Pilgrim's Bumpy Flight: Helping Young Children Learn About Domestic Abuse Safety Planning

For effective and safe use, this book should be purchased alongside the professional guidebook. Both books can be purchased together as a set, Domestic Abuse Safety Planning with Young Children: A 'Pilgrim’s Bumpy Flight' Storybook and Professional Guide [9781032357997]

Pilgrim is a little plane who loves flying through the sky and zooming through big hoops with their friends. At home, however, Pilgrim experiences frightening behaviour from Jumbo, who represents the perpetrating parent, that makes them feel scared and sad. 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 trauma a young child may experience from domestic abuse can impact their entire developing system, making them feel worried, frightened, and unsafe. Safety planning is an essential component of direct work with children, offering a way to help them vocalise their feelings and understand what to do when something does not feel right, and this storybook is a key vessel for communication and exploration. The story, which is rhyming and engaging, enables young children to engage in the narrative in a non-threatening way. This book aims to be accessible to all children from all families where safety planning is needed as such the characters in it are non-gendered.

This beautifully illustrated storybook is a crucial tool for the early years sector, education staff and those working in children’s services, including safeguarding officers, family support workers, social workers and children’s IDVAs. This book is designed to be used alongside the companion guidebook, Domestic Abuse Safety Planning with Young Children: A Professional Guide. Both books should be used in tandem with agency policy, procedure and guidance.