PANTS resources for schools and teachers

Working with diverse groups

Help for parents or children with learning difficulties

We want every parent or carer to be able to talk PANTS with their child, and have created a number of guides to help with this.

If you are aware of any parents in your school community who would benefit from specialised materials, please share the relevant PANTS guides:

• for children with learning disabilities 
• for children with learning disabilities (in Welsh)
• for parents/carers of children who have autism 
• for parents/carers who have learning disabilities 
• for parents/carers who have learning disabilities (in Welsh)

The Underwear Rule for d/Deaf children

Recorded with British Sign Language and subtitles, this video aims to teach d/Deaf children about the Underwear Rule and encourages them to share secrets that upset them with a trusted adult.

Curriculum links for England

Early Years

The Underwear Rule supports the statutory framework for the Early Years foundation stage.

Personal, social and emotional development

Pupils learn:

• to talk about their own and others' behaviour, its consequences, and to know that some behaviour is unacceptable

Making relationships

Pupils learn:

• to form positive relationships with adults and others.

Key Stage 1 (PSHE)

There is no statutory framework for PSHE at Key Stage 1, but the National Curriculum framework states that schools need to make provision for the subject.

PSHE core theme 1: Health and Wellbeing

Pupils learn:

• ways of keeping physically and emotionally safe
• how to make informed choices about health and wellbeing and to recognise sources of help with this.

PSHE core theme 2: Relationships

Pupils learn:

• how to recognise risky or negative relationships including all forms of bullying and abuse
• how to respond to risky or negative relationships and ask for help.

> Find out more about the PSHE curriculum on the PSHE Assocication website

Curriculum links for Northern Ireland

Key Stage 1 and 2

Personal Development and Mutual Understanding (PDMU)

Personal Development and Mutual Understanding is one of the statutory elements of the curriculum in Northern Ireland. This is organised into different themes, one of which is 'Safety'. Pupils should be enabled to explore strategies and skills for how to keep safe in familiar and unfamiliar environments.
Foundation Stage: Theme 4a Safety – Strand One: Personal Understanding and Health

Pupils learn:

• to explore appropriate personal safety strategies
• to explore feelings associated with being safe/not safe.
• to identify simple strategies for keeping safe e.g. say 'no', get help
• to identify people who help to keep us safe throughout the day
• to identify situations that are safe and those where personal safety may be at risk.

Key stage 1: Theme 4a Safety – Strand One: Personal Understanding and Health

Pupils learn:

• what to do or whom to seek help from when feeling unsafe
• to develop simple safety rules and strategies to protect themselves from potentially dangerous situations.

Key stage 2: Theme 4a Safety – Strand One: Personal Understanding and Health

Pupils learn:

• to develop strategies to resist unwanted peer/sibling pressure and behaviour
• to become aware of the potential danger of relationships with strangers or acquaintances, including good and bad touches.

> Find out more about the PDMU curriculum from NI Curriculum (PDF)

Curriculum links for Scotland

Early and First

Health and Wellbeing

Health and Wellbeing is part of the Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) in Scotland. CfE is a framework and its implementation is decided by local authorities and/or individual schools.

Pupils learn:

• to understand positive things about friendships and relationships, and who they can talk to if they are worried or upset
• to develop their understanding of the human body, using this knowledge to maintain and improve their wellbeing and health.

> Find out more about the Health and Wellbeing curriculum from Education Scotland

Curriculum links for Wales

Personal and Social Education (PSE) curriculum

Health and Emotional Wellbeing

Health and Emotional Wellbeing is a feature of Personal and Social Education at Key Stage 2. PSE is part of the basic curriculum in Wales for 7-16 year olds.

Pupils learn:

• the importance of personal safety
• how to distinguish between appropriate and inappropriate touching
• what to do or to whom to go when feeling unsafe.

> Find out more about the PSE curriculum fom Learning Wales

Books to read with your class

Here are some books you can read with your class that tie in to what they'll learn with the Underwear Rule, as well as other sensitive subjects.

• For Under 5s
• For 5 to 11 year olds
• For 12 to 16 year olds
• For parents and carers
• For people working with children

> Search the NSPCC Library catalogue for more books

Under 5s

Some parts are not for sharing
By Julie Le Frederico
Friendly fish and underwater scenes are used to give a simple message about private body parts and safe touch. Encourages children to tell an adult if someone asks or tries to touch them in a "private area".

'I said no!': a kid-to-kid guide to keeping private parts private
By Zach King and Kimberly King
Explains what private body parts are, good and bad touching, scenarios of what someone may say, what to do if you feel uncomfortable, who trusted adults are and what to do if no one listens or believes you. Includes advice on reading the book with children.

No means no: teaching children about personal boundaries, respect and consent; empowering kids by respecting their choices and their right to say, 'no'
By Jayneen Sanders
Illustrated storybook for children aged 3-9 years to teach them about personal boundaries and their right to autonomy over their body. Designed to be read by an adult to a child, the book includes ideas for discussion questions related to each scenario described. Aims to empower children to have the confidence to speak up if they are unhappy or feel uncomfortable in any situation.

My body: what I say goes: a book to empower and teach children about personal body safety, feelings, safe and unsafe touch, private parts, secrets and surprises, consent, and respectful relationships
By Jayneen Sanders
Illustrated children's book to help children learn about personal body safety, private parts, secrets and surprises and the importance of having a safety network. A discussion questions section is included for parents, caregivers and teachers to assist in further conversation. Aimed at 4 to 8 year olds.

