Michelle John - our PEGS founder - was asked to give a talk to University of Worcester students studying for a Masters in Understanding Domestic and Sexual Violence.

Michelle set up PEGS after realising her own lived experience was being replicated in homes across the UK and beyond – with researchers estimating between 3% and 10% of families are impacted.

Child to Parent Abuse can take many different forms, from physical violence such as kicking, headbutting and damaging property, to financial, emotional or sexual abuse. PEGS has worked with more than 500 parents, carers and guardians who are affected, as well as training professionals such as police forces and social care teams, and influencing policy written by regional and national agencies including the Home Office.

Michelle said: “I was delighted to be ask to talk to the students, especially given the rise in CPA in recent years meaning as they continue their careers focusing on domestic abuse, they are likely to come into contact with impacted families.

“It’s really important for domestic abuse specialists to have a working understanding of CPA, and that means training existing professionals as well as those currently studying the topic.

“Thank you to Beverley Gilbert, Senior Lecturer in Violence Prevention, and the team at University of Worcester for inviting me along and enabling the students to learn about this incredibly important – and often hidden - form of domestic abuse.”

The MA Understanding Domestic and Sexual Violence has been a unique postgraduate Masters and as such has students attending from across the UK and from Europe and further afield.

Beverley Gilbert said: “Most of our students are highly experienced professionals working in a range of disciplines with a specific interest in support or prevention connected to domestic and sexual abuse. They come to the University of Worcester to attain a MA qualification in this subject area and we know that this assists them in their career progression and in helping to keep our communities safer. We were fortunate to hear what Michelle had to say about Child to Parent Abuse this term."