Use this factsheet to make sure your staff are clear on:
- What abuse in intimate personal relationships between children is
- How common it is and why they should be concerned about it
- Who's more at risk
- What signs to look out for
- What they should do if the have concerns or if a pupil tells them that they're being abused
Want to make it more interactive? Before sharing the factsheet with staff, ask them how they'd define abuse in intimate personal relationships between children, or ask them how common they think it is.
Use these questions to start a discussion at a staff meeting:
- What opportunities are there to speak to pupils about healthy relationships?
- What gender norms exist in our community? How do these norms affect our pupils?
- Which pupils are more at risk of becoming victims or perpetrators of relationship abuse in our school?
- What support should we put into place for victims of abusive relationships? What about the perpetrators (if they are also pupils)? How would we balance sanctions and support?
- How does relationship abuse overlap with other specific safeguarding issues?