Voice, Agency, Power: A Framework for Young Survivor's Participation in National Domestic Abuse Policy-Making

Background and Purpose
While children and young people’s individual agency in relation to surviving gender based violence is now recognised, young survivor’s collective agency in transforming responses is however under-explored. Children’s capacity as agents of change - key informants and co-producers of policy and practice in relation to tackling violence is the innovative focus of this paper.

A Participatory Action Research project with a national advisory group of young experts and survivors of gender based violence - ‘Voice Against Violence’ - significantly changed the service, research and policy landscape in Scotland. Children’s role as young expert advisers to government with direct, regular access to senior politicians has no precedent. Ministers invested in Voice Against Violence, a national advisory group pilot, as a response to young survivor-led critiques of tokenistic participation, inviting the young people themselves to set the terms for political engagement.

This study explored the unique perspectives of young survivors on sustained involvement in the gender based violence policy-making process. Their perspectives on facilitators and inhibitors to ‘real’ participation led to the co-development of an ethical framework (Houghton 2015) and participation standards as well as the participatory framework which this presentation will discuss.

Methods
Eight young experts aged 15-19 years with experience of gender based violence were invited to take part in a participatory action research process over a two and a half year period.
Young experts created templates and activities to reflect on issues within the process which included: direct contact with politicians; collaborating with civil servants; fact-finding with young and adult experts; peer empowerment projects; and co-designing a final review. Thematic analysis was undertaken together for the young people’s chosen outputs which included the production of a film in addition to a presentation to government.

Findings
A key finding emerging from this study is the need for a framework for the national participation of young survivors in policy-making: the key tenets are Voice, Agency, Power, with support for the participants a necessary condition to foster that participation. Throughout the debates about agency, young experts advocate not only for their involvement in decision-making but also their participation in government action. In relation to power, young experts’ direct, regular access to senior politicians, at key times of influence, emerges as the most effective way of achieving change in children’s lives.

Conclusion and Implications:
In order for real change to happen to promote effective participation, time is of the essence. Further investment in adult (practitioner and policy-maker) and young people’s time is needed to achieve the transformation in adult/child relations necessary to work together as equals to improve children’s lives. The starting point however concerns the recognition of children and young people’s capacity as agents of change and as key informants and co-producers of policy and practice in relation to tackling gender based violence.