CHILDLINE ADVICE: Help close loophole regarding those in a ‘position of trust’

It can be a bit nerve-wracking talking to your children about relationships but, especially as they reach their teens, it’s important to help them understand what a healthy relationship looks like.
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Often, a young person’s understanding of relationships might be based on TV shows or celebrity couples. It’s crucial that young people also learn about consent and communication along with other factors of healthy relationships as listed on the Childline advice website.

By understanding what a healthy relationship looks like, it helps young people to understand what an unhealthy one would look like too.

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One of the biggest concerns we hear from children contacting Childline about relationships is about older adults taking advantage of them in a relationship.

Currently teachers, youth workers, and doctors are in what is referred to as a “Position of trust”; a legal term referring to certain roles and settings where an adult has regular and direct contact with children. It’s against the law for someone in a position of trust to engage in sexual activity with a child in their care.

However, this term does not legally cover adults who may work with children in capacities like sports coaching, faith groups, and community activities, even though they work with young people in a similar capacity to those who are classed as a “position of trust”.

The NSPCC is campaigning for the government to close the loophole, and make sure that every adult who has people under 18 in their care is recognised legally as being a “position of trust”. But we need your help.

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If you want to support the NSPCC’s Close the Loophole campaign, you can visit the NSPCC website to learn more about the campaign and current laws on “positions of trust”. You can also email your MP, and urge them to contact the Ministry of Justice with their support for the Close the Loophole campaign.

Children who are worried about these kinds of issues can be signposted to Childline for counselling on 0800 1111, or by visiting the Childline website. Meanwhile, adults can contact the NSPCC for advice, if they are worried that this might be happening to a child, by calling 0808 800 5000 or emailing [email protected].

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