The Dating Detox
Challenging abuse and promoting respect in young people’s intimate relationships.
What is the Dating Detox?
The Dating Detox is a programme designed by Respect to challenge abuse and promote respect in young people’s intimate relationships. It’s designed to help young people reflect on the way they behave in their relationships, as well as encouraging accountability and supporting them to change their behaviour.
Some elements of the programme are designed to be delivered on a 1-1 basis for young people already using abuse, and some can be delivered in a group setting as a preventative measure.
The programme is made up of three sections:
- Pre-work: This section helps practitioners establish a strong foundation for the young person’s engagement with the programme. It’s delivered on a 1-1 basis and helps practitioners assess and establish risk, forge a constructive relationship with the young person, and learn about their needs and goals for the programme.
- Healthy relationships: This section supports young people to think about healthy relationships and covers topics including boundaries; masculinity and links to abuse; jealousy; online behaviour, sexual respect and consent; and conflict resolution. This section can be delivered to groups or individuals and can be used in a preventative context e.g. as a session in a school.
- Behaviour change: This section is exclusively for those who have used, or are using abusive behaviour in their relationships. It encourages young people to reflect on the triggers for their abusive behaviours, giving them coping strategies to help them avoid escalation. It also has sessions focusing on accountability, some focusing on changing “self talk”, and one focusing on emotional abuse.
How is the Dating Detox delivered?
The Respect Young People’s Team trains practitioners to deliver Dating Detox sessions to the young people they work with. This could be in a range of settings including education, youth criminal justice, youth work and more.
Practitioners must be trained in the entire toolkit to deliver any of its elements.
How long does training for practitioners take?
The training is delivered over a period of 4 days. After that, practitioners can deliver any element of the programme.
What do practitioners say about the Dating Detox?
We’ve had some great feedback for our Dating Detox training. Practitioners rate our trainers’ knowledge 4.98/5, and our materials 4.93/5.
“This training was excellent. It was massively engaging, well-informed and through provoking. It is the most relevant and useful training I have completed in sometime. The facilitators were excellent and greatly enhanced the experience”
“It was an amazing few day and so useful. Thank you both so much and I look forward to implementing my learning in to practice”
“Both tutors were brilliant, easy and relaxed facilitation styles but with a wealth of knowledge"
How can my team get training to deliver the Dating Detox?
If you’re interested in training for your team, head to our Dating Detox Training page to book.
