The expectations of the International Task Force for Child Protection state that schools shall have in place formal learning programs throughout the school experience related to child protection. The same learning objectives that help reduce the risk of abuse may also prevent the development of abusive behaviors.
Abuse prevention curriculum should cover developmentally appropriate topics such as personal rights, body autonomy, boundaries, and consent, identification of trusted adults, online safety and digital literacy, healthy relationships, healthy sexual behavior, staying safe away from home, commercial exploitation, and support for disclosing abuse through research-supported methods of instruction using anatomically correct language.
- Abuse Prevention Curriculum Guidelines (AISA) Key Resource
- Audit of Primary School Child Sexual Abuse Education Policy and Curriculum (Australia Royal Commission, excerpted)
- Characteristics of an Effective Abuse Prevention Curriculum (ICMEC) Key Resource
- Child Protection Education Teacher Resource Guide (AISA)
- Curriculum Design Tool (SEF)
- CSE Curriculum Matrix in Europe (WHO)
- Global Review of CSE Practice and Scope (UNESCO)
- International Technical Guidance for Sexuality Education (UNESCO) Key Resource
- Key Principles of Effective Prevention Education (PSHE Association/CEOP UK)
- Making Sense of Relationships Teacher Guidance (NSPCC, PSHE Association)
- Primary Child Protection Curriculum Standards US (CfC)
- Sexual Abuse Prevention and the School Curriculum(The Upstream Project – Scotland)
- Social Emotional Learning and Child Self-Protection (SELCSP) Standards and Benchmarks for International Schools – New
- Standards for Sexuality Education in Europe (WHO)
- Talking to Students about Personal Safety (Canadian Centre for Child Protection)
- Taking Us Seriously: children talk about safety concerns (Executive Summary, ARC)