Jayne King, Chair, UK Security Commonwealth
Mike Hurst discussed with Jayne King, Chair, UK Security Commonwealth, her priorities for security, individuals, organisations and the public sector in 2022
An area of concern not just for security professionals but for the wider society is Violence Against Women and Girls. This topic was covered well at the ASC’s annual CONSEC event in October, where we heard from Victims’ Commissioner Dame Vera Baird QC and The Suzy Lamplugh Trust, with Security Commonwealth (SyCom) Chair, Jayne King, also featuring as part of a panel discussion on the subject.
The panel outlined the huge extent of the issue with 28% of women experiencing some form of violence or abuse in their lifetimes. They support a whole-system approach with all parts of the community, including the security sector working together. They highlighted the work of a number of organisations in this area. In particular, domestic violence charity Refuge and its initiatives to combat online abuse; joint schemes in the Night Time Economy, for example, training for security officers; projects in education settings to protect children at risk; bystander projects in football clubs encouraging people to speak up against abuse; the Corporate Alliance against Domestic Abuse promoting strategic in-house plans to support members of staff who may be experiencing abuse; and the National Stalking helpline.
The discussion culminated in Jayne King saying: “Don’t be a bystander. If you hear something or see something you know is not right, be brave, stand up. We need to develop a culture where these kinds of behaviour are just not acceptable. It’s just not ok for the current levels of violence against women and girls to continue.”
Written on behalf of the Security Commonwealth by Mike Hurst CPP® CPOI FREC MSyI
