Harmful sexual behaviour in schools

Why is it important for schools, colleges and academies to be aware of harmful sexual behaviour?

Around a third of child sexual abuse is by other children or young people (Hackett, 2014). Educational settings play a key role in identifying and preventing harmful sexual behaviour. However, this can be difficult to manage without adversely affecting the education of both the child and young person that has experienced the abuse and the child who has displayed the behaviour.

• the issues schools, colleges and academies are currently seeing and why there’s an increase in sexualised behaviour in young people
• what healthy, problematic and harmful behaviours are and how you can respond appropriately 
• how children and young people are affected, including those who display sexualised behaviour 
• what you can do to balance needs so that safeguarding is prioritised without affecting education.

• Fiona Barber, Children’s Service Practitioner at the National Clinical Assessment and Treatment Service (NCATS)
• Pat Branigan, the NSPCC’s Development and Impact Manager for Children’s Services and lead on harmful sexual behaviour
• Lucy Dawes and Jacqui Ferris, Assistant Principals at Ormiston Academy Trust and Academy Transformation Trust