AQW 45533/22-27

Mrs Michelle Guy
Alliance Party
Lagan Valley

Tabled Date: 05/05/2026
Answered On Date: 14/05/2026
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Education whether the Education Authority has a central policy to ensure schools adequately handle incidents of children and young people experiencing harmful sexual behaviour by other school pupils.

Answer:

The DE Circular 2022/02 - Children Who Display Harmful Sexual Behaviour provides guidance to support the handling of incidents of potential or actual Harmful Sexual Behaviour.

Procedures for recording all safeguarding and child protection concerns are outlined in Circular 2020/07 - Child Protection: Record Keeping in Schools. This policy circular makes clear that accurate recording of child protection concerns by schools is essential. The CPSS keep records of the number of children who come to their attention regarding Harmful Sexual Behaviour, and the types of support offered.