ATL

Children 'should receive lessons about grooming risks'

05 July 2010

Schoolchildren should be educated about the risk of sexual exploitation, it has been claimed.

According to Barnardo's Scotland, youngsters should be taught how to recognise when they or one of their classmates are being taken advantage of.

The charity warned that a high number of pupils are ignorant when it comes to issues such as grooming.

Barnardos Chief Executive Martin Neary commented: "The sexual exploitation of children by adults is a hidden obscenity. There is an understandable tendency to believe this happens very rarely. In fact it's everywhere, in every town and city in the UK."

The charity is calling for better co-ordination and information-sharing practices between social services, schools and the police.

Barnardos warned earlier this year that it is important to educate children about the dangers of talking to strangers online and through social networking sites such as Facebook.

Pupils should be taught to become "critical users" and to question information they are being given by people they meet on the internet.