Report from the Healthy Relationships Youth Survey 2016/17

Healthwatch Telford and Wrekin aimed to explore the young people of Telford and Wrekin’s understanding of healthy relationships. A total of 4,776 young people responded, of which 49.0% identified themselves as female, 47.5% as male, 1.1% as transgender and 2.4% preferred not to say. Participants came from schools across the Telford and Wrekin catchment area and included students from Years 7-13 meaning that ages were from approximately 10.5 years to 18 years old.

This survey identified some interesting trends in healthy relationship education (HRE) and some possible concerns with regards to gender minority among young people in Telford and Wrekin. This survey attempted to capture the breadth of issues related to healthy and abusive relationships, including sexual consent, as well as identifying levels of education and awareness in areas of concern such as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). It demonstrated an inconsistency in teaching, where older year groups reported lower levels of education, and a link between HRE and an improved confidence in recognising both healthy and abusive relationships. Parents and carers were identified as important sources of support, and respondents reported their relationships as healthy with them as well as their friends and partners. However, those who identified as transgender did not indicate particularly healthy relationships with any of these significant others, a concern when they designated friends as the most likely place for them to look for help if they thought they were in an unhealthy relationship.