Not all risks to young people come from home—many arise in the wider spaces they move through every day. Extra-familial harm describes situations where abuse, exploitation or violence happens beyond the family environment, often in places where parents have little visibility or control. These experiences can be deeply damaging and can even strain parent–child relationships.
Contextual safeguarding reminds us that friendships, peer groups, online spaces and community settings can all shape a young person’s safety. Research shows that harms such as street violence, online bullying, harassment from peers and unhealthy intimate relationships all take place in these external contexts.
Traditional child protection systems were designed to address risks within families, usually by supporting parents to safeguard their children or, when necessary, moving children away from unsafe home situations. But when harm originates outside the home, we need to broaden our lens.
This staff meeting starter provides opportunities for staff to identify patterns of harm occurring in these external contexts, collecting data about incidents, and tailoring their curriculum and interventions to mitigate these risks, thereby protecting pupils from extra-familial harm.
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