Developing a Feminist School Policy on Child Sexual Abuse

Abstract

Teachers are one of the most important potential sources of support for children who are being sexually abused. This is so particularly if the abuser is living in the child's home and she feels unable to talk to others in her family about the abuse. A small number of schools now have policies aimed at offering children support and a means of escape from sexual abuse. In many other schools there are teachers who want to offer support to children but who are unsure about how to do so. Where that is the case, feminist teachers can have a powerful impact on the kind of policy a school develops, especially when the head and senior teachers are basically sympathetic to 'equal opportunities' policies. A policy on sexual abuse is likely to be effective only in schools where pupils feel there is a genuine commitment to challenging sexism, racism and class oppression, since it is only then that all pupils can begin to trust teachers enough to talk about abuse. Schools where there is a high level of solidarity amongst at least a core of women staff are obviously more likely to develop a feminist policy. I taught at a special school (for pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties an 'EBD' school) which developed a policy from a basically feminist perspective. This was easier to do than it would have been in a mainstream school, mainly because of the small number of staff and pupils in special schools. Another important factor was that it was the type of school in which all members of staff, including nonteaching staff, were able to have some influence over school policy. However, similar policies could be developed in mainstream schools where enough staff are interested. I am trying to introduce a similar policy at the comprehensive where I now work, and so far I've had a very positive response.