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My child at school

Whilst schools are generally safe spaces they can still present a new set of issues for children and young people.

Bullying is the most common form of abuse in schools. It can be hard to know if your child is being bullied at school because often they will be reluctant to talk about it. This could be out of fear of further bullying and isolation, or because low self-esteem makes them think it’s their fault they are being bullied. Look out for visible clues that may suggest a child is being bullied:

  • Possessions are constantly getting ‘lost’ or damaged
  • Unexplained cuts and bruises
  • Being late for school, skipping lessons or being mysteriously ill on school mornings
  • Not doing well in school
  • Being nervous around others, losing confidence, or becoming withdrawn
  • Problems with your child’s eating or sleeping
  • Self-harming or developing eating disorders
  • Your child getting in trouble for bullying others 

If you think your child is being bullied - it is important to start a discussion with them to let them know they can ask for help and to find out how they would like to deal with the problem. They may ask you to contact the school on their behalf and in extreme cases may even ask that they change schools. It will then be up to you and the school to assess the situation and decide what degree of action needs to be taken. For further advice on how to deal with bullying in school you could look at www.kidscape.org.uk or www.nspcc.org.uk.

Contact with others

Your child’s school will be OFSTED registered and all staff will be DBS checked, however that doesn’t guarantee that your child will not come into contact with people who may be abusive or exploitative such as grooming for sexual exploitation. If this is happening at your child’s school it may not be immediately obvious and your child may be reluctant to talk about it. It is important you watch out for visible signs of sexual abuse such as a child becoming withdrawn, failing at school, being nervous around others, being reluctant to change in front of others and violent or emotional outbursts.

If a child makes an allegation against a school member of staff or other person they came into contact with at the school -it is important that you discuss it with them and make sure they are certain about what happened. If it appears the child has been abused you should notify their school and the police. 

Safe travelling

Older children may travel to and from school alone or with friends. When children begin making these journeys independently, it is important they understand that they should not speak to strangers. Where possible, you should encourage your child to make the journey with friends to increase their level of safety. 

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