This is my body and it belongs to me: an introduction to sexual abuse prevention and response for children ages 3 and up
By Alisha Hawthorne-Martinez
Helps parents, carers, teachers and practitioners talk to young children about sexual abuse: how to recognise it, how to respond and how to prevent it from happening.

5 to 11 year olds

No trespassing: this is my body
By Pattie Fitzgerald
Older sister Katie and younger brother Kyle learn about personal safety, private parts, and good and bad touches. Includes a guide for parents with prevention tips for recognising possible signs of child abuse.

An exceptional children's guide to touch: teaching social and physical boundaries to kids
By Hunter Manasco and Katharine Manasco
Illustrated booked aimed at children with special needs. Six stories explain: friendly touch; accidental touch; hurtful touch; self-touching; what to do if touch feels inappropriate; and, issues surrounding the use of cameras and recording devices. Includes information for adults on keeping children with special needs safe.

It's my body: a book to teach young children how to resist uncomfortable touch
By Lory Freeman
Gives examples of different types of touches to help children to recognise and resist uncomfortable touch. Covers touches that are: nice, acceptable but unwelcome, unpleasant but necessary (for example from doctors) and unacceptable. Stresses a child's right to protect their body.

12 to 16 year olds

Child abuse (Issues Today Series, Vol. 28)
By Christina Hughes (ed.)
This textbook-style booklet provides an introduction to the topic of child abuse. It discusses what child abuse is, UK statistics, stranger danger, child marriage, peer-to-peer abuse, sexual abuse, internet safety and the child protection system. Includes case studies and a selection of assignments to aid exploration of the ideas, facts and opinions presented in the resource. Quotes information sources including newspaper articles, magazines, government reports and statistics and surveys.

Banish your self-esteem thief: a cognitive behavioural therapy workbook on building self-esteem for young people
By Kate Collins-Donnelly
Workbook for children, 10-years and older, to use on their own or with a parent, carer or practitioner. Uses cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and mindfulness techniques to help children and young people to understand the causes and impact of low self-esteem and to build positive self-esteem. Includes activities, real-life stories, a self-esteem quiz and information for parents and professionals on how to support children and young people using the book.

Zipit
By Childline
Mobile phone app to help teenagers deal with the pressures of sexting. Includes advice, tips for safe chat and funny images that young people can use to divert sexual conversations that are making them uncomfortable.

Safe hands: keeping safe: ages 12-16
By Moira Anderson Foundation and Sandra Brown
Booklet on the importance of being aware of online and mobile phone abuse, of identifying five people they would feel able to talk to about any problem and of thinking about what they would do if they find themselves in an uncomfortable situation.

Parents and carers

Body safety education: a parents' guide to protecting kids from sexual abuse
By Jayneen Sanders
Guide for parents and carers on how to protect children from sexual abuse through personal body safety education. Covers: body safety skills; grooming; normal sexual behaviour; signs of sexual abuse; responding to disclosures; the effects of online pornography; educating the community; statistics and common questions and concerns. Signposts other resources for keeping children safe from sexual abuse.

This is my body and it belongs to me: an introduction to sexual abuse prevention and response for children ages 3 and up
By Alisha Hawthorne-Martinez
Helps parents, carers, teachers and practitioners talk to young children about sexual abuse: how to recognise it, how to respond and how to prevent it from happening.

Reena's Bollywood dream: a story about sexual abuse
By Jewel Kats
Illustrated children's book aiming to help children learn how to say 'no' and protect themselves from sexual abuse. Provides a message to children and their families about setting healthy boundaries in relation to their bodies. The story follows Reena an 8-year-old girl with dreams of becoming a Bollywood star, which makes her vulnerable to the inappropriate attentions of a family member. Shows how Reena protects herself and how her family believe and support her. Fosters awareness for children and families regarding sexual abuse in families within the South Asian community. Suitable for primary school children.

People working with children

Keeping myself safe: personal safety for young people aged 4-9 / aged 10-14 / teenagers
By Learning Curve Education
Three separate resources of short films, pupil's materials and teacher's guides for educating young people about personal safety. Each age group has a series of animated scenarios on different types of personal safety and accompanying activities encourage young people to reflect on key messages and strategies for keeping themselves safe in real life situations.

Protective behaviours: activities for teaching protective behaviours in schools
By Jodie Bodsworth, Anna Carter and Simon Sneath
Lesson plans and activity suggestions for use in schools to help young people make safe choice, stand up to bullying and deal with difficult emotions. The activities can be adapted to be used with a variety of age groups. Includes photocopiable appendicies.

Stay OK
By Barnardo's
A short animated film on DVD aimed at pre-school and primary school children to raise awareness and develop safety strategies to help children keep their bodies safe and distinguish between appropriate and inappropriate touching. The film was developed and produced with the help of children at Barnardo's Polepark Family Service in Dundee, some who themselves have survived sexual abuse.

Developing personal safety skills in children with disabilities
By Freda Briggs
A guide for teaching safety skills to children with disabilities. Presents 6 modules with exercises for developing safety skills, covering: self-esteem and assertiveness skills; coping with hazards; touch; and emotions. Includes suggestions for developing a personal safety curriculum for children with disabilities.

Autism and appropriate touch: a photocopiable resource for helping children and teens on the autism spectrum understand the complexities of physical interaction
By Abigail Werner James
Practical resource to help professionals and parents teach children and young people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) about the social rules of touch and personal space. Explores different types of touch and what is appropriate in different settings. Uses photocopiable worksheets and activities to help teach young people with ASD about keeping safe and to help them understand the social rules around physical contact.

> Search the NSPCC Library catalogue for more books