Community and citizenship: Samantha Jury-Dada
Community and citizenship: Samantha Jury-Dada
Author
Introduction
Young people experience the highest rates of domestic violence of any age group, but there is little public research on young women and girls who are involved with gang members and how this exposes them to violent abuse. Control and coercion are key to gang culture, yet the relationships that young women have with gang members have not been studied.
"It has undoubtedly shaped my career." - Samantha Jury-Dada, Fellow
Domestic abuse manager Samantha Jury-Dada (CF 2018) is working to identify and support women and girls associated with gangs. In February 2019 she launched her Fellow’s Report at City Hall in London, and its influence was shown when the Mayor of London referenced her research in Mayoral Question Time. Samantha has since engaged with senior politicians on this issue, including the Deputy Mayor of London. In 2020 she started to convene sessions with charities working on violence against women and girls (VAWG), youth justice and domestic abuse, supported by The National Lottery Community Fund. She has also undertaken consultancy work with local authorities to analyse their approach to youth justice and identify ways in which they can be more inclusive.
Following Samantha’s report launch, the CEO for the charity Oasis UK got in touch to discuss the development of their youth justice offer, to ensure their response was inclusive of the girls they wanted to support. As a consequence, Samantha is currently supporting the development of the UK’s first secure school, Oasis Restore, which will be an alternative to youth jail.
Samantha’s interest in youth violence and gender began when she was working as a councillor in the London borough of Southwark. After witnessing a young man being stabbed in the park, Samantha became involved in her local response and realised that nobody was discussing the women and girls in these young men's lives. Her Fellowship to the USA researched support for women and girls affected by gang violence in the USA.
Samantha says, “As someone who loves to learn, being able to design my own project, meet so many amazing individuals and then bring that learning back to the UK has been just incredible. It has undoubtedly shaped my career. Every year since I published my Report, I’ve been contacted by a variety of professionals who have read the Report and taken on board the issues and recommendations highlighted.”
"It has undoubtedly shaped my career." - Samantha Jury-Dada, Fellow
Domestic abuse manager Samantha Jury-Dada (CF 2018) is working to identify and support women and girls associated with gangs. In February 2019 she launched her Fellow’s Report at City Hall in London, and its influence was shown when the Mayor of London referenced her research in Mayoral Question Time. Samantha has since engaged with senior politicians on this issue, including the Deputy Mayor of London. In 2020 she started to convene sessions with charities working on violence against women and girls (VAWG), youth justice and domestic abuse, supported by The National Lottery Community Fund. She has also undertaken consultancy work with local authorities to analyse their approach to youth justice and identify ways in which they can be more inclusive.
Following Samantha’s report launch, the CEO for the charity Oasis UK got in touch to discuss the development of their youth justice offer, to ensure their response was inclusive of the girls they wanted to support. As a consequence, Samantha is currently supporting the development of the UK’s first secure school, Oasis Restore, which will be an alternative to youth jail.
Samantha’s interest in youth violence and gender began when she was working as a councillor in the London borough of Southwark. After witnessing a young man being stabbed in the park, Samantha became involved in her local response and realised that nobody was discussing the women and girls in these young men's lives. Her Fellowship to the USA researched support for women and girls affected by gang violence in the USA.
Samantha says, “As someone who loves to learn, being able to design my own project, meet so many amazing individuals and then bring that learning back to the UK has been just incredible. It has undoubtedly shaped my career. Every year since I published my Report, I’ve been contacted by a variety of professionals who have read the Report and taken on board the issues and recommendations highlighted.”