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Updates to sexual violence and sexual harassment between children in schools and colleges guidance: CASPAR briefing

Publication date September 2021

The Department for Education (DfE) has published updated guidance for schools and colleges in England on sexual violence and sexual harassment between children.1 The updated guidance came into force on 1 September 2021.

Our briefing sets out the key updates to the guidance, which include:

  • highlighting that how a school or college responds to a report can impact on the confidence of other students to report in the future
  • re-emphasising the important role education plays and how the relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) curriculum supports this
  • new evidence to support the need for all school and college staff to have an understanding of what sexual violence and sexual harassment might look like.

Alongside the update to this guidance, the DfE has also issued revised statutory guidance Keeping children safe in education (KCSIE) which also came into force on 1 September 20212

> Read our CASPAR briefing on the update to KCSIE 2021

References

Department for Education (2021) Sexual violence and sexual harassment between children in schools and colleges. London: Department for Education (DfE).
Department for Education (2021) Keeping children safe in education 2021: statutory guidance for schools and colleges (PDF). London: Department for Education.
Download Sexual violence and sexual harassment between children in schools and colleges guidance: CASPAR briefing
Download the briefing (PDF)

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Summary of previous guidance

May 2018

The Department for Education (DfE) first published Sexual violence and sexual harassment between children in schools and colleges guidance in December 2017 which was updated in May 2018.1

Our CASPAR briefing from 2018 sets out the key areas covered in the guidance, including:

  • what sexual violence and harassment between children (anyone under the age of 18) is
  • schools' and colleges' legal responsibilities
  • a whole school or college approach to safeguarding and child protection
  • how to respond to reports of sexual violence and sexual harassment
  • advice on children sharing a classroom following reports of sexual violence and sexual harassment.

> Download Sexual violence and sexual harassment between children in schools and colleges 2018 guidance: CASPAR briefing (PDF)

References

Department for Education (DfE) (2018) Sexual violence and sexual harassment between children in schools and colleges: advice for governing bodies, proprietors, headteachers, principals, senior leadership teams and designated safeguarding leads (PDF). London: DfE.

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