Main title slide
Keeping Safe
NSPCC and Department of Education
Developing Preventative ‘Keeping
Safe’ Education in Primary Schools
in Northern Ireland: an RCT Study
ICL Conference, Belfast 20-22 February 2014
Dr Aisling McElearney & Phyllis Stephenson
Aims of today
Aims of today
1. To describe the research process
& outcomes whereby children in
primary schools were engaged in
developing the preventative
‘keeping safe’ education RCT
study
• Photography project
• Children’s Knowledge of
Abuse Questionnaire project
2. To outline RCT study informed by
this research
Photography project
Methodology
Development of child
friendly data collection
procedures
Purposive sampling of 2
schools councils from case
study schools
’Be safe while taking your
photographs Guidelines’
n=19, 1 special, 1
mainstream school
Data collection
Stratified random sampling,
15 schools
Photography project
n= 175
P5-P7; 9-11years
First level content
analysis
Photographic data
Convenience sampling
Y9/10 (n=61)
3 post-primary schools
2 workshops; consult, feedback,
evidence shared decisions, reward
children self-evaluate workshop
experiences
Brief children, seek consent, test
cameras & guidelines,
Collect cameras after 7 days
Develop & return photos
Children annotate
Collect for analysis
Workshop -10 small groups
Bundles of photos plus annotated
descriptions
Look & read; compare & contrast,
group into discrete categories; label
category; write rationale
Findings
New NI evidence - children’s perspective & understanding of keeping
safe; 1775 photos grouped into 77 discrete categories and 4 key-themes
Key themes; physical safety & preventing accidents (787 photos, 37.8%),
places (796 photos, 38.3%), feeling secure (495 photos, 23.8%), people
(482 photos, 23.1%)
Key findings
• For majority of children physical safety and accident prevention is
core to their understanding of keeping safe
• Keeping safe from bullying, child abuse and domestic abuse
comprises a small element of most children’s understanding of
keeping safe. Includes bullying, stranger danger, good and bad
people
• Some children are tuned into feeling safe and a small minority
indicate they have a role to play in keeping themselves safe
CKAQ project
Methodology
Objective – to assess children’s knowledge and understanding of
bullying, domestic abuse, appropriate & inappropriate touch, and
self-perceived efficacy to keep themselves safe
Composite instrument following review & critique of available
instruments;
- Children’s Knowledge of Abuse Questionnaire (Tutty, 2000)
- Efficacy Expectations Subscale (Dake et al, 2003)
- Knowledge & Attitudes to Abuse Subscale of Child/Teen
Witness to Woman Abuse Questionnaire (Sudermann, 2000)
Amended following consultation workshop with children
(n=19); order of abuse issues, presentation & fonts, explanations
provided to children, child friendly definitions of key concepts
Sample; n=532 P5-P7 children across 16 schools; supported
by NSPCC practitioner in class test conditions
Significant results
Poor knowledge & understanding;
• Role of child in domestic abuse;
cause, what to do
• Relational bullying
• Who presents a risk re sexual
abuse, stranger danger mismessage
Low self-efficacy to keep safe in
abuse situations;
telling trusted adult about domestic
abuse or inappropriate sexual
touching
AGE - younger
Self-reported SEN
Exposure to fewer
sources of this
information
Robust evidence of gaps in
children’s knowledge,
understanding & self-efficacy to
keep safe in situations of abuse
NSPCC and Department of Education
RCT Study 2013-18
Focus on teachers
Children tell teachers & teachers know
their children;
unique relationship, significant adult for
many children
Significant opportunities;
formal & informal curriculum, accessible
population
Teachers critical to achieving effective
implementation
Teachers have asked for training,
development & ongoing support to teach
sensitive messages
A whole school approach
A whole school approach
•
School Leadership
•
•
•
Embedding Keeping Safe in every
school’s vision
Whole school development plan
Monitoring and evaluating
Developing community links
A whole school approach
•
•
•
•
School Leadership
Designated teacher
for child protection
•
•
•
•
Embedding Keeping Safe in every
school’s vision
Whole school development plan
Monitoring and evaluating
Developing community links
CPSSS support, training and advice
Support for ongoing CPD
Engaging parents and external partners
Promoting the school vision
A whole school approach
•
•
•
•
School Leadership
Designated teacher
for child protection
Classroom teacher
Embedding Keeping Safe in every
school’s vision
Whole school development plan
Monitoring and evaluating
Developing community links
•
•
•
•
CPSSS support, training and advice
Support for ongoing CPD
Engaging parents and external partners
Promoting the school vision
•
•
•
•
Teaching sensitive messages
Formal and informal curriculum
Engaging parents and external partners
Creating a culture of listening & telling
3 Key elements of the project
Develop
Implement
Evaluate
• CPD package; Model of CPD & training
materials to engage teachers, teaching &
learning resources for teachers, children &
parents
• Feasibility study to test model, resources &
evaluation tools (3-6 months)
• Fully in pilot schools for 12-18 months
• Effectiveness RCT – T1 (baseline), T2 (midway
@ 9 mths), T3 (end @ 12-18 mths), T4 (follow
up at 9mths)
• Process evaluation – lessons for
implementation
Development updates
• Screen shot
Q&A
Thank you for
your attention
Thank you
for
your
attention
amcelearney@nspcc.org.uk
phyllisstephenson@nspcc.org.uk
Education Advisors