‘Schools, colleges and multi-agency partners [should] act as though sexual harassment and online sexual abuse are happening, even when there are no specific reports.’ (Ofsted, 2021)
Schools play a vital role in preventing sexual harm before it happens. Teachers understand how a child best learns and develops skills and understanding. Schools play a wider role in pastoral care, role modelling, developing resilience, creating friendships and social skills, instilling boundaries and a promoting a culture of respectful attitudes and behaviour.
6 things you can do prevent harmful sexual behaviour in your school
1. Understand how harmful sexual behaviour happens at your school
There are self-assessment tools available to help you understand the patterns, places, and specific circumstances that put pupils at your school at risk. The Beyond Referrals toolkit offers self-assessment methods including pupil and staff surveys and hotspot mapping.
In Scotland, the Equally Safe at School toolkit provides a whole-school programme to prevent gender-based violence and promote equality in secondary schools.
2. Teach pupils about healthy sexual behaviour
In our work with schools, staff have told us they need clear guidance and great lesson plan resources to teach pupils about healthy sexual behaviour. In our focus groups with pupils, they told us they need trusted sources of information and ways to access support anonymously.
Here are some great teaching resources we’d recommend teachers to use:
- Talk Relationships (NSPCC) has comprehensive lessons plans, staff training, and whole school guidance on healthy relationships, gender-based violence, online safety, consent, and sexual behaviour.
- RSHP curriculum of excellence is the national Relationships, Sexual Health and Parenthood (RSHP) education resource in Scotland. It provides free, accessible teaching and learning materials for use in early years, primary, secondary, ASN settings, colleges, and community learning.
- Think Before you Share (IWF) offers guidance, lesson plans and resources to help you teach secondary-aged students about the risks of sharing sexual images online.
- Enough, run by the UK Government, provides free, ready‑to‑use teaching resources to help secondary schools address violence against women and girls (VAWG).
There is anonymous support for young people worried about harmful sexual behaviour
We created Shore as a safe pace for young people worried about harmful sexual behaviour.
Young people can get anonymous and confidential guidance and advice through our live chat service, and support with their concerns about their own or someone else’s sexual behaviour.
We can provide Shore stickers, leaflets, and other resources to help you promote Shore in your school.
3. Build a culture of bystanders
Many young people want to intervene, but don’t always know how. There are resources that can help them. The Speak Up/Out manual contains training for pupils and staff.
In Scotland, the Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) programme is a student-led programme that gives pupils the opportunity to take a leadership role in challenging gender-based violence.
4. Engage parents and carers
Prevention doesn’t stop at the school gates. Schools can play a vital role in helping parents and carers to help their children.
There are resources that can help schools work with parents and carers to prevent harmful sexual behaviour. Ask the Awkward (CEOP) are a set of tools to help parents and carers to talk with their children about relationships, sex, and online safety.
5. Strengthen policies and procedures
Preventing harmful sexual behaviour relies on systems that are clear, consistent, and trusted.
Our managing incidents page can help you think through the processes you have in place for responding to incidents of problematic or harmful sexual behaviour. In addition, the Centre of expertise in child sexual abuse have created two detailed guides to help you implement a whole school approach to child sexual abuse, as well as respond when incidents occur.
You should also be aware of the key government guidelines and frameworks to inform your policies, linked below for easy access.
Keeping children safe in education
This is statutory guidance for all schools and colleges in England.
Guidance for education settings on peer sexual abuse, exploitation and harmful sexual behaviour
This guidance from the Welsh government supports schools and colleges in Wales.
Preventing and responding to gender based violence: a whole school framework
This framework from the Scottish Government supports to those working with and in schools to develop and strengthen universal and targeted approaches to gender-based violence.
6. Increase staff confidence with training
We provide training courses and webinars based on insights and evidence from our ‘Everyone’s Safer’ action research project, during which we worked with over 300 schools.
Our specialists can support you
Any school staff member can contact us for free, confidential advice.
In addition, we can provide a free one-hour call back to help you understand behaviour, with safety planning, guidance on engaging parents and advice for students with additional needs.
Contact our Stop It Now helpline on 0808 1000 900 or email us.