ESSEX Police has teamed up with pubs and bars, across the county, to launch a new arm of our perpetrator focussed #Reflect campaign around the issue of consent.
This new phase of the campaign, funded by Southend and Thurrock Domestic Abuse Partnership (SETDAB), and asks people to consider their own actions and behaviour, will be reflected on beer mats, in the restrooms of bars and pubs and on digital screens throughout shopping areas, from today (November 28, 2023).
With a simple and clear message; NO it’s not ON.
We know that consent underpins all forms of sexual violence and sexual abuse, and the majority of sexual offences happen in the home.
Chief Supt. Claire Talbot, force tactical lead for Violence Against Women and Girls, said: “Whether you are in a married or civil partnership, are dating someone new or you meet someone on a night out, consent still needs to be given for any form of sexual activity.
“Anyone has the right to say no, change their mind or withdraw consent at any time.”
Roger Hirst, Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex, said: ” We are pleased to build on the good work of the #Reflect campaign which raises awareness of the way sexual abuse can manifest in relationships and the importance of consent. “We hope by encouraging people to seek support they need, we can make a real, lasting change which will reduce violence against women and girls, one of our policing priorities to get crime down.”
While sexual attacks by strangers do happen, the majority of sexual violence is perpetrated by someone the victim knows. This would include someone they are in a romantic or sexual relationship with, someone they are friends with, a work colleague, or someone in their family.
Sarah Griffin from The Change Project which supports those who want to change their behaviour, said: “The Change Project is committed to supporting people to have healthy relationships with others and this campaign gets to the heart of a subject that is not talked about widely enough. We hope this campaign encourages people to reach out for help to address aspects of their behaviour they may not be comfortable with”.
Through this campaign activity, we want to educate and inform people about the importance of consent through various scenarios as well as directing any victims to Synergy Essex www.synergyessex.org.uk for specialist support, or to report any incidents directly to Essex Police.
A spokeswoman for Synergy Essex Rape and Sexual Abuse Specialist Services, who receive 5,000 referrals a year, said: “We welcome this new campaign, which calls out abusive behaviour and clearly defines what consent means in sexual relationships. If you have been a victim of any kind of sexual violence or sexual abuse, either recently or in the past, Synergy Essex is there to support you.”
The campaign will run throughout the festive party season with a number of adverts, focusing on different themes, being released across our social media channels. The campaign will also be advertised on digital vans which will be out and about in main shopping areas and travel hubs on the 8th and 9th December to extend our campaign messaging even further.
If you have been a victim of a sexual offence, you can report it here (www.essex.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/rsa/rape-and-sexual-assault/how-to-report-rape-and-sexual-assault)
If you want to change your behaviour and break the cycle of abuse, then you can refer to The Change Project (www.thechange-project.org
To find out more about our #Reflect campaign, click here (www.essex.police.uk/reflect)
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