Guidance for Schools and Colleges Safeguarding children from Sexual Violence Harmful Practices Guidance for Schools and Colleges Foreword from Commander Sue Williams Metropolitan Police Service, Head of Profession for Safeguarding I am delighted to present the MPS Guidance We accept that we do not have all the for Schools and Colleges: Safeguarding answers as the issues are complex and Children from Sexual Violence, Child Sexual multifaceted. What we can do is generate an Exploitation and Harmful Practices. The open discussion on the response to these aim of this guidance is to safeguard our sensitive issues and promote the sharing of most vulnerable people and empower information and best practice to encourage professionals to make a difference in collaboration between all those working to protecting London’s younger communities safeguard young people. by creating opportunities for professionals I hope that you find the guidance to be a to achieve excellence in safeguarding those useful tool and that this will help us to work who need it most. together more effectively to keep our young We recognise schools and colleges play people in London safe. a vital role in our communities. They are themselves a community, as teachers, pupils and those involved in their governance and administration share common goals that include helping to keep young people safe. This comprehensive and easy to follow guide Commander Sue Williams explores a number of threats and trends, including harmful practices, sexual violence, indecent images of children and child sexual exploitation. I know that the response to these issues is a challenge for all concerned and this guidance will assist colleagues working with young people. The guidance explores these issues from a practical policing perspective. It highlights how the relevant legislation works and what the police response may look like, as well as identifying warning signs for schools to assist them to respond effectively within their existing referral pathways. 3 Guidance for Schools and Colleges Foreword by Matt Miller MBE National Leader of Governance Advocate Safeguarding is never far from our thoughts This Guidance provides far more than a whether we are paid professionals working compendium of offences and unlawful in schools and colleges, or serving there as practices, as helpful as that is. It also volunteers, like governors. Yet, with each provides insight and practical guidance on passing year and in spite of unprecedented how to deal with the type of concerns which attention, safeguarding presents even more are often problematical, but not necessarily challenges to those who seek to keep our criminal, in schools such as ‘sexting’, an children and young people safe from harm. unintended by-product of the digital age. It also helps us to see what may be happening It is not simply enough to provide a safe in plain sight but is not immediately obvious, learning environment; we must also consider particularly in terms of harmful practices the risks that extend beyond the school gate which may not be recognisable but are and after the school bell. We must keep pace nevertheless equally devastating to victims. with the growing threats posed by those who It makes us think and reflect on how we could peddle their poison around the clock through improve further still, with the ‘Schools Charter the internet and social media sites. We must on Ending Harmful Practices’ providing a take action to prevent sexualised behaviour rigorous benchmark against which schools between peers in or out of school becoming and colleges can review their safeguarding the new norm. We must be vigilant to the practices and protocols. signs and indicators which suggest a pupil might be at risk of radicalisation, or child Above all, this Guidance demonstrates how sexual exploitation, or modern-day slavery, law enforcement and education can lock or female genital mutilation, or forced arms in promoting the highest standards marriage or witchcraft. The list seems of safeguarding through the sharing of endless, but above all, we must never take professional knowledge and practices. our eye off the ball. Having served as a school governor for 20 years in many different schools, I highly We live in an increasingly diverse world commend this Guidance to all those who where tolerance and respect for our differing uphold the words of William Wilberforce, cultures and beliefs lie at the heart of our “You may choose to look the other way but you communities. This means that we need to can never say again that you did not know”. listen, understand and educate what is right and what is wrong and stand by the values which enable our young people to flourish. We also need to have the confidence and courage to stand up against those who deal in harm, not just the ubiquitous predators who target the vulnerable, but the less obvious; those who hide behind the veil of so-called honour or faith to wreak misery. 