Moving art exhibition on show at University of Northampton throughout November

The thought-provoking art project, ‘Wall of Silence’, which features images, stories and poems by survivors of child sexual abuse, will be on show at the University of Northampton throughout November.

The exhibition, organised by the University of Northampton’s Institute for Public Safety, Crime and Justice (IPSCJ) and The Office of Police and Crime Commissioner, seeks to end the stigma of suffering sexual abuse and encourage survivors to speak out.

The Teen Relationships research by IPSCJ earlier this year, found that one in 20 school children in Northamptonshire have been physically forced in to doing something they didn’t want to do. The Wall of Silence exhibition will be a place for Northamptonshire teenagers, over the age of fourteen, to have constructive discussions around the actions, feelings and impact of abuse and unhealthy relationships.

Director of the University of Northampton’s Institute for Public Safety, Crime and Justice, Laura Knight, said: “Having seen from our Teens Relationships research earlier this year that a child in every classroom has been physically forced to do something they didn’t want to do, it is easy to see why it is so important that initiatives such as Wall of Silence exist – to prompt people in need of help to speak out.

“The University is delighted to be able to help deliver this pioneering work and we hope that it helps young people to end their silence.”

Police and Crime Commissioner for Northamptonshire, Stephen Mold, said: “Protecting our most vulnerable people must be at the heart of everything we do, and I hope the creativeness of the Wall of Silence generates greater open discussion about these issues amongst young people across Northamptonshire.

“It is essential that victims are encouraged to seek help and support is given to anyone affected by these terrible crimes.

“We are also determined to prevent these issues from happening in the first place, and we will do everything we can to catch the perpetrators.”

Head of Safeguarding for Northamptonshire Police, Steve Lingley added: “This is an extremely important exhibition and one that I hope will keep child abuse high on everyone’s agenda – it is the responsibility of all of us to look out for signs that someone is vulnerable and potentially suffering from abuse, and initiatives such as this will remind people to stay vigilant to those signs.

“Our aim is to increase the number of people reporting but also to encourage reporting to be made as early as possible, in order to lessen the long term emotional impact on young people and also to prevent the perpetrator from going on to abuse others.”

Wall of Silence first opened in January this year and is owned by the Southmead Project, a charity that gives support to sexual abuse survivors.

The art work will be available for public viewing between 8:30am and 4:30pm throughout November. Any schools who wish to book to visit can email Julie Bedster on Julie.bedster@northampton.ac.uk.

Anyone who has been affected by sexual abuse can contact Northamptonshire Police on or 999, or the Northamptonshire Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) on 0300 126 1000.