About

Safe Stories was created to highlight some of the issues being faced by teenagers both on and offline. These are problems which young people working with SAFE! tell us about every day.

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All of the characters were created during group sessions with young people. Most recently we worked with young people at The Cherwell School in Oxford and UTC in Didcot. Their stories are based on their own experiences and whilst the end results are not a ‘true story’, you can be sure that each element is based on a real situation.

The stories are designed to encourage a ‘one step removed’ approach to talking about an issue and an indirect approach to problem solving. If we can think about what Maddie, Rob, Charlie, Hope or Katie might feel, we can reflect on our own experience, and seek personal solutions. The video stories are designed to be accessed directly but can also be used in conversation with young people by professionals and parents. It is also designed to encourage any young person to seek help if they are struggling with an issue such as these. We have also worked with the Cherwell School to create a full set of lesson plans to sit alongside this resource.

SAFE! teamed up with digital product studio White October, media company 1848 and artists Jordan Henry (Maddie & Katie’s stories) and Sara Kuan (Charlie’s, Hope’s and Rob & Tyrone’s stories) to turn the young people’s ideas into this resource.

SAFE! is an independent charity working with young people aged 5 to 18 in Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes who have been harmed by crime or bullying. We provide open access, inclusive, and free services for young people and families affected by crime, helping them overcome the effects of what has happened to them and regain their quality of life. One-to-one sessions are designed to increase confidence, build resilience and improve future safety. By listening attentively and putting their needs at the heart of the process, SAFE! empowers young people, giving them a voice and helping them and those around them to build protective communities where they can feel safe. With the rise in sexual abuse, domestic violence and internet crime the world can be a scary place, and SAFE!’s unique, innovative and compassionate service seeks to help young people live happy and adventurous lives.