By Gavin Mackintosh-And Samantha Jones-
Cheshire Constabulary is equipping schools and colleges with the knowledge on how to effectively recognise, respond and intervene to issues relating to sexual harassment and violence.
The force says this will set the “standards of appropriate behaviour from an early age” and help keep young people safe across the county.
The constabulary is offering free sexual harassment and violence training to all schools and colleges across the Uk, in order to equip teachers to recognise harmful conduct and give them the knowledge of how to put the necessary interventions in place should an issue arise.
The training forms part of its wider Safer Streets initiative- a Home Office fund that supports police forces to prevent, reduce and tackle neighbourhood crime, anti-social behaviour and violence against women and girls.
Sexual harassment is not unique in British schools, nor is it unheard of in schools in other parts of the world.
However, it has gained significant attention in recent years due to several high-profile cases. To tackle this issue, the Cheshire Constabulary has implemented training programs for schools to help identify signs of sexual harassment and violence.
Sexual harassment and violence in schools are pervasive and can occur in various forms, from unwanted touching to sexual assault. These incidents often go unreported, and victims may feel powerless and intimidated to speak out.
This problem is particularly prevalent among young people, who are vulnerable and may not understand the gravity of the situation.
In the UK, the NSPCC found that one in three teenage girls had experienced sexual harassment in school, highlighting the severity of the problem.
One significant example of sexual harassment in UK schools is the “Everyone’s Invited” campaign, which started in 2020. The campaign encouraged students to share their experiences of sexual harassment and assault in schools and universities.
The stories shared were harrowing, with many students stating that they had experienced rape, sexual assault, and sexual harassment. The campaign led to widespread public outrage, and many schools and universities pledged to take action to address the issue.
Informative And Practical
”The programs are designed to be informative and practical, giving teachers and school staff the skills they need to spot the signs of sexual harassment and violence and take appropriate action, and insider from the force not authorised to speak publicly about the programme told The Eye Of Media.Com.
”One key element of the training is to help teachers and staff understand what constitutes sexual harassment and violence. This includes defining different types of harassment, such as verbal, physical, and online, and identifying the behaviours associated with each type.
”It will also involve promoting positive behaviours, such as respect and consent, and challenging harmful attitudes and beliefs.
Teachers and staff are also taught to recognize the signs of grooming, which is the process of building trust and emotional connections with a victim to facilitate sexual abuse’.
”The training also covers the legal obligations of schools in addressing sexual harassment and violence. Schools have a duty of care to protect their students from harm, and failure to do so can lead to legal action against them”.
This includes taking appropriate measures to prevent harassment and violence, such as creating policies and procedures to deal with incidents, educating students about appropriate behaviour, and taking action against perpetrators.
Another crucial aspect of the training is to provide teachers and staff with the skills they need to respond to incidents of sexual harassment and violence. This includes knowing how to handle disclosures, supporting victims, and reporting incidents to the appropriate authorities. Teachers and staff are also taught to respond to allegations of harassment and violence sensitively and with empathy, ensuring that victims feel supported and believed.
The Cheshire Constabulary’s training programs are a step in the right direction towards creating safer and more inclusive school environments.
A statement from Cheshire Constabulary said: “There are three different courses that teachers and school safeguarding leads can attend and all three will give attendees critical knowledge and information to help keep young people safe.”
The courses – which are being delivered by sexual violence training and consultancy experts, Lime Culture and Purple Leaf – have already seen more than 70 teachers trained across 50 different schools and colleges throughout Cheshire.
Operational lead for Cheshire Constabulary’s Safer Streets initiative, Inspector Cliff Goodwin, said: “We are working harder than ever to end violence against women and girls across the county and we are determined to make Cheshire a place where everyone feels safe to go about their lives without the fear of sexual harassment or violence.
“We fully understand that teachers are really busy and appreciate the current strain on schools’ resourcing at the moment, but making sure this message is received from a young age is vital and I am encouraging schools to sign up for our free training and not only support us in our mission to make Cheshire even safer, but fundamentally to help keep their pupils safe.
“This is a vital opportunity to help shape the safety of future generations that cannot and should not be missed.”