Extra-Familial Harm: What is it?
Extra-familial risks can significantly impact children safety and well-being. What are these risk and how can we avoid them?
As educators and safeguarding leads, our responsibility extends beyond the classroom walls. While families play a crucial role in child protection, we must also recognise that children face risks outside their homes.
In this blog, we’ll delve into what extra-familial risk entails and explore practical strategies for safeguarding children in various environments.
What Is Extra-Familial Risk?
Contextual Safeguarding
Contextual Safeguarding is an approach that acknowledges children’s vulnerability to harm both within and outside their homes. It goes beyond traditional child protection models by considering various environments that influence young lives:
- Peer Groups: During adolescence, children spend increasing time socialising independently of their families. Peer relationships shape their experiences, behaviours, and choices. Schools play a pivotal role in facilitating positive peer interactions and addressing harmful dynamics.
- Schools and Educational Establishments: While schools are generally safe spaces, they can also be sites of harm. Issues such as sexual harassment, grooming, and bullying can occur within educational settings. Safeguarding leads must be vigilant and proactive in creating safe learning environments.
- Community/Public Spaces: Parks, housing estates, shopping centres, and transport hubs—all these places provide opportunities for children to interact with others. Understanding and educating young people on the risks associated with these spaces is crucial for effective safeguarding.
- Online Platforms: Social media, gaming, and other digital spaces are integral to children’s lives. Cyberbullying, online grooming, exposure to harmful content, and privacy concerns are all part of the extra-familial risk landscape.
Forms of Extra-Familial Harm
When safeguarding leads encounter concerns related to extra-familial harm, they should consider the child’s vulnerabilities. Common forms of extra-familial harm can include:
>Exploitation by Criminal and Organised Crime Groups:
>County Lines: Vulnerable children may be coerced into drug trafficking or other criminal activities.
>Financial Exploitation: Children targeted for financial gain face risks beyond their families.
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