Liverpool schools receive new sexual violence education programme
24.03.22 - Merseyside
New sexual violence prevention training is being rolled out to schools across Liverpool exploring misogyny, sexual harassment, peer on peer abuse, and the sharing of online images.
Split into two parts, schools will be offered training sessions for primary teachers to deliver through their PSHE sessions, and pupils will be offered a new KS2 resource called ‘Send me a selfie’ which looks at the issues arising from the sharing of online images.
The training facilitates an exploration of sexual violence issues, considering how we best enable genuine dialogue and grapple with concepts of gender, power and relationships in a way that is meaningful for both boys and girls in the classroom. It considers age-appropriate activities for primary school pupils to help them to keep themselves and others safe.
The approach is funded by the Safer Streets Liverpool initiative, with the hope that it will shape and influence the behaviours of our youngest generation, encouraging healthy relationships and empowering open discussions.
Merseyside’s Police Commissioner Emily Spurrell said “Our Safer Streets campaign is providing a long-term, multiagency approach to tackling violence against women and girls; working with schools is a crucial part of this plan.
“We know the misogyny that underlies a lot of the predatory behaviour that women and girls experience on a day-to-day basis is still rife in our society. It’s absolutely vital that we open up a conversation about this as early as possible. We need to talk to young people and help them to understand what a healthy relationship looks like, the significant risks posed by the online world and - more broadly - how they can spot the signs of misogyny and challenge it when they see it.
“Educating the next generation on these issues will help us embed our vision for a Safer Merseyside.”
Detective Superintendent Siobhan Gainer, Head of the Merseyside Violence Reduction Partnership, said: “Serious violence can often be rooted in learned perceptions from family and peers so it is vital that we educate young people and arm them with the tools to change negative attitudes and behaviours and understand the impact these can have on themselves and others.
“One of the areas of focus is on healthy relationships and misogyny, reaching young minds early on so we can prevent negative attitudes potentially growing into angry and hateful actions. I firmly believe young people can unlearn harmful ideas and make positive choices.”
For more information on Safer Streets Liverpool, visit https://saferstreetsliverpool.com/