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Harmful Sexual Behaviour In Schools Course
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Our Harmful Sexual Behaviour in Schools Training Course covers age-appropriate sexual development, child-on-child sexual abuse, identifying concerning behaviours, reporting safeguarding concerns and supporting affected pupils. Learners explore Hackett’s Sexual Behaviour Continuum, risk assessment, safety planning and healthy relationships education. Designed for school and safeguarding professionals, this course supports confident responses to incidents and helps schools maintain effective child protection practices.
Harmful Sexual Behaviour In Schools Course Summary
Course Name: Harmful Sexual Behaviour in Schools Online Training Course
Duration:Â 1 Hour
Delivery: Online Training Course
Certificate Included: Free Instant Digital Certificate
Accreditation: CPD Accredited – 1 CPD Point
Suitable For: Teachers, Teaching Assistants, Designated Safeguarding Leads, School Leaders, Pastoral Staff, Youth Workers and Child Protection Professionals
Assessment: Online Multiple Choice Test
Access: Instant Access – 12 Months
Duration
1 hour
CPD Points
1
Last Updated:
30 Sep 2025
What is Harmful Sexual Behaviour In Schools training?
Harmful Sexual Behaviour in Schools Training teaches education professionals how to identify and respond to sexual behaviours in children and young people that may be inappropriate, problematic, abusive or harmful.
Sexual behaviour develops throughout childhood, but some behaviours raise safeguarding concerns due to factors such as age, coercion, consent, power imbalance or potential harm.
This course explores Hackett’s Sexual Behaviour Continuum, helping learners distinguish developmentally expected behaviours from those requiring intervention.
Learners examine child-on-child sexual abuse, responding to disclosures, recording incidents, reporting concerns and supporting children involved in harmful sexual behaviour.
The training also covers healthy relationships education, safeguarding referrals and safety planning.
It supports school safeguarding responsibilities under Keeping Children Safe in Education 2026 and helps staff respond appropriately while protecting children’s welfare.
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Who Is This Course For?
This Harmful Sexual Behaviour in Schools Course is designed for professionals responsible for safeguarding children and young people in educational and related settings.
It is particularly relevant to primary and secondary school teachers, teaching assistants, designated safeguarding leads (DSLs), deputy DSLs, headteachers, senior leadership teams, school governors, pastoral support staff, learning mentors and school counsellors.
The training also benefits special educational needs coordinators (SENCOs), school nurses, educational psychologists, youth workers, family support workers, children’s social care professionals and staff working in alternative provision, further education and residential education settings.
Professionals supporting children who have experienced sexual harassment, coercion or harmful sexual behaviour can use the course to strengthen their safeguarding knowledge.
It is suitable for staff induction, refresher training and continuing professional development. The course provides introductory knowledge rather than specialist assessment or therapeutic qualifications.
Key Benefits
✓ Recognise developmentally inappropriate and harmful sexual behaviour in children and young people.
✓ Apply Hackett’s Sexual Behaviour Continuum to identify behaviours requiring safeguarding attention.
✓ Respond appropriately to disclosures, record incidents accurately and report concerns.
✓ Identify safeguarding risks and understand when specialist referrals or safety planning may be necessary.
✓ Promote healthy relationships, appropriate boundaries and respectful behaviour throughout the school.
✓ Support safeguarding practice aligned with current Department for Education guidance.
