Support for young people using harmful behaviours in relationships
Universal healthy relationships education reaches thousands of young people every year — but for a smaller number, more intensive, targeted support is needed. Equation deliver work with young people aged 16 to 19 who are using harmful or controlling behaviours in their own current or former intimate relationships.
Future You Project
This programme works with young people aged 16 to 19 who are displaying harmful or controlling behaviours within a current or former intimate romantic relationship. It focuses on relational harm within romantic relationships — it isn’t designed for peer conflict or family-based behaviours, unless these overlap with intimate relationship harm.
Why a targeted response?
Types of harmful behaviours
Our approach to targeted work
• Anti-oppressive and gender-informed practice — challenging power imbalances
• Neurodiversity-affirming practice — sensory-aware, flexible
• Youth voice — goals and direction shaped by the young person
• Strengths-based practice — centring competencies and protective factors
• Non-criminalising, developmental approach — supportive
Project delivery structure
Evidence base for targeted work with young people
Future You: A targeted response
to relationship harm at 16–19
Future You is built around short structured sessions, with flexibility built in to respond to a young person’s emotional regulation needs:
- Initial meeting
Rapport-building, introducing the programme, and a co-developed agreement. - Goal-setting
The young person sets personalised goals, reviewed throughout. - Foundation sessions
Building self-esteem and confidence; understanding feelings and emotions. - Optional modules
Selected from topics including healthy/unhealthy relationships, domestic abuse, consent and boundaries, coercive control, stalking and harassment, digital harms and online safety, harmful sexual behaviours, taking responsibility, gender equality, misogyny, and avoiding manipulation. - Closing session
Celebrates progress, reviews goals, and identifies onward support.
Referrals are currently accepted exclusively from Children’s Social Care.
This ensures every young person entering the programme has an allocated social worker responsible for safeguarding oversight, information sharing and multi-agency risk management.
If you’re a school, college, MARAC/MASH or voluntary sector professional and think a referral may be appropriate, please liaise with Children’s Social Care in the first instance.
Frequently asked questions
Interested in Future You? See below for answers to some questions you might have.
Can schools or colleges refer a young person directly?
No. Currently referrals come exclusively through Children’s Social Care, so that every young person has an allocated social worker overseeing safeguarding and risk. If you’re a school, college or voluntary sector professional, please raise your concern with Children’s Social Care, who can consider a referral to us.
What if risk is too high for 1:1 delivery?
This programme isn’t suitable where risk is too high, where active statutory intervention is needed, where the young person is in acute mental health crisis, or where legal conditions restrict engagement. In these cases, a different type of support is likely to be more appropriate — get in touch and we can talk through alternatives.
Does taking part criminalise the young person?
No. The approach is deliberately non-criminalising and developmental, grounded in adolescent brain science. The focus is on understanding what’s driving the behaviour and building the insight and skills to change it, not on punishment.
What if the young person doesn’t want to take part?
Participation is voluntary and depends on the young person’s informed consent. We can’t deliver 1:1 sessions without it, though Children’s Social Care may be able to discuss engagement with the young person as part of wider planning.
Is this only for romantic relationships, or does it cover family or peer conflict too?
The programme focuses specifically on harmful behaviour within a young person’s own current or former intimate relationship. It isn’t designed for generalised peer conflict or family-based behaviour, unless that overlaps with harm in a romantic relationship.
What happens when the programme ends?
Every young person is supported into an appropriate onward pathway at the end of the programme, so there’s continuity of support rather than a hard stop.
Get in touch
If you’re a professional working with a young person or family, and you think the could benefit from Future You, our team is here to help.
Email us at CYP@equation.org.uk