Tag: Relationships Sexual Health and Parenthood education

NSPCC reveals almost one in four adults in Scotland believe current sex education does not help children understand online abuse

Charity calls for change at Scottish Parliament event

  • 24% of adults in Scotland believe that current Relationships, Sexual Health and Parenting (RSHP) education does not help children to understand online abuse
  • 95% believed it was important to include content about online safety risks and staying safe online in relationships and sex education in schools
  • Provision of this education in Scotland is patchy and inconsistent
  • NSPCC calls for mandatory provision, more detailed guidance and greater prioritisation in the curriculum

The NSPCC reveals that almost one in four adults in Scotland (24%) believe that current Relationships, Sexual Health and Parenting (RSHP) education does not help children to understand online abuse, as the charity calls for it to be made age-appropriate, consistent and relevant for all children in the country.

The YouGov poll, which was commissioned by the NSPCC and surveyed over 1,000 adults across Scotland, also found that95 per cent of participants believed it was important to include content about online safety risks and staying safe online in relationships and sex education in schools and that over two-thirds of adults (67 per cent) believed it should be made compulsory.

The charity held an event at Scottish Parliament on Wednesday (14 January) to highlight why it is vital that the Scottish Government introduces a statutory duty for schools in Scotland to provide relevant relationships and sex education.

The charity is also calling for RSHP to be an educational priority and mandatory part of the curriculum, and for schools to receive more detailed guidance on the subject so there is consistency in the way it is taught.

At the event, which was sponsored by Martin Whitfield MSP and led by young people, speakers and guests were asked to explore why RSHP education is so important for children and young people.

One young woman’s terrifying experience of being sexually exploited online by an older man was read out at the event.

Aoife, 22, from East Kilbride, was 15 when a man, pretending to be a teenage boy, started chatting with her online and asked her to send him images of herself. He then attempted to control her behaviour by blackmailing her with these, threatening to share them with her friends and family on Facebook.  

Aoife, NSPCC Lived Experience Advocate, said: “Through what started as a casual conversation online, he was able to start controlling what I did in real life, within a matter of hours. I remember it was 3am and I was sitting in my room, just shaking. I felt like I was the only person in the world and started crying.

“I want to help to make children safer online by sharing my story because, right now, the online world isn’t safe enough. I would like to help prevent other young people from going through the same experience as me in the future.

“You might hear stories about things like this and think ‘it won’t happen to me’. Parents think ‘that won’t happen to my children’ but it does. I want to raise awareness of that and help change things.

“If any other young person experiences this, I’d urge them to tell an adult they trust straight away. It feels like the worst thing in the world at the time but telling a trusted adult is the only way you can get the help you need.”

Rachel Talbot (19), from Angus, NSPCC Lived Experience Advocate, said: “At my school RSHP was taught the same way as English or Maths which made the whole experience incredibly awkward and difficult to properly engage with class discussions.

“It’s a personal and often sensitive topic so it’s better to teach smaller groups where the young people can develop trust, rather than having them ask awkward questions in a large class.

“The online world is such a central part of growing up now and young people need to know how to look out for themselves in these spaces. It’s especially important that discussions around the types of content they might come across is at the forefront of the curriculum.

“Young people are often exposed to inaccurate representations of healthy relationships and sex online, and if this isn’t discussed, they could develop an unhealthy view of how these things should work in the real world.”

While RSHP is part of the health and wellbeing area of Curriculum for Excellence, local areas have discretion about what is taught and when.

The NSPCC has found from its campaign work across the country that young people think the delivery of RSHP education is patchy and insufficient and the charity believes that many children could be missing out on vital knowledge that could protect them from harm and abuse.

Joanna Barrett, NSPCC Associate Head of Policy, said: ““Unfortunately, we know from our work with young people across Scotland that not all pupils receive relevant and consistent relationships, sex and health education.

“In all other nations in the UK it’s mandatory to teach this subject to children and young people. It helps them recognise healthy and unhealthy relationships and abusive behaviours in others and themselves, and we believe it can help to prevent harm to children, online and offline.

“Young people have a right to this fundamental education, and to be involved in influencing the way it’s delivered, so that it’s up-to-date and relevant to them.

“We are calling on the Scottish Government to prioritise RSHP education and ensure that teachers and schools are adequately resourced to deliver it.”

The youth-led Young Women Know campaign on healthy relationships, safe spaces, and consent on and offline was delivered by NSPCC Scotland and The Young Women’s Movement, over the last six years, with support from Angus Council, Perth and Kinross Council and Dundee City Council.  

