EXCLUSIVE: Conversations about consent 'essential' in tackling child on child sex assaults in Merseyside schools
Our investigation has uncovered a growing trend of child on child sex abuse on school grounds across Merseyside and Cheshire over the last five years, according to police figures.
A school safeguarding expert says conversations about consent are 'an essential part of almost every aspect of school work', following our exclusive investigation into child on child sexual assaults in schools across Merseyside and Cheshire.
Dr Matthew Round; a researcher in sex education, safeguarding, educational leadership and management at the University of Portsmouth, is responding to figures obtained from police which reveal a total of 377 cases were investigated by the forces in Merseyside and Cheshire between 2019-2023 where a child aged 16 or younger sexually assaulted another child on school premises.
Dr Round, a former school deputy head of pastoral, believes the key to broaching these topics with children is to be honest and transparent: "It's about having an open dialogue. The exposure that children get to the rich tapestry of the world around us through the device in the palm of their hand means they're not as sheltered as they were 10 to 15 years ago.
"Try having a conversation about what you're watching on TV together. If there are instances of abusive or coercive behaviours on a film that you're watching, ask them about why they don't think that's okay and what it is that makes them feel uncomfortable. Trying to tease out those conversations can be really quite powerful.
"If you suddenly sit down with your teenage child and tell them you're going to have a really complicated conversation about sexual abuse, the barriers are likely to go up. So if you start small and open up those passages of dialogue you're more likely to get a longer term response from them."
Dr Round told us conversations about consent should be weaved in to home life wherever possible: "There needs to be a very clear, consistent and continual conversation about consent. It's not just about sexual activity, it's about relationship activity too. It's about what feels uncomfortable and what you want to do; from holding hands, to having a kiss with your boyfriend, all the way up to having an engaged sexual relationship with your consensual sexual partner.
"There needs to be a clear framework of conversations happening so that everybody knows what is and isn't okay. Consent can mean different things to different people, and equally there are different types of consent: Informed consent, implied consent and what those things look like in different situations can be quite nuanced too."
Where can I get support if I've been a victim?
If you've been affected by any of the content of this article, you can report incidents to your local police force or safeguarding teams within your school.
You can also access alternative support here:
Victims of sexual assault can speak to the teams at Victim Support or Childline.
Survivors are anonymously sharing accounts of their experiences via the Everyone's Invited project here.
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