The Glasgow Approach to School-based
Sexual Health & Relationships Education
(SHRE)
Research
• Educating children promotes delay
• School-based learning vital for key groups
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Boys
Looked after and accommodated
Black & minority ethnic groups
Children with disabilities
Children whose parents don’t talk about SHRE
• Important role played by parents
– Primary educators
– Delay / Use of protection
Wider social context
• Social context – experienced rapid change
• Highly sexualised society – sex is a commodity
• Growing influence and accessibility of pornography
• Sexualisation of children
Behaviour & consequences
• Young people are engaging in a range of behaviours at
younger ages
Experience
of...
Average age
at 1st event
Heavy petting /
sexual touching
50%
13.8 years
Oral Sex
40%
14.3 years
Sexual
intercourse
31%
14.4 years
Behaviour & consequences
• Rates of sexually transmitted infections are on the rise
• High rates of domestic abuse in general
• Growing recognition of abusive behaviour within
teenage relationships
Behaviour & consequences
• Rate of teenage pregnancy is declining
• Glasgow has higher rates than the Scottish average
• UK as whole has markedly higher rates than many of
our European partners
Behaviour & Consequences
Information from Childline
• Sexual health second highest reason for calls
• Callers – wide age range
• Issues called about demonstrated:
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Lack of basic information
Find it hard to talk with parents
Boy / girlfriend relationships
Abusive behaviours
Unhappiness with appearance
Sexual identity
Thinking behind the new approach
• We want to change how we talk about sexuality and sexual health
– Child development approach - acknowledge it’s a fundamental part of
being human and growing up
– Move away from over-reliance on biology
– Emphasis on healthy relationships and delay
– Preparing young people for adult life
• Acknowledge that the building blocks need to be given to children
throughout childhood
– Information that is age and stage appropriate
• We want to give children & young people an alternative way of
looking at the world – to help them become ‘critical thinkers’
• We want to improve that bridge between home & school
The approach
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Based on good practice
Updated materials – 4-7 discreet lessons per year
Promotes discussion / very interactive
Key themes e.g. safety, relationships, self esteem etc run
throughout the programme
• Primary level, large focus on the family / friendships
• Encourages the use of the correct names for parts of the
body
The approach
• Looks at gender differences and challenges negative
stereotypes
• Delivered by trained teachers (820 so far)
• Parents are better informed
• Encourages child / parent communication
– Being aware of lessons - chatting about them
– Home activity exercises - P6 onwards
– Wee Book of Life, Love & Living - P6 onwards
• Consulted on & evaluated
What we are asking of you.....
• Get involved in your children’s learning – no specialist
knowledge is needed
• Talk to school if you are unsure
• Use the prompts to start conversations
– Know content of lessons for each year
– P6 upwards – read the ‘Wee book.....’ together
– P6 upwards - do the home activity exercises
• Talk with your children about values / morals and what you
want for them
• Check-out Talk 2 – parents service
Talk2 – supporting parents
• Service that supports Glasgow parents to talk with their
children about growing up, relationships and sexual
health
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Book collection in all Glasgow libraries
Website www.talk2glasgow.com
Resource packs
Taster sessions
Training Groups
• Get more information from the Young People’s Sexual
Health Steering Group website:
– www.gypshsg.co.uk