Course Modules
- Harmful Sexual Behaviour In Schools – Course Introduction
- Problematic and Harmful Sexual Behaviour
- Understanding Peer-on-Peer Sexual Abuse
- Understanding Hackett’s Sexual Behaviour Continuum
- Recognising Sexualised Behaviour
- Responding Appropriately
- Understanding Sexual Development in Children and Young People
- Stages of Typical Sexual Development and Behaviour in Children
- Promoting Healthy Relationships Through Education
- Healthy and Unhealthy Relationships
- Starting a Conversation
- Signs of a Healthy Relationship
- Signs of an Unhealthy Relationship
- When Children Display Unhealthy Behaviours
- Reporting Concerns
- Your Role in Safeguarding
- Safeguarding Actions You Can Take
- Fostering a Safe and Supportive Culture
- Sharing Safeguarding Policies and Procedures
- Respectful Behaviour and Safe Environments
- Helping Children Understand Sexual Behaviour
- Building a Culture of Openness
- Supporting Children to Speak Up
- Talking to Children About Sexual Behaviour
- Relationships and Sex Education in Schools
- Sexting and the Law
- Supporting Children Affected by Problematic or Harmful Sexual Behaviour
- Providing Support
- Supporting Children With Problematic Behaviour
- Risk, Assessments, and Referrals
- Offering Support
- Safety Planning
- Therapeutic Support
- Techniques in Direct Work
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Learning Outcomes
Learner Outcome                                                           | Covered |
|---|---|
Define harmful sexual behaviour (HSB) and distinguish it from developmentally expected sexual behaviour in children. |    ✓ |
Identify indicators of problematic, abusive and harmful sexual behaviour in school settings. |    ✓ |
Explain the categories within Hackett’s Sexual Behaviour Continuum and their safeguarding relevance. |    ✓ |
Recognise signs of child-on-child sexual abuse, sexual harassment and coercive behaviour. |    ✓ |
Identify typical stages of sexual development in children and young people. |    ✓ |
Explain how age, developmental stage, consent and power imbalances affect safeguarding concerns. |    ✓ |
Recognise characteristics of healthy and unhealthy relationships between young people. |    ✓ |
Describe appropriate responses when a pupil discloses sexual harassment or abuse. |    ✓ |
Identify the information that should be recorded when reporting harmful sexual behaviour concerns. |    ✓ |
Explain the responsibilities of school staff and designated safeguarding leads when concerns arise. |    ✓ |
Recognise when safeguarding risk assessments, referrals and safety plans may be required. |    ✓ |
Identify appropriate support for children experiencing harmful sexual behaviour and those displaying it. |    ✓ |
Explain how relationships and sex education can promote respectful behaviour and healthy boundaries. |    ✓ |
Recognise safeguarding and legal concerns associated with sharing sexual images between children. |    ✓ |
Describe practical steps schools can take to establish a safe, supportive safeguarding culture. |    ✓ |
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What Our Learners Say?
“Clear explanations of harmful sexual behaviour and helpful guidance on recognising concerns and reporting incidents appropriately.”
Claire Mitchell
Primary School Teacher
“The sections on Hackett’s continuum and supporting pupils were particularly useful for our safeguarding team.”
Daniel Brooks
Designated Safeguarding Lead
“Practical guidance on responding to disclosures and promoting healthy relationships. Relevant to everyday school situations.”
Rebecca Foster
Pastoral Support Officer
4.87/5 from 8+ learners
Why Is Harmful Sexual Behaviour In Schools training important?
Harmful sexual behaviour can seriously affect children’s emotional wellbeing, personal safety, relationships and education. Early recognition and appropriate safeguarding responses help prevent further harm and ensure children receive suitable support.
School staff may encounter concerns involving sexualised language, unwanted touching, coercion, online sexual harassment or inappropriate sharing of images.
Without appropriate training, concerning behaviour may be dismissed as harmless experimentation or ordinary bullying.
Harmful Sexual Behaviour in Schools Training helps staff distinguish developmental behaviours from safeguarding risks, respond sensitively to disclosures and follow reporting procedures.
It also supports a whole-school approach to safeguarding, encouraging respectful relationships, clear boundaries and a culture where pupils feel safe raising concerns.
Effective training helps schools demonstrate how staff are prepared to implement safeguarding policies and meet expectations under Keeping Children Safe in Education 2026.
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Is Harmful Sexual Behaviour In Schools training a legal requirement in the UK?
There is no standalone UK law requiring every school employee to complete a course specifically titled Harmful Sexual Behaviour in Schools Training.
However, schools in England have statutory safeguarding duties under the Education Act 2002, including responsibilities to safeguard and promote children’s welfare.
Keeping Children Safe in Education 2026 requires schools and colleges to ensure staff receive appropriate safeguarding and child protection training, including updates and refreshers.
