AGENDA 2025

Welcome – 

Dr Sophie King-Hill is an associate professor in the Health Services Management Centre, School of Social Policy at the University of
Birmingham in the UK. She has worked extensively in the third sector with many diverse groups. Her research specialism encompasses sibling sexual abuse, sexual behaviours and first point assessment in children and young people,  sexual health, controversial issues and teenage parents. Sophie also has an interest in policy implementation, transfer and success frameworks and evaluation strategies. 

Title: Relationships, sex and health education: why key child sexual abuse and harmful sexual behaviour prevention strategies are being overlooked.

This talk will explore relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) and its links to reducing and preventing child sexual abuse (CSA) and harmful sexual behaviour (HSB). The contentious nature of talking about RSHE with children and young people (CYP) will be explored – looking at perceptions of CYP and their agency and how this plays out in RSHE curriculums in schools. The context of the RSHE will be given – and the current fraught and contested nature of this topic will be discussed. The links between shame, pleasure and normative sexual behaviours will be outlined and the impact this has on inhibiting conversations about sexual behaviours in wider society. Issues of consent will be discussed, with a focus upon the complexities of negotiating this concept for children and young people. Sexual harassment in schools, work with boys and the importance of youth voice and co-design will be covered. Examples will be drawn from work research carried out by Dr Sophie
King-Hill in relation to her work and research with young people and sexual behaviours.  This will be framed around the inability of wider society to talk about sex as a whole and how this negatively impacts upon RSHE and the preventative role it can play in CSA and HSB.

To tackle this an understanding of what constitutes normal sexual behaviour for the 13 – 18 year old age group is vital, alongside
knowledge on assessment tools that helps teachers to identify what constitutes normal, harmful or problematic sexual behaviour in students and then put the appropriate support in place where necessary. There is an inherent reluctance around acknowledging that children have an emerging sexuality. When this isn’t recognised in professional practice feelings of shame can grow and this leads to a decline in support. With Covid and the digital revolution that a lot of sexual behaviours have moved online. However, the assumption is made that all online sexual behaviours are bad in relation to young people. The talk will outline and unpick these complex issues underpinning this with a number of
research projects that have been carried out by Dr. Sophie King-Hill.