Identifying and responding to child sexual abuse – for the education workforce

School and college staff are particularly important, as they are in a position to identify concerns early, provide help for children, promote children’s welfare and prevent concerns from escalating.

Keeping Children Safe in Education, 2023

Right now, at least one in ten children in England and Wales will experience some form of child sexual abuse before the age of 16. Sadly, it continues to be the case that far more children are being sexually abused than are currently being identified or safeguarded

Very few children tell anyone that they have been sexually abused and if they do, they are most likely to tell someone they know and trust. So it is incredibly important that all teachers, pastoral staff and support staff develop a knowledge and understanding of child sexual abuse to ensure concerns do not go unnoticed.

Understanding how to identify and respond to child sexual abuse – a course for the education workforce is a course run across four 90-minute sessions which helps all professionals in education to develop their confidence in their response to child sexual abuse. Focusing on the scale and nature of child sexual abuse, its impact, the possible signs and indicators of such abuse, and how to talk to children when there are concerns, it is designed to help participants confidently apply learning in their own daily work.

Who is this course for?

This course is aimed all education professionals working in primary schools, secondary schools, colleges and relevant education settings. It is designed to help participants confidently cascade learning in their own education setting. Governors and trustees who want to develop their knowledge in this area will also benefit by attending.

Who will run the course?

This course will be led by an expert trainer who has significant experience in practice, training and working within education.

What can you expect to gain?

Following the course, you can expect to have a better understanding of:

• The scale and nature of child sexual abuse, with particular focus on intra-familial child sexual abuse and harmful sexual behaviour involving peers.
• How the impact of child sexual abuse presents in children and young people, with particular focus on how it may present in an education environment.
• How to build a picture of concerns of child sexual abuse, and when a referral to children’s services should be made.
• How children communicate their experiences of sexual abuse, and the role that you can play in helping them do this.

This course will give you a better understanding of how to support safeguarding in your school by increasing your knowledge of child sexual abuse and sexually harmful behaviours.

How will the course be run?

The course will be run across four 90-minute sessions:

• Session 1 – The scale and nature of child sexual abuse, and improving your knowledge and understanding of developmentally expected behaviours.
• Session 2 – The impact of child sexual abuse and harmful sexual behaviour, and how this can present in education settings. Understanding the potential signs and indicators of child sexual abuse and how to record these.
• Session 3 – Identifying challenges you may face in your setting and how these can be overcome. How barriers prevent children telling someone about the sexual abuse  and how to communicate with children where there are concerns.
• Session 4 – Understanding harmful sexual behaviour, including that which is technology-assisted. Understanding how a whole-school approach can help to safeguard all children.

This has been a hugely informative and interesting training programme … I will take away a lot of helpful information to share with colleagues and put into practice on the ground. The opportunity to discuss with colleagues and share experiences has been valuable. There is a lot in the approach that will be put to good use in training staff more widely.

Deputy head, Pastoral and Safeguarding Lead