The number of sexual offences against under 18s is at a ten-year high, and a new programme is being rolled out to primary school children in Northern Ireland to protect them.
According to reports, there were 1500 reported offences – a rise of 56% compared to five years ago - with the majority being recorded as crimes committed against children.
To tackle the serious issue, the Department of Education has commissioned the NSPCC to develop the Keeping Safe programme, which will teach children about how to stay safe from abuse, bullying and domestic abuse.
Excited about the new project, NSPCC spokesperson Phyllis Stephenson explained how it will work on UTV Live Tonight: “There are a number of key elements – the teachers and the whole school staff will have training and support to deliver the messages to the children and the messages will be very simple messages, very engaging messages that they will identify with at their age so they’ll be very age appropriate.”
“There’ll also be resources for parents and that’s a key part of our programme that we engage with parents so they can reinforce those key messages that children will already be taught is school by their teachers.”
Insisting that using appropriate language is paramount, teacher Barbara Nugent added that they will be careful in how they approach the topic, particularly for kids at P1.
“Children will be getting these messages from the age of four, from P1 to P7 but at P1 we won’t be using terms such as abuse – we won’t be using those terms until P7.”
“Instead we’ll be talking to children about having the right not to be harmed, you have the right to a safe and happy childhood, to know who to go to to get help if you feel concerned or worried about anything, that privates are private, that you can refuse, you can say no to touches that you don’t like, for example.”
