'I want more self defence classes for women'

Tegan has been investigating the issue of self-defence classes to equip women and girls

The BBC West Midlands Young Reporter for 2024 is Tegan, aged 14, from Warwickshire. She has been researching the need among women and girls for self-defence classes.

A recent National Police Chiefs Council report found more than 3,000 incidents of violence against women and girls were recorded each day.

The report also suggested at least one in every 12 women would be a victim of abuse each year.

But despite those numbers, I've only been able to find five self-defence classes in the West Midlands that weren't martial arts groups.

Dene Josham from one of those programmes, Streetwise Defence, visited my school to train the girls there and told us: "I think it's empowering to help them realise they have all the skills they've already got."

Mr Josham said more police were needed and other elements needed to be looked at, but that it was important to equip young people to be able to look after themselves.

"The quickest fix I think is to empower young people, our women, our young women and men, to stay safe and come together as an alliance," he said.

Violence against women and girls has been declared a national emergency, with police recording a 37% increase in associated crimes between 2018 and 2023.

One of the teachers Sarah Foster said despite feeling safer as an adult, there were still situations in which she felt uncomfortable.

Some of Tegan's friends told her they felt inspired following the training session

My friends said they felt more confident and motivated after the self-defence session.

My head teacher Helen Bridge approved of us acquiring the self-defence skills, saying it was a school's duty to ensure pupils had the ability to avoid risk.

"I think it is so important that young people are confident in every situation," she said.

"I think in schools it's our duty when they go outside into the real world that they are confident and that they are able to keep themselves safe."