Education Adviser, Jo Perrin, discusses how settings can best provide advice to help keep students safe, whilst avoiding victim blaming… 

It will soon be that time of year where our journeys to and from work and school may well be carried out in darkness.  And with that darkness, comes added danger for young people and adults alike.

As educational professionals, it’s our duty to safeguard our pupils both in and outside of the school gates, and that obviously means teaching them about the dangers that can occur if they don’t act in a safe way, however, it can be difficult to tow the line between safeguarding communication and apparent victim-blaming.  

In schools we want children to come to trusted adults for support and help – this becomes less likely if children feel those same staff might think they caused the harm to themselves.  

So, what can we do to ensure that our setting has the correct balance of giving advice whilst avoiding any victim-blaming? 

Self-audit your PSHE curriculum and any assemblies on PSHE-type topics:   

1. Where do topics arise that may tread a fine line between teaching safety strategies and potential victim-blaming? This might be about travelling alone, health issues or choosing friends and relationships that appear negative to others.  

2. What is the safety message and how can it be given in a way that feels safe for all, no matter their prior lived experience in this area?   

3. What language is more neutral? Are the examples given to illustrate sufficiently distanced from the lives of those in the classroom or assembly hall?  

4. From the areas identified, consider what the two most divergent viewpoints might be – name them. Staff cannot address what they may not have considered or recognised themselves. 

5. Which staff are teaching these lessons? Have they had training in discussing topics which relate to real life and may raise a multitude of opinions? (Opinions coming from themselves or raised by other students). PSHE pedagogy is often an area that is lacking in staff training, yet it can be crucial to make sessions feel safe for all involved.

6. Put specific staff training in place to raise the issue of the power of language – how our words may be perceived and how words can be twisted. Empower staff by giving them stock phrases to challenge viewpoints or close conversations down, such as “that’s one viewpoint, who can provide the counter-narrative?” Use distancing techniques so personal viewpoints aren’t shared – give examples in the third person for example, use characters and discuss how they may feel.

7. Ensure PSHE classrooms have ground rules for discussions in place and that they are referred to regularly – then in any discussion where opinions could be seen as extreme or victim-blaming, the class rules and accepted environment is known to all, so issues are shut down before they arise.

8. Speak with students individually in advance, if an upcoming topic is likely to be particularly relevant to them (or someone they care about) in some way. Prevention is better than cure in terms of eliminating issues before they arise in the classroom. 

Some example scenarios: 

Have a think about the following scenarios that could take place in the dark:  

1. A teenager is riding their bike to get home, wearing all-black clothes and without any bike lights or reflectors. They get hit by a car and break several bones.

2. A teenager walks home from a friend’s house in the dark. They cut through the park which is not well-lit. A group of young adults approach them and take their phone and wallet by force. 

3. A teenager is returning home, alone, from a friend’s party in the dark and is targeted by a group of young adults who shout sexualised comments and sexually assault them. 

What would your automatic thoughts and responses be?   

Do you have sympathy for the situation, or do you (in your private thoughts) consider that the young person in each scenario should have been more responsible for their safety?   

What might your staff feel?  What might the young people you work with feel? 

Some people might believe that in each scenario the young person is a victim. They were harmed through no fault of their own.   

Others might think that in each scenario the young person was “asking for trouble” and should have “taken more responsibility” for their own safety. 

No one condones assault – we all have the right to be safe, yet we also have a responsibility to ourselves to keep as safe as possible.  What we as professionals need to consider is where that dividing line is.   

Our Assemblies and PSHE lessons can, and absolutely should, support the delivery of personal safety advice, but this cannot be to the point that it becomes victim blaming.  

Although in all of the above situations, the teenagers potentially  took “too many” risks with their own safety, they are also not to blame for the actions of others, and we need to ensure our communications reflect this.  

A Victim-blaming Culture and the Rise of Misogyny 

In society, the well-publicised rise of misogyny online has led to much victim-blaming.   

Voices in the “manosphere” might well suggest that in scenario three above, a young female (yet note in the example the sex wasn’t given as this can happen to anyone) was “asking for it” if she was alone and potentially dressed in a certain way.   

Of course, that extreme of victim blaming is highly unlikely to be present from professionals in our settings, but their language and stance on personal responsibility to harm and abuse, does set a precedent.   

It doesn’t take long for a permissive environment and comments that could be seen as victim-blaming to develop into a culture where boundaries around which language is tolerated become blurry. 

On the other hand, we have a duty of care to young people to teach them (explicitly in PSHE lessons and implicitly through less-structured conversations in our settings) how to keep themselves safe in a variety of situations. 

Summary

As safeguarding professionals, we have a duty of care to young people to teach them how to keep themselves safe in a variety of situations and contexts.  

You can use the points above to ensure that your setting provides the correct balance of giving advice and avoiding a victim-blaming culture. 

If any of this has got you thinking and you’d like more support or advice, our expert RSHE and Safeguarding Advisers can help. Contact us on hello@servicesforeducation.co.uk for more information. 

If you found this blog useful, you may also be interested in reading the following blogs:  

How to Prioritise Mental Health This School Year

Lucie Welch offers practical advice, signs to look out for, and ways schools can build...

07
Oct

What the New Statutory RSHE Guidance Means for Your School – Insights from our in-house RSHE expert Education Adviser

Our experienced Safeguarding and RSHE Adviser, Jo Perrin - a former pastoral lead - has...

18
Jul

Benevolent Childhood Experiences (BCEs) – Are they the antidote for ACEs?

Education Adviser, Lucie Welch, discusses what Benevolent Childhood Experiences (BCEs) are, and what schools can...

13
Jun

 Briefing Session: What the New Statutory RSHE Guidance Means

 Join us for a briefing Session on Thursday 29th January 2026.

Our expert Safeguarding and RSHE Advisers, Jo Perrin and Lucie Welch, will provide their expert take on what the new guidance means for schools and pupils – and what you can do to prepare. We’ll share practical strategies to help you prepare your staff, update policies and resources, and engage parents with confidence – without compromising on statutory requirements.

Find out more and book your place using the button below, or for more information contact us here.

  About the Author

Jo Perrin - Interim School Support Lead,  Adviser, Services For Education

Jo Perrin is a seasoned Education Adviser with a strong background in safeguarding. She has held key roles as a Designated Safeguarding Lead and pastoral lead in the education sector. Facilitating training to enhance the knowledge and skills of professionals working directly with children and young people is her passion.

With a wealth of experience in teaching PSHE and expertise in childhood trauma from her time as a foster carer, Jo is dedicated to supporting organisations that work with children and vulnerable adults on safeguarding issues. She is actively involved in professional safeguarding groups in the West Midlands and is currently collaborating on a research project with colleagues from the University of Birmingham and the NHS focusing on FGM awareness within communities. Jo’s has worked as a West Midlands' Adviser for national PSHE resources, presented at the Sex Education Forum National Members' Event and authored an advertorial for PSM magazine and an article for SEND magazine.

Jo's expertise extends to training on topics such as Safer Recruitment and Mental Health at Work. She is also a facilitator for the nationally recognised NPQSL qualification, supporting senior leaders in education. Her contributions to publications and development of resources for RSE provision have been well-received by schools nationally and internationally.

With her extensive experience and dedication to professional development, Jo Perrin is a highly respected figure in the field of education. Her guidance on safeguarding, mental health awareness, personal development, and relationships education is highly valued within the industry.