Preventing and responding to gender based violence: a whole school framework

A Whole-School approach to addressing Gender Based Violence

All children and young people should be able to learn free from discrimination and violence. Discrimination and violence against women and girls within schools is wholly unacceptable.

Schools, as part of wider children’s services, are well-placed to support learning, understanding and prevention of GBV through universal approaches. Schools also have an important role to play, with partners, in supporting children and young people who have experienced GBV. This includes gathering evidence on the nature and extent of GBV within their school and taking appropriate targeted or specialist action to address this, both in relation to individual incidents and reflecting any trends in their approach to children and young people’s learning.

Within the context of the GIRFEC approach, it is important to recognise the full spectrum of GBV (see Understanding Gender Based Violence and its impacts). Schools and school staff may also be asked to respond to circumstances and incidents which occur both within and outwith school. A school’s response to different situations may sit in different, or multiple, places in the structure illustrated below, depending on the particular circumstances. This is explored further in Scenarios.

Applying a whole-school approach

This framework adopts a whole-school approach to tackling GBV, recognising the important contribution to be made by all members of a school community, including children and young people, teachers, school nurses and other staff, parents, carers and the wider community. A whole-school approach aims to positively influence the school culture by fostering a shared, consistent approach tackling the underlying gender inequalities that underpin GBV. Everyone in a school community should promote a healthy and constructive understanding around gender and gender roles and challenge views held by people both in schools and across society which normalise GBV. This proactive whole-school approach applied consistently will provide a strong foundation to address any specific incidents of GBV. Please see Key considerations for school staff upon disclosure of GBV for information on responding to incidents of GBV.

Similarly, the school culture and ethos should set clear expectations and acceptance amongst all members of the school community of the need to challenge and address GBV where it occurs. Responding to GBV involves taking action when there are early signs of GBV occurring and when incidents of violence or abusive behaviours have occurred. This includes supporting people experiencing GBV, responding effectively to the person responsible, and aiming to prevent any recurrence or normalisation of this behaviour or attitudes amongst the whole school community.

“Ultimately this is an issue of culture – no point saying it comes down to delivering 5 lessons – it has to be embedded within the school and everyone challenge the behaviour when it occurs. It is not the responsibility of one but instead is of all.” Quote from South Lanarkshire primary teacher

The role of leadership

Senior leaders in education authorities and schools have a key role in leading the development and implementation of systems, structures and approaches, as well as by modelling equality as a core school value and culture.

Engaging with partners

Engaging with appropriate partners may form an element of both universal and targeted approaches. School staff can call on a range of support from within education, health and local authority services (as well as other organisations and services) in prevention and early intervention of GBV.

In particular, schools and youth services can seek engagement with and support from their local area multi-agency violence against women and girls partnership. This partnership leads local strategic action to prevent and tackle violence against women and girls.

Where there is a risk of significant harm to the child or young person, school staff should always invoke child protection procedures, rather than seeking multi-agency voluntary support. Please see Key considerations for school staff upon disclosure of GBV.

The role of children and young people

Where schools have embedded an ethos of meeting children and young people’s needs, recognising their rights, listening to their voices, and enabling their full participation in the life of the school, children and young people will be more likely to feel safe, confident in sharing their views and willing to be involved in creating positive change in their environment. Children and young people should be confident that they know what to do if they experience or witness GBV at school, or if they want to talk to a staff member about something that is worrying them.

The role of school staff

All school staff are highly influential in building the ethos, culture and values of the school and can demonstrate positive attitudes and behaviours associated with gender equality. Local authorities should support and encourage school staff to utilise their influence in developing a culture of gender equality in schools.

Equality lies at the heart of the GTCS Professional Standards for teachers.

The role of school nursing

School nurses are well positioned within education settings to support children and young people with their health and wellbeing.

Domestic abuse and child protection are 2 of the 10 priority areas of focus for a school nurse. If a child or young person has witnessed or experiences domestic abuse, or other forms of GBV, at home or within their own relationships, they can request assistance from the school nurse. The school nurse will complete a holistic assessment of the young person’s health and wellbeing needs through a GIRFEC health and wellbeing assessment and provide the necessary support. Where more specialised input is required, school nurses can make referrals into other services ensuring young people receive the correct care and support at the right time.

The role of families

It is important to fully include parents and carers at all stages of enhancing school culture and policy on GBV as part of a whole-school approach. This may include: sharing the vision for change; building the case for change; and learning parents and carers’ perspectives on the impact of gender and GBV in the lives of their children and what needs to change.

Engaging with parents and carers enables the school to be clear with all members of the community about its approach to GBV and what parents/carers may expect if an incident occurs.

In any engagement around GBV, whether this be with children, young people, school staff, school leaders, parents, carers or families, a sensitive approach should be prioritised.

See Applying trauma-informed practice, Responding to GBV experienced by a member of staff, and Appendix A: Professional learning and resources