www.wiltshire.gov.uk
Information for Teachers and Support Staff
Many children and young people will experience a crime at some point before they leave school. They may be victim to assault or robbery, witness violence at home, or experience sexual abuse in some way. Many of these crimes will not take place within the school, but there are still things that you can do to keep your students safer.
Remember also that some bullying will be criminal in nature. Helping children to resist bullying can help them to resist crime outside of school too.
Schools have a responsibility for the safety and well being of their students. Within the school, there should be a designated teacher with responsibility for child protection.
Subjects such as personal safety, crime prevention and abuse should be covered in PSHE, but can also come up in Citizenship, in drama or in English. Smaller group work, such as circle work or form time might also provide a safe place for students to disclose information about crimes that they have experienced. If you are covering these subjects, be prepared for a student to make a disclosure to you. You may be the first and only person they will tell.
The Children’s Act 1989 gives every child the right to protection from abuse and exploitation and the right to have enquiries made to safeguard their welfare. There will be a teacher in every school with a designated Child Protection responsibility, but all teachers have a duty of care.
The DCSF have published information on working with children who have been abused.
Helping Young People stay safe
As a teacher, you are well placed to help to convey safety messages to young people. Specific lessons, such as PSHE and Citizenship can include personal safety tips and information about being a victim of crime, but so can other classes. It may come up in English or Drama, or History or Religious Education. Even maths classes can be used to discuss crime statistics.
See right for teaching resources on the internet.
Helplines
Wiltshire police 01380 735 735
Childline 0800 1111
Rapeline (Wiltshire) 0808 800 1144
Victim Support Wiltshire 01380 729 476
NSPCC Worried Need to Talk 0808 800 5000
Wiltshire County Council Child Protection
If you have any comments or suggestions about the safer schools pages, please send them to saferschools@wiltshire.gov.uk or fill in and return our feedback form.
