West Dunbartonshire Council is to host a series of summits as part of a bid to finally put an end to domestic abuse.

The events, which are taking place throughout this year, will focus on prevention and aim to change generational behaviour through education.

Representatives from the council, as well as from partners Police Scotland, the Youth Alliance and the Champions Board, will visit secondary schools to hear first-hand what young people think of domestic abuse.

As previously told by the Reporter, this will make pupils in Dumbarton and the Vale the first in Scotland to be taught about the issue in a bid to help them grow into adults with a zero tolerance approach to domestic violence.

Read more: Domestic abuse incidents falling in Dumbarton and the Vale

Another summit, expected in September, will show the work the public sector has been doing to combat the issue.

While, a third event, expected to take place in November, will seek to engage with the community and show them how to access support to help friends or neighbours experiencing domestic abuse.

Council Leader Jonathan McColl and the board’s chairman, said: “I am delighted to see our hard work in reducing cases of domestic abuse is ongoing. With our No Home for Domestic Abuse campaign, we are helping existing victims, but this gives us a two-pronged approach which gets right to the heart of the issue by changing attitudes and preventing abuse before it happens.

“There is a generational attitude to domestic violence, and it’s vital that we change that for the next one – through prevention, intervention and education.”

Caroline McAllister, deputy leader of the Council and its Violence Against Women Champion added: “We have done a lot of work on domestic abuse, but we are also aware that this area faces a lot of challenges and that there is much more work to be done.”

Read more: Dumbarton and Vale pupils to be taught about domestic abuse

A recently published year-to-date report from police has shown that domestic abuse crimes have fallen in Dumbarton and the Vale during the past year.

Incidents involving abuse in the home have reduced by 10.6 per cent with 112 reported.

A further 77 ended up being taken to court by authorities.