A group of youngsters from Suffolk with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are the brave stars of a hard-hitting video aimed at raising awareness of hate crime.
‘Stop the Hate’ features eight champions from the SEND Young Persons Network, and launches today (Thu) to mark National Hate Crime Awareness Week (Oct 12-19).
The youngsters asked SEND leaders in Suffolk to help them co-produce the video after recounting their personal experiences of learning disability abuse at a networking meeting last year.
Shot in black and white, the 1min 22sec video features clips of the champions – three girls and five boys – talking about how being subjected to the abuse have affected them.
It ends with one of them, a young girl, being comforted by a youth leader after breaking down in tears having recalled the time hurtful comments were aimed at her.
The video was produced in partnership with Suffolk County Council and Suffolk’s three NHS clinical commissioning groups, who are jointly responsible for SEND provision in the county.
Going forward, it will be shown in schools across the county to raise awareness of hate crime among young people.
Susie Tulk, engagement and co-production adviser with SCC’s Engagement Hub, said: “The video is hard-hitting, and some people will find it hard to watch.
