A major UK Domestic abuse and young women’s charity has announced the release of a support line network for young women and girls aged between 13 and 25.
Advance released its new Maia support system to provide a range of different types of help to young women going through situations of unhealthy relationships with partners, friends or family, pressures and surrounding difficulties while navigating a disproportionate amount of violence and abuse.
The support line is also open to parents, teachers, carers and guardians who may need support and advice regarding a young woman they are looking after or in relation to.
Frances Rahman, head of young women and girls at Advance, said: “The service supports young women and girls through one-to-one mentoring and group work across our London women’s centres.
“The new Maia Support Line will allow young women and girls access to a free, safe and confidential space to talk to someone and get advice about anything, big or small.
“It’s also there for parents or professionals to reach out and receive advice and support. Being a non-specific helpline, no issue is too small.
“It provides one-off support. It can be one moment in time that you have nowhere to turn to and the Maia Support Line will be there to listen. There’s no need to complete a referral form or go through an induction. If you have something you need to talk about then you can just give us a call.”
Support networks like this are examples of what major charities are doing to tackle the continuing issues of domestic abuse and violence amongst other pressures surrounding social media, grooming, and online abuse for young women.
In mid-June, prime minister Keir Starmer announced an Australian-style nationwide social media ban for children under the age of 16 to tackle issues such as these, among many.
Prior to that, YouGov poll data showed some alarming statistics about the Manosphere and young men being affected by negative role models, highlighting the extensive consequences this has on women.
Moreover, the consensus amongst the public showed a ban, or at least higher regulation, was needed with an extremely high proportion of the public calling for it.
A spokesperson from Beyond Equality said: “Our work is important because many of the challenges we face from poor mental health and loneliness to gender-based violence and harmful online influences are shaped by narrow ideas about masculinity.
“Rather than blaming boys and men, we create spaces where they can question these expectations, develop empathy, and build the skills to form healthier relationships with themselves and others.”
A part of the polling data asked men if they felt pressure to be a certain way and the results speak for themselves, young men disproportionately feel higher levels of pressure.
The spokesperson added: “Young men today are navigating a complex set of expectations.
“They’re often told to be emotionally open while simultaneously receiving messages that they should be tough, successful, confident, attractive, financially secure and always in control.
“Social media can amplify these pressures by constantly presenting unrealistic standards of success, appearance and masculinity.
“At the same time, many traditional routes for exploring identity and belonging have changed, leaving some young men searching for answers online.
“Unfortunately, this can make them vulnerable to influencers and online communities that offer simple explanations for complex problems and reinforce rigid ideas about what it means to be a man.”
Solveig Allison, a support line worker from Advance, explained the effects these pressures were having on women.
She said: “What’s difficult is not listening to their stories and hearing the horrors of what they’ve suffered.
“It’s working in a system where it feels like the perpetrators are being protected and not the victims and in a system where it’s women who have to protect themselves.
“I think that if we were to have regular sex education in all schools across the UK and to have workshops where we talk openly about our emotions, emotional maturity, about healthy relationships, about consent, about domestic abuse, what it looks like, about different types of violence, too.
“We’ve done a few of these workshops with kids. From the ones I’ve done with them, they’re really productive.
“The kids are engaging and it’s validating for them. So I do think that a lot of the prevention work that we can do to eradicate gender based violence starts with school because all kids have to be in school.
“So, it’s the best place to actually start educating and it being part of the curriculum, having specialist organisations come in and deliver that work.”
A Beyond Equalities spokesperson called for long-term change through a combination of stronger platform accountability, better digital knowledge and education, age-appropriate relationships and sex education, among other forms of support, looking at prevention as a major target within their charity specifically.
Their nationwide work is a part of the major push for providing safer spaces around the internet and to prevent the continuing toxic narrative fed to young people via social media and beyond.
However, as is clear with the data and numbers, a large number of women are still subject to violence extremely often with charities such as Advance providing vital support through initiatives such as the Maia platform.
A spokesperson for Advance said: “The likelihood of abuse increases as age decreases, with young women aged 16-17 the most at risk.
“Domestic abuse has a devastating, long-lasting impact on the lives of survivors.
“With nowhere to turn for support, many young women and girls are left traumatised by their experiences and can go onto experience further harm, including being excluded from school or getting caught up in the criminal justice system.
“The Support Line will be operated by staff and peer mentors from Advance’s Maia service that helps young women and girls through one-to-one support, mentoring and group work.
“It’s a pioneering service that helps young women and girls to not just be safe, but to fulfil aspirations and live their best lives.”
The Maia service is a key part of Advance’s early intervention and prevention work, amajor part of the government’s pledge to cut Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) within 10 years.
Advance added yhe Maia support line does not work as a hotline and to contact the dedicated domestic abuse, violence and emergency service hotlines if ever in need.
To get in touch and speak to someone who understands and can support you, call the MAIA Support Line on 0800 059 0117. Monday-Friday 9am-5pm. You can also email [email protected]
Feature Image Credit: Hannah Busing via Unsplash
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