Welsh council responds to claims pupils were taught about choking during sex
Welsh council responds to claims pupils were taught about choking during sex
The council's PSHE syllabus was this week brought up in Parliament but the local authority has now responded after reports in the national media
A Welsh council's curriculum was raised in parliament in Westminster this week by Tory former MEP, Baroness Jacqueline Foster
(Image: Manchester Evening News )
A Welsh council has said it stepped in to remove information about choking from its sex education curriculum which had been drawn up by a domestic abuse service. Bridgend Council denied teaching pupils about choking during sex after reports of a draft version of its sex education material intended to be used in schools was released to some national press earlier this month.
The draft sex education material drawn up by the council's domestic abuse service, Assia, included references to asking for consent before choking a sexual partner. The matter became so widely circulated that it was raised in Parliament this week.
It had been intended for PSHE lessons for older teenagers aged between 15 and 17 at secondary schools in Bridgend and had been put together last year. The initial presentation issued guidance like: 'Consent should also happen every time sexual choking is an option, not just the first time.'
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The presentation said: 'It is never okay to start choking someone without asking them first and giving them space to say no. Make it clear that they have a right to say no if they don't want to be choked and their no should be respected and if it's not respected that is sexual assault. Consent under threat is not consent. Consent should also happen every time sexual choking is an option, not just the first time.'
After screenshots of the initial presentation emerged last week it drew much criticism, including from Michael Conroy, the founder of Men at Work which trains teachers how to deliver PSHE lessons, who claimed the material was a reaction to growing issues of violence within pornography. The draft material was also described by London's victims' commissioner Claire Waxman as 'deeply concerning' and it was raised in Parliament this week by Tory former MEP Baroness Jacqueline Foster. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here
Baroness Foster said: 'Unfortunately I have recently been made aware that a council-funded sex education presentation shown in schools to young underage children told them how to safely choke their girlfriends during sex, saying it must always be done with consent, suggesting strangulation can be done safely which of course it cannot.
'Official data shows an increase in reported cases for adults which also link strangulation to cases of sexual assault, rape and even murder. And despite a new non-fatal strangulation offence being introduced in England and Wales in June, 2022, by the last government reflecting the dangers this act is clearly being ignored by those adults pushing this agenda - who are literally breaking the law.
'So does the minister and his colleague, the Secretary of State for Education, support these presentations being given in schools, which I hope they don't? And hopefully does he agree with me that those responsible, who are knowingly breaking the law, should be immediately removed from their posts and reported to the police?'
Home Office minister David Hanson said he would refer the concerns raised to his education colleagues and was sure they would contact the peer to get more information. He added: 'It sounds horrendous but having not seen the material I can't comment in detail on it but I will make sure it is referred to those who can.'
But on Thursday, after being approached by WalesOnline on the matter, a spokesman for the council explained the material surrounding choking was provided to the council by Assia for the council's perusal, but was never taught in classrooms because that part of the presentation had been removed before pupils saw it. The council said it was a "classic example of how misinformation can generate headlines".
In a statement the council said: "Several national newspapers have claimed to have seen slides from a 2024 Powerpoint presentation stating that 'choking' a partner should never be carried out without first obtaining consent. However, the slides were part of inaccurate or out-of-date information that was either updated or removed before the presentation was ever used in a classroom.
"Developed by the Assia domestic abuse service following reports that teachers were fielding difficult questions from older pupils around consensual behaviour, the presentation was offered to secondary schools in Bridgend county borough last year as part of a pastoral support programme, but only after it had been fully vetted and checked.
"This process included deleting out of date or inaccurate information, updating details to be fully compliant with the likes of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, removing some slides altogether, and ensuring that non-fatal strangulation was rightly described as being an illegal, dangerous and criminal act.
"While the updated presentation was offered to all secondary schools, only one school accepted the offer, and it was delivered to an audience of 15–17-year-olds in October last year. At no time were any of those pupils informed that it is okay to 'choke' somebody as long as you have obtained consent."
Councillor Martyn Jones, cabinet member for education and youth services, said: 'Having looked into this matter closely and after checking all our records and facts, the suggestion that older pupils have been taught to consent to damaging sexual behaviour is simply not true.
'All pastoral advice used by local schools is carefully designed to be age-appropriate, and to encourage teenagers who are maturing into young adults to develop healthy, respectful relationships where there is no abuse of any kind.
'It appears that inaccurate information from a draft version of the presentation was shared with the media by individuals who had the best of intentions as they thought it had already been used in classrooms. However, the truth of the matter is that the slides in question had been deleted and updated long before the final version of the presentation was ever delivered.
'This entire affair is a classic example of how misinformation can generate headlines, and cause widespread misunderstanding. Bridgend county borough council takes its safeguarding responsibilities very seriously, and we continually monitor all materials aimed at children and young people to ensure that they are age appropriate. We do not use inappropriate materials within schools, and anyone who approaches the Assia domestic abuse service regarding this issue will be informed that non-fatal strangulation remains an illegal, dangerous and criminal act.'
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