3 December 2025
The equivalent of one teenager in every classroom is experiencing abuse in their relationship according to new research with 11,000 young people published today by the Youth Endowment Fund. Physical, sexual, emotional – often hidden behind phone screens or normalised as “just how relationships are”.
For anyone working with young people, this figure is distressing but not surprising. It reinforces what we have been seeing for years: relationship abuse among teenagers is far more common than most people realise.
Today, The Guardian highlighted the findings and the urgent need for better education and prevention. As one expert quoted in the article put it:
“When one young person in every classroom is experiencing abuse, the classroom has to be part of the solution.”
(Guardian article)
At LMK, these numbers aren’t abstract. They echo what young people share with us during the 6,500 workshop places we’ve provided this year, across schools and youth settings, where we hear comments like:
“I didn’t know that was a red flag.”
“I thought that was just how relationships are now.”
“No one has explained this before.”
These conversations matter. They are an early warning system – a direct insight into what young people are navigating long before it reaches the headlines or official statistics. When we listen properly, young people show us the patterns, pressures and risks shaping their worlds right now – and they help shape the solutions too.
This is a powerful reminder of why prevention-focused relationship education is urgently needed and should not stop at age 16. Early intervention works – and meaningful, relevant, high-quality relationship education should continue until 18. When young people understand the difference between care and control or pressure and respect, they change how they date, communicate and set boundaries – often immediately.
But to keep doing this work, it needs the funding it deserves. High-quality, youth-led, evidence-based relationship education isn’t a “nice to have” – it’s one of the most effective forms of violence prevention we have. And right now, it needs sustained, serious investment so we can keep responding to what young people are telling us.
How you can immediately help
These findings provide a compelling backdrop to our current Big Give Christmas Challenge. Until 9th December, every donation through our campaign page will be doubled by our generous pledgers and champion funder, The Childhood Trust. A donation to us this week would give us double the resources to reach more classrooms, hear from more young people, and act on what they are telling us with urgency and care.
The Big Give will help us tackle this emergency: donate here
Thank you for your support
Deirdre Kehoe, CEO, LMK