Safeguarding: Do Independent Schools suffer from lack of reporting?
A recent article in ie-today reported that reviews of safeguarding have highlighted weaknesses in the independent sector.
No school should ever assume “this couldn’t happen to us”
According to our Safeguarding Expert, Robin Watts, it has been known that private independent schools sometimes have a false sense of security in relation to children within their care as most of the children come from affluent backgrounds.
“There can be a perception that abuse only occurs infrequently in such advantaged families. However, this is a myth. Statistically, abuse is just as likely (and arguably marginally more likely) than in lower income families. In affluent families, abuse tends to be more hidden in these areas and abusers more sophisticated in their ability to hide abuse.
“Children are far less likely to come to the attention of the authorities than children from a lower class/income. In addition to this, parents and carers are thought to be far safer when they are from a middle to high income area and viewed as such by the potentially protective adults around the child.”
Safeguarding issues unique to independent schools
In fact, there are some forms of abuse or neglect that are commonly only found in the private sector:
- There may be a disproportionately high-level of children who experience emotional abuse such as constant pressure to achieve to a far higher level than they can attain.
- With regards to Child Neglect, in some circumstances maids, nannies or drivers are left to take over the parenting of the child and parents have very little input in the child’s development.
- In higher-income families it has also been reported that giving a child all the latest IT and ‘gadgets’ and abandoning them to these ‘material’ goods is common.
- Cases have been reported in the independent sector of children becoming
radicalised - With regards to online safety, sexting is more prevalent in the fee-paying sector as children have more equipment to enable this
behaviour
EduCare can help
We have considerable presence in the independent education sector, working closely with IAPS and AGBIS to provide high quality, expertly written safeguarding and duty of care e-learning content. Our services are used by a diverse range of settings including Academy Trusts, International Schools, SEN Schools, and Eton College.
Get in touch to find out more
Related content:
Partner Profile: Robin Watts, Former Metropolitan Police Detective
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