4 Guidance for Schools and Colleges Contents Scope of this guidance 7 Why this guidance is timely 9 Why this guidance is needed 10 Initial action schools and colleges should take 10 Rape 12 Actions police will take 14 Sexting 15 Sexting and next steps for schools and colleges 17 Scenario 1 20 Scenario 2 20 Scenario 3 21 Scenario 4 21 Actions police will take when investigating sexting 23 Child Sexual Exploitation 26 Signs a child is being Sexually Exploited 28 CSE and next steps for schools and colleges 30 CSE and actions for the police 31 Contextual Safeguarding 32 Abuse Linked to Faith or Belief 33 Children at risk 34 Identifying children at risk 35 Things for professionals to consider 35 5 Guidance for Schools and Colleges Honour based abuse 37 Children at risk 38 Signs that a child is being subjected to HBA 38 Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) 39 Signs that a girl is at risk of FGM 40 Indicators that a girl has undergone FGM 41 FGM and Next Steps for Schools and Colleges 41 Mandatory Reporting 42 Female Genital Mutilation Protection Order’s (FGMPO) 43 Failure to protect a girl from FGM 43 Forced Marriage (FM) 44 Signs that an individual may be facing Forced Marriage 44 Family history that could suggest increased risk of Forced Marriage 45 Some reasons why Forced Marriage happen 45 Forced Marriage and Next Steps for Schools and Colleges 46 Forced Marriage Protection Orders (FMPO) 49 Breast Ironing (also known as Breast Flattening) 50 Warning signs that a girl could be at risk of breast ironing or breast flattening 50 Warning signs that a girl is undergoing breast ironing or flattening 51 Health consequences of breast ironing / breast flattening 51 Actions police take when investigating Harmful Practices involving children 52 Schools Charter on Ending Harmful Practices 53 Considerations for Schools and Colleges 59 Schools Guidance – Further Information and Resources 60 6 Guidance for Schools and Colleges Scope of this guidance The aim of this guidance is to assist age and other grounds as well as multiple governing bodies, proprietors, head and/or intersecting forms of discrimination teachers, senior leadership teams, that often involve violence and cause physical designated safeguarding leads and staff to and/or psychological harm or suffering’. understand the range of harms related to This document provides information on some sexual violence, sexual abuse and harmful of the more serious abusive behaviours police practices. It is designed to support front line need to be made aware of and describe both professionals in situations or incidents that the police and schools’/colleges’ response to require a safeguarding response. Part of these safeguarding matters. this response will on occasion include the reporting of criminal offences. Although pursuing an alleged offender through a criminal justice route may not always be Police have written the guidance to support in a child’s interests, recording the alleged schools and colleges responding to complex or suspected crime is essential for the issues that are both safeguarding concerns purposes of accountability and for planning and criminal offences. It aims to improve appropriate responses. Pursuing evidence the identification of vulnerability and either to confirm or to discount an allegation enhance information sharing to enhance the is particularly important for identifying from safeguarding response children receive. whom, and in what way, a child might need to This guidance outlines what schools and be protected in the future. Only the police can colleges should consider and the action undertake this task2. they should take when concerns are raised This guidance is not intended to replace relating to sexual violence, sexting, child existing policies or procedures, especially sexual exploitation and harmful practices. Keeping children safe in education: for Harmful practices cover a range of practices, schools and colleges 2018 (updated 2019) not all of which are covered by current which is the statutory safeguarding guidance legislation. From a policing perspective, to which all schools and colleges3 in England harmful practices include Female Genital must have regard. It has been written Mutilation (FGM), Forced Marriage (FM), following consultation to address a gap that Honour Based Abuse (HBA), Child Abuse exists in relation to schools and colleges’ Linked to Faith or Belief (CALFB) and Breast awareness of police support available for Ironing (also known as Breast Flattening). specific safeguarding matters and how best They can be traditional, re-emerging or to deal with them. emerging practices. According to the United Nations1 harmful practices are ‘persistent practices and behaviours that are grounded on discrimination on the basis of sex, gender, 1 Joint general recommendation No.31 of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women/general comment No.18 of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on harmful practices 2 In harm’s way: The role of the police in keeping children safe – July 2015.