“They don’t talk about it enough”

By uniofbedscse · March 7, 2017 · Category: Policy

On March 1, 2017, Education Secretary Justine Greening announced the government’s intention to introduce statutory relationships and sex education into schools in England. The International Centre welcomed this development.

An evidence base built over recent years had highlighted worrying levels of sexual violence and harassment experienced by young people in school. The commentary considered how relationships and sex education could address these concerns and why discussion with young people is essential.

Why the announcement mattered

For many young people, sexual violence and harassment were subjects that were not discussed enough. The introduction of statutory provision was welcomed as an opportunity to strengthen education and improve responses in schools.

“They don’t talk about it enough.”

The commentary also considered the effects of teenage relationship abuse and the circulation of explicit images. These issues shaped the case for evidence-informed relationships and sex education that responds to young people’s experiences.

Building on the Centre’s evidence

The policy position drew on an evidence base developed by International Centre staff through research into child sexual exploitation, violence and trafficking. The Centre’s work includes applied research, evaluation, consultancy and training, alongside meaningful and ethical engagement with children and young people.

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Sources referenced in the commentary

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Sex education policy sits at a critical intersection of safeguarding, child rights and public health. When curriculum content is weak, unclear or poorly implemented, the risk of exploitation, abuse and trafficking rises quietly in classrooms and communities that rarely have the language to name it. This is why the International Centre's research into child sexual exploitation, violence and trafficking consistently treats policy design as a practical protection measure rather than an abstract academic concern.

Effective policy frameworks tend to share a common structure: clear learning outcomes, age-appropriate content, defined pathways for disclosure, trained staff, and referral routes that connect schools with specialised services. Those elements are rarely controversial, but they require sustained implementation support, ongoing evaluation and the willingness of institutions to revise practice in light of emerging evidence from participatory research with children and young people.

Contextual factors shape how a policy is received and applied. The composition of the community, existing relationships between schools and families, cultural understandings of authority and consent, and the availability of specialist support all influence whether a well-designed framework actually protects children in practice. Comparative study across different settings helps identify which components transfer reliably and which require adaptation to local circumstances and the specific risks children face.

Research involving children and young people adds an essential perspective to this work. Participation that is genuinely participatory allows young people to describe their experiences of relationships, boundaries and safety in their own terms, revealing gaps that adults writing policy often overlook. Such work also supports curriculum development by pointing toward the language, topics and delivery formats that young people find respectful, relevant and empowering rather than confusing or embarrassing.

Policy development is an ongoing, collaborative process rather than a finished document. Findings from studies, evaluations and the experience of practitioners working with exploited children should feed back into guidance, training and curriculum design. The International Centre shares research outputs through its blog and associated activities so that universities, educators, advisers and community partners can build shared, evidence-informed understanding of how better policy can keep children safe from exploitation, violence and trafficking.