An NSPCC campaign to help professionals, parents and carers from the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust (BHSCT) area have simple conversations to help keep children safe from abuse was launched today (Wednesday, 28 September 2022).
The charity’s Talk PANTS campaign provides a range of resources and support to help people from all walks of life talk to children about helping keep them safe from sexual abuse and who to talk to if they’re upset or worried.
The Public Health Agency NI is supporting the delivery of the campaign, in partnership with the Belfast Trust’s Health Improvement Team.
The launch was attended by a range of professionals from the Belfast area and beyond, including guest speaker Donald Findlater, Director of child sexual abuse prevention charity Stop It Now! UK and Ireland.
Speaking at the launch, Donald Findlater said: “Those who sexually abuse children exploit their vulnerability, including their ignorance and embarrassment to do with bodies and body parts.
“The primary responsibility for protecting children rests fair and square on the shoulders of adults. We need to be attentive and alert, seeking advice or taking action when we need to.
“But we also need to reduce children’s vulnerability by talking with them from an early age about respect, about privacy and about confidence to speak up when they have questions, or if something troubles them.
“I am a big fan of the Talk PANTS campaign as it gets these conversations started, giving adults and children ways of speaking about such vital matters in a comfortable and utterly helpful way.
“Talk PANTS helps us all keep children safe.”
Since 2012, the NSPCC’s Talk PANTS initiative has been supporting and encouraging parents to have conversations with children aged between four and 8, to help keep them safe from sexual abuse.
Whilst it is never the responsibility of a child to keep themselves safe from sexual abuse, talking PANTS helps children to understand that they have a right to safety, and supports them to recognise when something is not okay and how to tell someone.
PANTS tools and resources (including the colourful mascot Pantosaurus) give adults clear and simple ways to open these conversations in a child-friendly way.
The key PANTS messages for children are:
P – Privates are privates.
A – Always remember your body belongs to you.
N – No means no.
T – Talk about secrets that upset you.
S – Speak up, someone can help.
The campaign aims to help both professionals and parents find out more about the PANTS resources and messages and to encourage the promotion of the campaign through local partners and through social media.
Following on from today’s launch, there will be a series of virtual workshops held for professionals in the late autumn. A second phase of the campaign in January 2023 will promote the resources to parents and carers in the Belfast area.
Booklets, posters and other resources will be made available to help families and professionals have these conversations with children.
Margaret Gallagher, NSPCC Head of Local Campaigns, said: “This is an incredibly exciting project. With the support of the Public Health Agency and BHSCT Health Improvement Team, we can reach more families and professionals, offering them our support and knowledge.
“Traditionally, adults have always taught children about healthy eating and road safety but conversations about helping stay safe from abuse are just as vital.
“The PANTS resources offer a reassuring framework for approaching what needn’t be a difficult subject.”
“An estimated 1 in 20 children in the UK have been sexually abused. The majority of reported sexual offences in Northern Ireland continue to be committed against children.
“PSNI figures show that in 2020/21, on average, over 5 sexual crimes were committed against a child in Northern Ireland every day, and recorded sexual offences committed against under 18s have more than doubled between 2007/08 and 2020/21.
“So, it is absolutely imperative that we talk to children at a young age to help keep them safe.”
Joe Harris, Sexual Health Lead within Health Improvement at Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, said: “We are delighted to promote the PANTS campaign across the Belfast Trust and look forward to working in partnership over the coming months to share the campaign resources and help protect our children and young people.”
Barbara Porter, Health and Social Wellbeing Improvement Manager with the Public Health Agency, said: “The PHA fully support the PANTS campaign which promotes simple conversations to help keep children and young people safe from abuse.
“Part of the development of any young child is learning rules and messages that will help keep them safe and healthy.
“Just as we teach children about staying safe in a variety of home and public settings, the PANTS rule will help children learn about their own personal safety and who to go to if they need help.
“We all have a part to play in helping keep children and young people safe.
“We will continue to work in partnership with the relevant agencies to ensure the roll out of the campaign across the Belfast area.
“It is so important that parents, carers and professionals are empowered to deliver these messages and that they feel supported in doing so.”
For more information about Talk PANTS, visit https://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/keeping-children-safe/underwear-rule/ or to watch the Pantosaurus video go to: https://youtu.be/-lL07JOGU5o
Anyone with any concerns about the welfare of a child can call the NSPCC’s free and confidential helpline on 0808 800 5000 for advice. Children can call Childline on 0800 1111.
