Teachers to monitor children's 'inappropriate sexual behaviour' under new guidelines

Warnings come as fears grow over the impact of sexting and online pornography in young people

Sexting among children is a growing concern among health professionals (Getty)

New guidelines for professionals to monitor harmful sexual behaviour in children and teenagers have been released.

The advice, published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice), is designed to help professionals such as teachers, doctors and social workers identify and respond to a child behaving in an inappropriate sexual manner.

However, authors of the guidelines also called for children to be treated with respect to their age and circumstances – not as “mini sex offenders”.

Sexting is a concern of the group which developed the guidelines, as the impact it can have on a young person’s mental health or development is unknown.

The practice has increased in prevalence in recent years, adding to worries over online grooming and pornography.

Figures released earlier in September showed more than 2,000 children were reported to police for crimes linked to indecent images in three years.

The new guidelines called for a holistic approach from child health services, children’s social services and the voluntary sector towards tackling unhealthy behaviours.

“Harmful sexual behaviour has gone under the radar for too long,” said Jon Brown, head of development and impact at NSPCC and a member of the Nice guideline development group.

He continued: “There are three key messages in this guidance: that children and young people should be treated as just that, not as mini sex offenders; that the approach should be shaped to the individual, it’s not a one size fits all process; and finally that steps to change behaviour will only be effective if the family and support network understand there is an issue and are supportive.”

The recommendations also include deciding in local areas on the people who will take charge of safeguarding the children and for agreed resources to be used to assess concerns about the sexual behaviour of a child or young person.

Practitioners are also recommended to use a risk assessment tool suitable for the child’s developmental age and gender.

Professor Gillian Leng, deputy chief executive of Nice, said: “Inquisitive behaviour is a normal part of growing up and it is natural for children to ask about different body parts or be curious about the differences between girls and boys.

“However there is also a minority of children and young people who engage in sexual behaviour that is not appropriate for their age or development.

“This guidance is about preparing teachers, nurses, social workers and others to recognise harmful sexual behaviour when it occurs and ensure they can work across team boundaries so that problem behaviour is not ignored or missed and children and young people receive the help they need.”