Lynn Perry, Chief Executive of Barnardo’s, said:
“The scale of violence against women and girls in this country is unacceptable. Too many children are growing up exposed to harmful views about men and women that impact their attitudes towards relationships, sex and consent.
“Today’s strategy marks an important step towards tackling this epidemic. We particularly welcome the focus on challenging views at an early age through investing in schools and specialist training for teachers. It is vital that children are supported to question the misinformation they are exposed to online – helping them learn about respectful relationships, consent and gender equality.
“We also welcome the focus on tools and guidance to help police and other authorities tackle abuse within relationships between children. However, there is always more to do – and this strategy needs to look closely at all the places where children are spending their time – including online, at home and in the community.
“Too often, we see harmful online views becoming normalised and this translating into real-life behaviour, including children under 18 sexually abusing other children, worrying behaviour in the playground, and sharing naked images through messaging apps. Any plans to tackle this must include a ban on any pornography that depicts adults pretending to be children and criminalising the use of nudification apps.
“At Barnardo’s, we see the deep and lasting impact of abuse on young lives every single day. Too many of our children are being exposed to toxic attitudes in their communities, at school and online. We welcome this strategy and look forward to working with the government to put words into action, to protect the next generation - keeping girls safe from violence and improving the mental health and wellbeing of all children and young people.”