Primary and Secondary school age children should be learning about domestic abuse says charity
This comes after 15-year-old Holly Newton was stalked and stabbed to death by her ex-boyfriend
A Lincolnshire charity says education surrounding domestic abuse and healthy relationships should be taught in every primary and secondary school.
It comes as the age at which victims of domestic abuse are recognised as such by law is to be looked at by the Government.
There's an increase in young people following or stalking each other online
Parents of 15-year-old Holly Newton, who was stalked and stabbed to death by her ex-boyfriend, are calling on the government to lower the age.
Logan McPhail was convicted of murder following a trial at Newcastle Crown Court in August.
He has now been sentenced to be detained for life with a minimum term of 17 years.
Chloe is the from the Haven Domestic Abuse Service, they've been working in primary and secondary schools across South Lincolnshire offering workshops on healthy relationships and red flags. She tells us domestic abuse is something people under the age of 16 are exposed to:
"The amount of young people we get at the end of sessions say things like, "my partner's really trying to control what I wear", "they don't like me spending time with my friends", "they're always humiliating me in front of my friends, putting me down". I just don't think many realise that actually this is going on at such a young age.
"It is so difficult because we don't always realise that it can start at such a young age."
"Children are getting into relationships much younger and they're quite serious about their relationships, which is why it's so important that they recognise those early warning signs. It's a fine line between 'does this person love me and really care about me', or is it that actually 'they're just trying to control me'.
"Young people have said "I'm really worried about my own relationship, I'm worried about my own behaviour" which I think is amazing that, for a young person to be able to look at their own behaviour and recognise that 'my dad did this to my mum and I don't want to behave in that way, I don't want to treat my partner this way'".
Abuse can come in many different forms
Holly's mother, Micala Trussler, had described what she called "controlling behaviour" by her daughter's ex-boyfriend, Logan McPhail.
But she said that, because of her daughter's young age, the legal system did not consider that she had been a victim of domestic abuse.
The family were sure that MacPhail, then aged 16, exercised coercive control over Holly, even though they did not live together.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper was asked about calls from Holly's parents to change the law so that under-16s can be considered victims of domestic abuse.
She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme:
"We will particularly, specifically look at this, because we need to make sure that we have got the right ways of recording this kind of violence in teenage relationships,"
Ms Cooper added that this is a "really serious issue."
"I have all sympathy with Holly's family. I can't imagine what they will have gone through. This was a truly awful case,"
"Of course, there is domestic abuse in teenage relationships."
"There is violence within teenage relationships that we have seen increasing, and it really troubles me that we have seen it increasing."