Harmful Sexual Behaviour: Could Your School Respond with Confidence?

When does behaviour cross the line from concerning to harmful and would your school recognise it early enough?

Harmful sexual behaviour doesn’t always present as a clear-cut incident. It can develop gradually, be normalised within peer groups or be dismissed as typical behaviour. Influenced by misogyny, peer dynamics and online content, the signs can be difficult to recognise and the consequences of getting the response wrong can be significant.

For schools, recognising the concern is only the first step. Leaders must make difficult judgements about risk, decide what action is proportionate, and ensure children are protected and appropriately supported. This means navigating complex situations where the right course of action may not always be obvious.

So how confident are you that your staff can recognise harmful sexual behaviour, make informed decisions and respond effectively when concerns arise?

In this Sofa Session, we’ll explore how harmful sexual behaviour can present in schools, the challenges it creates for safeguarding teams, and the practical steps leaders can take to strengthen their response.

During this session, you'll learn how to:

Let us introduce you to this week's professional speaker

Kathleen Simpson

Kathleen brings over 10 years' experience in safeguarding leadership and management across multiple sectors, underpinned by a Law degree and extensive expertise in child protection, risk management, and multi-agency working. Throughout her career, she has held a range of strategic safeguarding roles, including Head of Safeguarding for a Premiership Rugby Club and Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) responsibilities within education.

Her experience spans safeguarding children and adults, managing complex and high-risk cases, leading safeguarding investigations, developing organisational safeguarding frameworks, and providing support, challenge and guidance to senior leaders. Kathleen has a particular interest in domestic abuse, drawing on her experience as an Independent Domestic Violence Advocate (IDVA) within policing, as well as victim support, contextual safeguarding, and the impact of trauma on children and families. She is passionate about helping organisations develop strong safeguarding cultures where the welfare of children and vulnerable individuals remains at the heart of decision-making. Kathleen joined Judicium as a Safeguarding Consultant, supporting schools and organisations to strengthen safeguarding practice.