Catherine Lawler, Nicky Armstrong (Illustrator)

9781032357997

2024 Routledge

Domestic Abuse Safety Planning with Young Children is a set comprised of a beautifully illustrated storybook and accompanying guide which focus specifically on safety planning with young children, aged 5-7, experiencing domestic abuse. This book aims to be accessible to all children from all families where safety planning is needed and, as such, the characters in it are non-gendered.

In Pilgrim’s Bumpy Flight, Pilgrim is a little plane who experiences frightening behaviour at home from Jumbo, who represents the perpetrating parent. Pilgrim is comforted and guided by Jet, who represents the victim/survivor parent, to think about safety and what to do when frightening things are happening. The story, which uses simple rhymes, enables young children to engage in the narrative in a non-threatening way. Safety planning is an essential component of direct work with children and the accompanying professional guide provides up-to date information on domestic abuse, childhood trauma, practice tips, and how to complete a safety plan with a young child using the storybook as the key vessel of communication and exploration.