Government Support for Vital DRASACS Services

We are delighted to announce that DRASACS has secured specialist funding from the Government to support our work with victims of rape and sexual abuse.

The Ministry of Justice is distributing a total of £4.4 million to provide 78 rape support centres across England and Wales with financial support through to 2016, so they can offer specialist services for victims such as counselling, advice and helplines. DRASACS will receive £60,000 per year for the next 2 years.

Speaking about the award, DRASACS Chair Matt Smith said:

“This is fantastic news for Doncaster. The funding is a tremendous boost and will help to ensure that specialist support is in place for local people at a time of increasing need.

“In the 12 months after the Jimmy Savile documentary was shown on television, the number of people seeking counselling at DRASACS went up from 283 to 446. That’s a massive 58% increase and it just goes to show how important these services are.”

Home Office Raises Parents’ Awareness of Teenage Abuse

Abuse, rape and sexual assault can happen to anyone regardless of age, gender or personal situation. It can happen to young women and young men in heterosexual or same sex relationships.

While we may think that our teenagers could never be affected, the truth is that abuse, rape and sexual assault can and does occur in teenage relationships.

NSPCC found that nearly 75 % of the girls they surveyed had reported some sort of emotional partner violence and 33 % of girls and 16 % of boys had experienced some form of sexual violence from a boyfriend or girlfriend.

This leaflet will help you find out more about abuse in teenage relationships and understand the pressures to have sex which some teenagers may experience. It will also give you examples of the signs to look out for, as well as practical advice on how to talk to your teenagers, or the teenagers in your care, about these issues.