The guidance addresses child-on-child abuse, sexual violence, sexual harassment and harmful sexual behaviour.
Schools must ensure staff understand how to identify, report and respond to safeguarding concerns.
This course helps staff develop relevant knowledge and provides evidence of CPD. It should complement, rather than replace, an organisation’s required safeguarding training, policies and procedures.
Requirements vary across the UK’s four nations.
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Harmful Sexual Behaviour In Schools training FAQ?
What is harmful sexual behaviour in schools?
Harmful sexual behaviour (HSB) refers to sexual behaviour displayed by children or young people that is developmentally inappropriate, problematic, abusive or violent.
Examples may include unwanted sexual touching, sexual coercion, abusive sexualised language or harmful online interactions.
Professionals must consider the child’s age, development, circumstances and potential harm before deciding how to respond.
This training explores how to recognise concerning behaviours and follow appropriate safeguarding procedures.
Who needs harmful sexual behaviour training in schools?
Harmful sexual behaviour training is particularly relevant to teachers, teaching assistants, designated safeguarding leads, school leaders, pastoral staff and professionals supporting children’s wellbeing.
It is also valuable for school nurses, youth workers, counsellors and children’s social care practitioners working alongside schools.
Anyone responsible for recognising safeguarding concerns or responding to incidents involving pupils can benefit from understanding harmful sexual behaviour and appropriate reporting procedures.
Is harmful sexual behaviour training a legal requirement for school staff?
There is no specific legal requirement for every school employee to complete a separately named harmful sexual behaviour course.
However, schools in England must comply with safeguarding legislation and statutory guidance, including Keeping Children Safe in Education 2026.
Staff must receive appropriate safeguarding and child protection training, including relevant updates.
HSB-specific training can help schools address identified training needs and strengthen their responses to child-on-child abuse and sexual harassment.
How long does the Harmful Sexual Behaviour in Schools Course take?
Caredemy’s Harmful Sexual Behaviour in Schools Online Training Course takes approximately one hour to complete and provides one CPD point.
The training is delivered entirely online, allowing learners to study using a computer, tablet or smartphone.
Learners receive instant access following enrolment and can complete the course around their working commitments.
A downloadable CPD-accredited certificate is available after successfully completing the assessment.
How often should school staff complete harmful sexual behaviour training?
There is no universal statutory renewal interval specifically for harmful sexual behaviour training.
Schools should determine refresher requirements through their safeguarding training arrangements, staff responsibilities, emerging risks and updates to national guidance.
Keeping Children Safe in Education 2026 requires safeguarding and child protection training to be regularly updated, with safeguarding updates provided at least annually.
Schools should review whether additional HSB-specific training is needed following incidents, policy changes or identified knowledge gaps.
What is Hackett's Sexual Behaviour Continuum?
Hackett’s Sexual Behaviour Continuum is a recognised framework used to consider sexual behaviour in children and young people across five categories: normal, inappropriate, problematic, abusive and violent.
It helps safeguarding professionals consider behaviour in relation to development, consent, power and potential harm.
The framework supports professional judgement but does not replace safeguarding assessments.
Caredemy’s course introduces the continuum and explains its relevance when recognising and responding to concerning sexual behaviour.
What should a teacher do if a pupil displays harmful sexual behaviour?
Teachers should respond calmly, prioritise the immediate safety of everyone involved and report concerns promptly through their school’s safeguarding procedures.
Where a disclosure is made, staff should listen without judgement, avoid leading questions and explain that information may need to be shared to protect children.
Concerns should be recorded accurately and passed to the designated safeguarding lead.
Staff should not independently investigate allegations or promise confidentiality. Where there is immediate danger, emergency assistance may be required.
Will I receive a CPD certificate after completing the course?
Yes. Learners who successfully complete Caredemy’s Harmful Sexual Behaviour in Schools Course and its online multiple-choice assessment receive a free CPD-accredited digital certificate.
The certificate can be downloaded and printed immediately after completion.
The course carries one CPD point and includes unlimited assessment retakes.
Employers can use completion certificates alongside safeguarding training records to evidence relevant staff development, although certification does not replace practical safeguarding responsibilities.
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