New warning for staff working with children to look out for signs of sexual exploitation, female genital mutilation, radicalisation, and cyberbullying
Michael Gove who has
written to all schools and colleges in England urging them to be alert
for signs of radicalisation and exploitation of students Photograph: Joe
Giddens/PA
The education secretary, Michael Gove, has written to all schools and colleges in England urging them to be alert for signs of radicalisation and exploitation of students.
In a letter to headteachers, Gove warned that schools and colleges needed to be aware of any type of abuse of children and should not think that it could not happen to them.
He said the government had published advice on different types of abuse and neglect, including child sexual exploitation, female genital mutilation, radicalisation, and cyberbullying, among others.
Gove wrote: "The guidance reiterates that staff members working with children should always think 'it could happen here' where safeguarding is concerned."
The updated advice said that everyone who dealt with children and their families had a part to play in keeping youngsters safe. "School and college staff are particularly important as they are in a position to identify concerns early and provide help for children, to prevent concerns from escalating," it said.
The new advice contained links to existing guidance from different organisations on a range of issues, including one from "Channel", which is part of a government strategy to protect people at risk of being radicalised.
The document said: "Channel is about protecting people from radicalisation into all forms of terrorism, but the most significant threat to this country is from al-Qaida affiliated, influenced and associated groups."
It suggested there were a number of indicators that an individual was involved with an extremist group or cause, such as changing how they dressed or their appearance, losing interest in friends or activities not associated with a particular ideology, and their behaviour becoming focused on an extreme idea or cause.
It also said that those at risk of being radicalised might possess material or symbols associated with an extremist cause (e.g. the swastika for far-right groups), spend increasing time in the company of other suspected extremists, or attempt to recruit others to their cause.
The Department for Education's new advice said that everyone working in a school or college should be aware of the signs of abuse and neglect "so that they are able to identify cases of children who may be in need of help or protection" and can take action.
In a specific section on female genital mutilation (FGM) it said that all professionals needed to be "alert to the possibility of a girl being at risk of FGM, or already having suffered FGM".
It added that girls at risk of the practice may not know they were in danger.
In a letter to headteachers, Gove warned that schools and colleges needed to be aware of any type of abuse of children and should not think that it could not happen to them.
He said the government had published advice on different types of abuse and neglect, including child sexual exploitation, female genital mutilation, radicalisation, and cyberbullying, among others.
Gove wrote: "The guidance reiterates that staff members working with children should always think 'it could happen here' where safeguarding is concerned."
The updated advice said that everyone who dealt with children and their families had a part to play in keeping youngsters safe. "School and college staff are particularly important as they are in a position to identify concerns early and provide help for children, to prevent concerns from escalating," it said.
The new advice contained links to existing guidance from different organisations on a range of issues, including one from "Channel", which is part of a government strategy to protect people at risk of being radicalised.
The document said: "Channel is about protecting people from radicalisation into all forms of terrorism, but the most significant threat to this country is from al-Qaida affiliated, influenced and associated groups."
It suggested there were a number of indicators that an individual was involved with an extremist group or cause, such as changing how they dressed or their appearance, losing interest in friends or activities not associated with a particular ideology, and their behaviour becoming focused on an extreme idea or cause.
It also said that those at risk of being radicalised might possess material or symbols associated with an extremist cause (e.g. the swastika for far-right groups), spend increasing time in the company of other suspected extremists, or attempt to recruit others to their cause.
The Department for Education's new advice said that everyone working in a school or college should be aware of the signs of abuse and neglect "so that they are able to identify cases of children who may be in need of help or protection" and can take action.
In a specific section on female genital mutilation (FGM) it said that all professionals needed to be "alert to the possibility of a girl being at risk of FGM, or already having suffered FGM".
It added that girls at risk of the practice may not know they were in danger.
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