Prejudice and hate incidents can have a deep impact on the individual, the community, and the society as a whole. By identifying and educating young people on these incidents, schools can create a safe and inclusive environment for all students. It also helps in promoting diversity, equality, and respect for each other. Education on these topics can help young people be better equipped to identify and challenge prejudice and hate, as well as promote a positive and tolerant society for generations to come.
Keeping children safe in education 2022
Opportunities to teach safeguarding
131. Schools and colleges play a crucial role in preventative education. Preventative education is most effective in the context of a whole-school or college approach that prepares pupils and students for life in modern Britain and creates a culture of zero tolerance for sexism, misogyny/misandry, homophobia, biphobic and sexual violence/harassment. The school/college will have a clear set of values and standards, upheld and demonstrated throughout all aspects of school/college life. These will be underpinned by the school/college’s behaviour policy and pastoral support system, as
well as by a planned programme of evidence-based RSHE delivered in regularly timetabled lessons and reinforced throughout the whole curriculum. Such a programme should be fully inclusive and developed to be age and stage of development appropriate (especially when considering the needs of children with SEND and other vulnerabilities).
This program will tackle, at an age-appropriate stage, issues such as:
• healthy and respectful relationships
• boundaries and consent
• stereotyping, prejudice and equality
• body confidence and self-esteem
• how to recognise an abusive relationship, including coercive and controlling
behaviour
• the concepts of, and laws relating to - sexual consent, sexual exploitation, abuse,
grooming, coercion, harassment, rape, domestic abuse, so called ‘honour’-based
violence such as forced marriage and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), and how
to access support, and
• what constitutes sexual harassment and sexual violence and why these are
always unacceptable.