The Alice Ruggles Trust Assembly Project Evaluation: Northumbria

Stalking is a prevalent and highly harmful crime yet is frequently romanticised in popular culture. Given societal misconceptions of stalking and high prevalence rates, it is important to educate and empower young people to recognise unhealthy behaviours, including those associated with stalking, and know where to access appropriate support. In response to these concerns, the Alice Ruggles Trust (ART) developed a free 30-minute school assembly package (assembly) that is suitable for pupils in Year 9 and above. The assembly aims to help pupils: (1) recognise what stalking is; (2) understand that stalking should be taken seriously; (3) know where to go for support or information; and (4) know how to help a friend or family member. Having secured funds from the Durham Police and Crime Commissioner to pilot the ART Assembly Project in County Durham and Darlington in December 2023 (Scott et al., 2025), the ART secured funds from the Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner to evaluate the ART Assembly Project in Northumbria in November 2024. Working in partnership with the ART, an independent research team – based at Goldsmiths, University of London, the University of Kent and the University of Derby – completed a combined process and outcome evaluation to assess the effectiveness of the assembly in achieving its goals. The process evaluation aimed to assess the capacity of schools to deliver the assembly as intended, ensuring that educators had the necessary tools, resources, and support to present the material effectively. The outcome evaluation was designed to assess how well the assembly achieves its goals, with a pre-post design and a specific focus on increasing pupils’ understanding of stalking, its seriousness, and the support available.