The young women who led the campaign, which included the ‘Oor Fierce Girls’, ‘Bold Girls Ken’, and ‘Brave Lassies Blether’ projects, created resources which have been added to the Relationships and Sexual Health and Parenthood (RSHP.scot) education website for children and young people.

This means they are available to schools, colleges and community-based learning as part of the Curriculum for Excellence.  

Young people looking for support on any of the issues mentioned, can contact Childline on 0800 1111 or visit Childline.org.uk. Childline is available to all young people until their 19th birthday.

NSPCC calls for all children in Scotland to have access to relationships and sex education

  • Relevant and consistent relationships and sex education is fundamental to encouraging positive behaviour and helps protect children from abuse
  • Provision of this education in Scotland is patchy and inconsistent
  • NSPCC calls for statutory duty to provide, more detailed guidance and greater prioritisation in the curriculum

The NSPCC is calling for all schools in Scotland to provide age-appropriate, consistent and relevant relationships and sex education to children and young people, as it reveals that over two-thirds of adults (67%) in Scotland believe it should be compulsory.

The YouGov survey, commissioned by the NSPCC, of over 1,000 adults across Scotland, also found that at least 90% of adults think it is important that relationships and sex education should include children and young people being taught about healthy and unhealthy friendships and relationships (90%); the types of abuse and how to seek help (94%); and online risks including risks of sending and sharing nude images of someone under the age of 18 (93%).

Despite the public backing for all schools in Scotland to teach relationships and sex education, the NSPCC has found from its campaigns work across the country that young people consider the delivery of Relationships, Sexual Health and Parenthood (RSHP) education patchy and insufficient. The charity believes that without a stronger statutory foundation, many children will miss out on vital knowledge that could protect them from harm.

NSPCC research and international studies show that consistent, relevant, inclusive and age-appropriate relationships and sex education helps children and young people:

  • Understand healthy and unhealthy relationships
  • Develop empathy, respect and responsibility in relationships
  • Recognise inappropriate behaviour and abuse
  • Speak up and seek help when something is wrong
  • Navigate online risks and pressures

There is also evidence to show it plays a crucial role in breaking down barriers and taboos, giving young people the language to express their experiences, and fosters a positive school culture, helping to tackle poor behaviour.

While RSHP is part of the health and wellbeing area of Curriculum for Excellence, local areas have discretion about what is taught and when. National guidance on RSHP is currently being redeveloped following a consultation carried out by the Scottish Government in 2023.

To ensure every child in Scotland receives appropriate, high-quality relationships and sex education, the NSPCC Scotland is calling for:

  • Statutory duty for education authorities to provide it
  • Stronger recognition of children and young people’s right to this education, and their right to be involved in its delivery, in line with the UN’s Convention on the Rights of the Child
  • Clear and practical guidance for schools with examples of how RSHP should be delivered and tools to track and measure children’s learning
  • Adequate funding, professional training, time and resources for teachers to deliver effective RSHP
  • Regular monitoring and review by Education Scotland

Joanna Barrett, NSPCC Associate Head of Policy, said: “We believe it’s crucial that every child and young person in Scotland has access to high-quality, inclusive, relevant and age-appropriate RSHP education.

“It is essential to preventing abuse, and teaches young people about how to recognise healthy, unhealthy and abusive behaviours in others and themselves. However, we know from our work with young people that not all pupils in Scotland receive consistent education in this area.

“All other countries in the UK have recognised the importance of this education and have placed it on a statutory footing. It is critical that the Scottish Government shows it truly values RSHP education by upholding the rights of every child to receive it and ensuring teachers and schools are adequately resourced to deliver it.”

Bold Girls Ken, delivered in partnership with NSPCC Scotland, Perth and Kinross Council and the Young Women’s Movement, saw young women from Perthshire campaign for greater awareness of healthy relationships and consent, on and offline.

Fatima Ishaq, a participant of Young Women Know, said: “Better quality RSHP education is vital. From my experience, and so many other young people across the country, RSHP education is inconsistent and fails to reflect the diverse lived experiences of young people.

“By creating safe and non-judgemental spaces for young people to speak openly about topics like healthy relationships, we can empower them and build their knowledge and confidence.

“High quality RSHP means young people can better understand their bodies, feelings, rights and the experiences of others; reducing stigma and supporting young people to make informed choices.”

Young people looking for support on any of the issues mentioned, can contact Childline on 0800 1111 or visit Childline.org.uk. Childline is available to all young people until their 19th birthday.