In a bid to tackle child exploitation in the region, Cumbria police and a leading children’s charity have joined forces.

Following the launch of the It’s Not OK campaign in October 2020, the programme is now into its third phase and is currently focusing on healthy relationships.

The 12-month campaign has previously covered criminal exploitation and online safety.

The third and current phase is highlighting the differences between a healthy relationship and an unhealthy relationship; differences in behaviour that an unhealthy relationship can cause; the effect it can have on a child’s mental health; and what can be done to help protect the children of Cumbria.

In a bid to highlight what is meant by a ‘healthy relationship’ an artwork has been released based on the NSPCC’s guide to a healthy relationship, which can be found on their website.

The artwork invites the viewer to ‘look’ at a picture depicting positive relationships, then to ‘look’ again and see the negative effects unhealthy relationships can have on a young person.

The signs of an unhealthy relationship include:

  • Becoming isolated and spending little time with family or friends.
  • Controlling behaviour, such as being told what to wear, always needing to let the person know where they are or what they’re doing or having their social media accounts monitored.
  • Feeling pressured or like they have to do things they’re uncomfortable with. This could include being pressured into sex or to send nudes or sexual images.
  • Having their money, access to food or day-to-day items controlled.
  • Being prevented from working or going to school or college or feeling reluctant to go to school.
  • Persistent changes to a child’s mood or behaviour can also be a sign that something’s wrong.
  • Being bullied or experiencing sexual bullying, either online, in private or in front of others at home or in school.

Child Centred Policing Inspector, Gemma Hannah, said: “Sometimes it’s hard to identify behavioural change in young people, there is a lot going on in our daily lives already and these changes can easily be misinterpreted as growing up or being stressed or tired etc.

“We created this artwork to help raise awareness of the signs of an unhealthy relationship, in a new way that is accessible to everyone.

“By asking people to engage and really ‘look’ at the artwork, to see what has changed, we hope the different scenes will stick in people’s minds to consider in real-life situations.

“We also hope the two scenes will start conversations.”