The VAWG Strategy – What it Means for Educators

Prevention Starts in Education

A key focus of the strategy is early intervention, recognising that attitudes linked to misogyny, entitlement, coercion and control often develop during childhood and adolescence.

Educators are expected to play a proactive role by:

• Delivering Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) that is age-appropriate, trauma-informed and inclusive.

• Teaching consent, respect, healthy relationships and online safety from an early age.

• Challenging sexist language, harmful stereotypes and normalised harassment within school culture.

• Supporting pupils to recognise abusive behaviour both as potential victims and as bystanders.

The strategy reinforces that prevention is not a one-off lesson, but something embedded across the curriculum, policies, staff training and everyday practice.

Safeguarding and Early Identification

The strategy highlights that many children and young people affected by domestic abuse, sexual violence or exploitation are first identified in education settings. As a result, schools and colleges are expected to:

• Maintain strong safeguarding systems aligned with statutory guidance.

• Ensure staff are trained to recognise early indicators of abuse, including behavioural changes, unexplained injuries, anxiety, withdrawal or aggression.

• Understand that children may be affected directly or indirectly, including through witnessing abuse at home.

• Work closely with local safeguarding partners, social care, police and specialist services.

The emphasis is on early help, not waiting until harm escalates.

Online Harm and Peer-on-Peer Abuse

The strategy places significant weight on the online dimension of violence, including sexual harassment, image-based abuse, coercion and exposure to misogynistic content. For educators, this strengthens expectations around:

• Teaching digital literacy and online consent.

• Responding robustly to peer-on-peer abuse, both online and offline.

• Supporting pupils affected by harmful content, including deepfakes and image sharing.

• Clear reporting routes, consistent sanctions and supportive responses for victims.

Supporting Victims in Education Settings

Education providers are encouraged to adopt a trauma-informed approach, recognising that schools may be a place of safety for children experiencing violence or abuse. This includes:

• Listening to pupils and taking concerns and reports seriously.

• Providing appropriate pastoral support and making reasonable adjustments.

• Working with external specialist services where needed.

• Understanding the long-term impact of trauma on learning, behaviour and attendance.

The strategy reinforces that supporting victims is everyone’s responsibility, not solely the role of safeguarding leads.

What This Means in Practice

For educators, this strategy strengthens existing responsibilities rather than creating entirely new ones. It reinforces the importance of:

• Whole-school approaches to safeguarding and wellbeing

• High-quality RSHE

• Staff training and confidence

• Strong multi-agency working

Above all, it expects education to be a front line in preventing violence before it starts.

Our aim, at Safeguarding Network, is to help DSLs build a culture with the knowledge and understanding of safeguarding that enables this learning and preventative work to take place.

Download the Freedom from Violence and Abuse Strategy document

Read the Press Release