Other

SEXUAL HEALTH: Sex education for under-16s could invite private prosecution

1 min read

The warning comes from the Children's Rights Alliance for England as the sexual offences bill progresses through the House of Lords.

Terri Dowty, acting joint national co-ordinator for the alliance, which comprises 180 organisations, said: "We are concerned that the bill fails to distinguish between aberrant behaviour in adults and behaviour between adolescents that is part of growth."

Clause 15 in the bill creates the offence of "arranging or facilitating commission of a child sex offence".

Dowty said: "As it stands, this appears to make the provision of contraceptive and sexual advice to young people aged under 16 unlawful."

She added that the UK's teenage pregnancy rates were "unacceptably high" and that education was needed to reduce the spread of disease.

Register Now to Continue Reading

Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:

What's Included

  • Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month

  • Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector

Register

Already have an account? Sign in here


More like this

CEO

Bath, Somerset

Hertfordshire Youth Workers

“Opportunities in districts teams and countywide”