Here's why North East schools are being urged to sign up to stalking prevention programme
Schools across Tyne and Wear are being urged to sign up to a specialist stalking prevention programme delivered by the Alice Ruggles Trust and commissioned by Police and Crime Commissioner, Susan Dungworth.
The Trust was set up in memory of Alice who was murdered in Gateshead on October 12, 2016, aged just 24.
She had been the victim of a stalking campaign by her murderer Trimaan Dhillon.
From September 2026, updated national Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) guidance will require schools to include teaching about stalking.
The Alice Ruggles Trust delivers age-appropriate assemblies that help young people recognise stalking behaviours, understand their impact, and know where to seek help.
In December (2025) the Government launched its new Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy detailing stalking as a key priority.
The strategy emphasises the need for prevention, early intervention and education — particularly among children and young people.
Northumbria’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Susan Dungworth, said: “Stalking can start young and can escalate if it is not challenged early. That’s why education is one of the most effective tools we have to prevent harm before it happens.
“Schools play a vital role in helping children and young people understand healthy relationships, boundaries and consent — including in online spaces.
“With stalking now included in updated RSHE guidance from September 2026, I am highlighting this programme to support our schools with this and I am encouraging them to plan ahead and take advantage of this programme from The Alice Ruggles Trust.
“Thousands of young people in our region have already received this vital education and I want to see it reach more and more.”
Office for National Statistics data shows that young people aged 16–19 are the age group most likely to experience stalking, with around 8.8% reporting stalking victimisation in the last year. Within this age group, more than one in ten young women and nearly one in fifteen young men reported being stalked.
Lydia Bond, Community Engagement Coordinator for Northumbria Police, said: “The Alice Ruggles Trust was established in Alice’s name to improve understanding of stalking through education.
“Our school programme helps young people recognise stalking behaviours, including those that occur online, whether they are experiencing, witnessing , or engaging in them, and to understand where to seek support.
“With stalking recognised as a priority within the national Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy and new RSHE requirements, this is a crucial opportunity for schools to embed specialist and evidence-based education that empowers students to challenge harmful behaviours and play a role in long-term prevention.”