Help needed to get message across to school children

More volunteers are urgently needed to keep children in Perth and Kinross safe from abuse.

The innovative NSPCC School Service has already reached more than 3,000 schools across Scotland, while in Perth and Kinross it has visited 78 schools and spoken to 2,800 children.

The NSPCC School Service delivers assemblies and workshops to children between the ages of four and 11, with content tailored to each age group.

The charity also uses a visual aid – a speech bubble called Buddy – to help get the message across, and give pupils the tools they need to stay safe from abuse and neglect.

Once provided with full specialised training the volunteers deliver the Speak Out, Stay Safe assemblies which ensure primary school pupils have access to essential information on how to keep themselves safe from abuse.

The volunteers deliver presentations in every school across Scotland once every two years.

NSPCC research shows that, on average, at least two children in every primary school classroom will have suffered some form of abuse or neglect.

The programme helps children to understand abuse in all its forms and recognise the signs that it is happening, learn how to protect themselves from all forms of abuse and alerts them on how to get help and the sources of help available to them, including Childline.

Scotland Speak Out, Stay Safe coordinator for Perth and Kinross, Enola Butler, said: “We’re absolutely committed to ensuring as many primary school children as possible get the information they need to speak out and stay safe.”