system for trucks, The NASA ‘human computers’ Dorothy Vaughan, Katherine Johnson and Mary Jackson, Gladys West, the creator of the calculations used for the GPS, and William Robinson Clarke, the first Black pilot to fly for the UK, youth are missing out on a vast array of knowledge and impact.
From human zoos to the Windrush Scandal, black people have often historically been made to feel like outsiders in this country. A commodity, something to be marvelled over, and then, human, but dismissed of emotion, especially ones directed towards signs of racial bias. The effects of slavery and racism are ones that nobody wants to discuss anymore; it is “done away with” and in many people’s eyes, it is over. However, not many people want to discuss the achievements that black people have made either. Black History Month, in schools especially, often consists of a few well-known individuals, many who are directly related to forms of activism and stopping segregation, and not many who have made achievements outside of the activist sector. However, Black History is not just limited to slavery and segregation, and only highlighting that in classes leaves a large gap in the knowledge and understanding of our children, because Black History Month is not just about history, it is about identity, and by leaving positive, varied Black influences repeatedly out of the curriculum, we are only showcasing one identity of blackness to our youth, and in turn, to society.
Headteacher: Mrs Laura Osei Primary Assistant Head: Verona Hoilett
More and more organisations are advocating for Black History to be a regular part of the curriculum, with universities taking part in ‘Black History Year’, making sure that black individuals prominent in various subjects are recognised across the board, and organisations such as Impact on Omission and The Black Curriculum emphasising the same in the curriculum. Schools such as The Eden School in West London, who we held a very powerful and detailed interview with, make a conscious and continuous effort to portray positive Black images and influences daily in their classes. When speaking to the Headteacher, Mrs Laura Osei, and the Primary Assistant Head, Mrs Verona Hoilett, they highlighted that for their staff and students, Black History was about “their students seeing Black role models” and they make sure to reference prominent Black individuals in all lessons, from maths to music. With plays depicting the story of the slave trade up to modern day Britain, using music and literature written by Black artists in lessons, and maintaining a strong focus on feeling positive about being a person of colour, they have seen an improvement in the academics and well-being of their students by bringing in a Black emphasis, and acknowledge that the core of Black History in education is about fostering a positive sense of identity in our Black youth, to encourage their growth and self-esteem for the rest of their lives.
Having a number of Black youth within our programmes, we at The Safety Box ® CIC make sure to instill a positive influence into our youth. We understand that a large part of positive self-esteem is seeing people like yourself who have made a positive influence or contribution in their own lives and the lives of others. Education is not just academic, it is also experience, and we honour that by reminding our Black youth that they are more than the pieces of negative media they may hear, or the statistics on television. We encourage them to find positive Black role models, and to know that they have the ability to achieve greatness, just like all those who came before them, and that their history is not just one of pain, but also of pride and excellence.
Black History is everywhere, but it is not looked at deeply enough, not addressed enough, not praised enough. Our youth are often learning more from social media and outside sources than classrooms, and in those ways, we are doing a disservice to their education. They need to be reminded of the achievements that Black Individuals have made throughout history. Those reminders are not just to be given once a year, but all year. Instilling this in our youth ensures that we give them the full knowledge and personal power they need to take on the rest of the world, and not just a chapter in a piece of history. To quote Mrs Verona Hoilett from The Eden School, “Black History is not just for a month, it is for a lifetime.”
Stalking and harassment offences were among a handful that rose during the pandemic. The Office of National Statistics has found that during the coronavirus, stalking and harassment offences increased by 31% and Paladin, a national anti-stalking service, has said that their requests for help have leapt 40% during the first lockdown.
A real way to protect individuals is improving training for young people within schools. The Safety Box® went to an independent South London girl school this week to teach about the risk of stalkers and attackers, and to give these girls practical tools in which they can use to protect themselves from these very real threats. As an independent school, students have to pay tuition fees, however, 40% of their students are on a Bursary which either reduces or possibly covers entire school fees. The foundation, that helps fund the school, makes available bursaries to support students from low-income families as part of its charitable commitments to the community and the education of children. Stalker awareness and personal protection training programmes are incredibly important and may not be something that these girls would have had access to before.
Personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education is an important and necessary part of all pupils' education. All schools are now required to teach PSHE, drawing on good practice. At the Safety Box®, we offer a range of PHSE sessions dealing with a multitude of issues. This specific PSHE sessions, focusing on Stalker awareness, covered specific learning objectives, including, ways of identifying risk and managing personal safety in new social settings, workplaces, environments, and Online settings. As well as Strategies for identifying risky and/or emergency situations, in-person and online, and ways of getting the appropriate help and where there may be legal consequences. We also looked at positive and safe ways to create and share content online.
In London you won't be hard-pressed to find someone looking down at their phone screen while walking, however, during the session, the lead facilitator demonstrated the danger of doing this. A person only has around 25% of their visual field when looking down at their phones, meaning that if an attacker came up behind you it would be very difficult to see. Awareness was a major theme of the session; we stressed that awareness was one of the major factors that prevented the danger of attacks. Criminals and abusers often target people who are distracted on the road. Crimes can happen at any time and young people need to stay aware of their surroundings.
For a generation growing up in the digital age, this group of year 10's were very aware of online presence, image and behaviours, however, they knew shockingly little about how to protect themselves online. Stalking methods have become much more advanced, including hacking of phones and location tracking. Stalkers, child traffickers and attackers can use someone's IP address to track where a potential victim is located and can use this information to gain the victim's trust. We asked the girls how many of them had added people on social media that they didn't know, unsurprisingly more than half of the room had done exactly that. Thinking before posting was also an important theme, we stressed that sharing any personal information online is extremely risky. We don't always have control of who is viewing what we post so the best form of defence is being careful about what you post.
During the session the facilitators brought the room alive with dynamic demonstrations, getting the girls involved in role-playing different situations they might find themselves in. We started with a scenario on a bus, based on a true story from a girl that the Safety Box® had helped in the past. The setting revolved around a girl being assaulted on a bus, where an attacker held a knife to her back and told her not to react, he then proceeded to make her get off the bus with him. The facilitators asked the girls to show them what they would have done in that scenario, which was, predictably, just doing what the attacker had told them to do. We showed them an effective way of getting out of that dangerous situation and the power of using their voice. "MY voice is my first line of defence".
A lot of these girls make their own way home, and now that it is getting darker quicker, there is an added danger. There may come a time where the girls feel like they are being followed, in this event we wanted to equip the girls with some tools they can use to protect themselves. We role-played a scenario where the girls noticed someone watching them or following them. This is called the green zone, and their behaviour may be able to deter an attacker from approaching them. If the girls see a potential stalker, trying to keep calm, getting on their phone and calling someone whether it be the police or a loved one. Letting them know where you are when you expect to arrive at your destination and taking up space in your surroundings can deter someone from approaching you.
This is the first of many PHSE sessions we will be doing with the school and all in all the girls were given realistic techniques that they could use to protect themselves.
Now more than ever, young people are at risk, and their all-round wellbeing is at stake. One of the main causes of this is youth violence. It is everywhere you look and affects youth all over the world. The youth we are around are experiencing it every day, whether it’s them individually, someone they know, or an issue in their community.
Read our latest article that talks about the important issues of Youth violence and knife crime.
