National Working Group on Teenage Relationship Abuse

Teenage relationship abuse remains one of the least understood forms of domestic abuse, particularly among those under 16 years of age, who fall outside the statutory definition within the 2021 Domestic Abuse Act.

To address this gap, Dr Ruth Weir (co-Deputy Director of the Violence and Society Centre and Senior Research Fellow in the UKPRP VISION research consortium) co-established the National Working Group on Teenage Relationship Abuse with Deputy Chief Constable Katy Barrow-Grint in 2024. The group brings together researchers, practitioners, policymakers, third sector organisations, and young people with lived experience to improve how the UK recognises and prevents abuse in young people’s relationships.

The collaboration began just before the Covid lockdown, when Ruth and Katy were co-authoring a book, Policing Domestic Abuse. During that process, they identified a striking lack of research on teenage relationship abuse and significant challenges for policing and safeguarding in the UK, with young people falling between adult domestic abuse services and child protection systems.

The working group has since grown to over 100 members across policing, government, health, academia, and the voluntary sector, including organisations such as the Home Office, Department for Education, universities, NHS bodies, multiple police forces, school trusts, and charities like SafeLives and Victim Support.

The group is now shaping national conversations on how teenage relationship abuse is defined, recognised, and responded to, particularly for those under 16. Its ongoing work aims to close the gap between research, policy, and frontline practice, ensuring that young people are no longer overlooked.

Please contact Ruth at ruth.weir@citystgeorges.ac.uk for further information.