Pendle Community Safety Partnership is seeking views from parents with children who attend secondary school on sex and relationships education.
The questionnaire, aimed at parents and carers who are responsible for children aged 11- 16, is being distributed via Pendle’s high schools from this week.
Coun. David Whipp, chairman of Pendle Community Safety Partnership, explained: “This week is Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) Week.
“We’re taking this opportunity to find out from parents what support and information they need to help empower our young people to make positive choices about their sexual health.
“Any young person could become a victim of CSE and sadly they don’t see themselves as victims.
“They are coerced into sexual relationships which they confuse with love and affection, often seeing the offender as their friend or boyfriend.
“They may see themselves as willing participants when in fact their behaviour is anything but consenting and it can have a huge effect on their physical, emotional and psychological health.”
He stressed that although CSE is not a particular problem in Pendle, the CSP is keen to support the campaign and feels strongly that young people need to know about positive sexual and non-sexual relationships.
Partners such as the police, Lancashire County Council, and Lancashire Care Foundation Trust are ready to deliver services in response to the survey results.
Claire Bennett, Charity Manager at Pendle Action for the Community, added: “Good sex and relationships education should include all the information that young people might want to know, but it isn’t a compulsory component of the curriculum for schools.
“We want to help schools and parents provide the best possible support and care for our children and young people.
“So it’s really important that we hear from parents and carers about what kind of support and information they’d like to be available, if anything.
“Please look out for the questionnaire when your son or daughter comes home.
“The information will be used to ensure that everything is done to keep Pendle’s children and young people safe.”
The CSP is urging people to complete the short, anonymous questionnaire by Friday, November 21st. It’s supplied with a pre-paid envelope.
Alternatively the questionnaire can be completed online at www.letusknow.org.uk/sre
