child safeguarding survey

Creating safe spaces: overcoming fears in reporting abuse and strengthening safeguarding practices.

At TeachUp, we are dedicated to empowering schools with the resources and training needed to safeguard children effectively. Recognising the unique challenges faced by educators and leaders across varied cultural and regulatory landscapes, we conducted an in-depth survey of child safeguarding in schools, gathering insights from over 100 educational organisations around the world.

Our research offers a revealing look at current practices, challenges, and critical needs within the safeguarding framework, emphasising the importance of culturally sensitive, bilingual training. The findings highlight the pressing need for clear policies, robust communication channels, and specialised training to support every level of school staff in protecting the welfare of students.

Localising safeguarding training

In international and bilingual schools, where educators often come from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, effective child safeguarding training must be both accessible and contextually relevant. This has proven to be especially important as teachers navigate not only the basic protocols but also specific regional requirements and cultural challenges.

In response to the question about whether training in their native language was available, most respondents indicated they did. However, for 11% of respondents, native language was not available, and for 4.2%, only basic training was provided. Notably, the majority of respondents were teachers and school administrators; if facilities and support staff were included, the statistics would likely be reversed. This highlights a gap that may leave school staff underprepared, especially in navigating the nuanced issues of child safeguarding. Schools and training providers should recognise that language accessibility is more than a convenience - it’s essential for ensuring that every member of staff can fully understand and apply safeguarding practices. Expanding multilingual support for comprehensive training, beyond just basic levels, will empower staff to implement safeguarding protocols more effectively.

Many respondents expressed a need to understand local laws and regulations around child protection, particularly those in China and Hong Kong SAR. Specific questions were raised about what actions are available in countries where traditional child services may be lacking, emphasising the need for training that explains both the local safeguarding infrastructure and the cultural factors that influence child protection standards.

Affluent neglect on the rise

In general, respondents felt that affluent neglect was one of the most prevalent forms of abuse on the rise. Lack of parental involvement, guidance, and emotional support despite ample financial resources can lead to feelings of isolation, anxiety, and depression, resulting in a wide range of emotional and behavioural problems for children. Bernard Geoxavier, Director of Student Success Teams at Avenues Shenzhen, shares his experience and thoughts on affluent neglect:

“In my experience, we sometimes find that, despite access to resources, some do experience emotional and physical neglect directly due to a lack of parental involvement, guidance, or presence. It has a snowballing effect regarding inconsistent home structures, sleep, eating well, social interaction, and support. Academic struggles, in these cases, may be tied directly to overt neglect or maltreatment. Schools need to recognize that safeguarding is not solely about addressing overt abuse but also about fostering nurturing relationships that prevent neglect in all its forms—bringing families to the table as partners and ‘calling in’ rather than ‘calling out’ behaviors to bridge the gulf between home and school. While this is the responsibility and obligation of every adult on campus, having a dedicated pastoral care leader(s) on campus prioritizing this work.”

The rise in affluent neglect can be attributed to several factors including demanding careers involving frequent business travel, the pressure to excel academically, socially, and in extracurricular pursuits, and the reliance on third parties such as nannies and domestic helpers to manage the day-to-day aspects of their children’s lives. Numerous cases have been reported of schools discovering children living alone in hotels while their parents reside in a different region or country.

As for other types of child maltreatment, peers and parents/caregivers were consistently identified as the main perpetrators. It is particularly concerning that 21% reported cases of physical abuse involving school staff members (teachers, support staff, or external providers). This statistic underscores the critical importance of rigorous hiring processes, staff monitoring, and continuous professional conduct training.

Around 46% of respondents had responded to emotional abuse cases involving parents or caregivers, indicating a strong need for school-family partnerships to reduce such risks. Once again, school staff were implicated, with 22.6% of respondents having encountered emotional abuse cases involving a staff member. This is a reminder that staff interactions with students need to be both supportive and professionally appropriate to prevent emotional harm.

The results revealed a high incidence of emotional abuse by a parent or caregiver. Almost half of respondents (46%) reported dealing with situations in which a parent or caregiver was responsible, highlighting the challenges schools face in safeguarding students who may experience harm at home.

Instances of physical abuse towards a child

Peer-on-peer abuse also emerged as a significant issue in schools, with 44.4% of respondents stating they had addressed incidents of emotional and online abuse between students. Managing peer-on-peer abuse requires both proactive and reactive measures. Prevention programmes, such as anti-bullying initiatives and social-emotional learning curricula, are key to fostering a positive school culture where respect and kindness are the norms.

The most notable finding regarding abuse and neglect revealed that 71% of respondents reported they had not encountered cases of sexual abuse. Taura Edgar, Founder & Director of TALK, a Hong Kong based child abuse prevention and support charity, commented:

“I was shocked by those findings. Shocked because I know from our own research that 12% of children in Hong Kong suffer from CSA. Indeed, a more recent and comprehensive study in Australia found that of 8500 adults, 28.5% had experienced CSA. The infrequent reporting of child sexual abuse cases by school staff is a multifaceted issue rooted in a lack of awareness, stigma, misconceptions, inadequate reporting mechanisms, fear of consequences, and the hidden nature of the problem. By addressing these barriers through comprehensive training, supportive reporting processes, and open dialogue, educational institutions can become safer environments for children.”

Fear of consequences, particularly in elite international schools, is a prevalent theme throughout the survey. Often defined by their high tuition fees, prestigious branding, and a clientele of influential families, these schools and its staff face unique pressure to maintain an untarnished image. Unfortunately, this pressure may come at the cost of student safety.

Reputation over reporting

In response to the question, "Have you ever witnessed or heard of a safeguarding concern not escalated to protect the reputation of the child's family, your school, or its staff?", a worrying 21% acknowledged having seen or heard such incidents. Silent responses highlight a troubling reality within some prestigious institutions. Among the cases where teachers' confirmed incidents were suppressed, the reasons highlight a pattern of prioritising image over accountability.

In several instances, the family chose to withdraw from the school. This effectively removed the “problem” from the school’s environment without addressing or recording the core issue. The fear of legal repercussions was also mentioned as a reason. Most often, this fear stems from worries related to lawsuits, potential police involvement, or powerful families that are reluctant to take any action that could damage their reputations.

In cases where a teacher was accused, the individual was often dismissed and swiftly moved out of the country, often with a reference. Although this approach might remove the accused from the immediate environment, it circumvents the necessary involvement of local authorities or further investigation. This "sweeping under the carpet" approach means that while the individual might be gone, the root problem remains unaddressed, leaving students without the justice or closure they deserve and putting other children at risk.

Many staff members expressed frustration over inadequate responses to their reported concerns. While 20% were dissatisfied with actions taken by designated safeguarding leads (DSLs), 26% of DSLs themselves admitted a lack of confidence in their knowledge of escalation processes. This gap indicates an urgent need for comprehensive, contextually relevant training for DSLs, helping them navigate these procedures with greater confidence.

Positive Progress and Next Steps

Despite these challenges, there are encouraging signs of progress. The majority said that their school actively support affected children, with 78% offering aftercare in the form of counselling, and 41% providing similar support for staff. These aftercare efforts contribute to a more supportive environment for all involved.

Based on these findings, we recommend that organisations conduct regular reviews of their safeguarding policies, including recruitment practices, training modules, and reporting mechanisms. Establishing a robust safeguarding culture requires access to well-designed, role-specific training that is relevant, accessible, and tailored to the local legal and cultural context. By prioritising ongoing staff development, organisations can make a significant difference to the protection and wellbeing of children.

TeachUp offers a wide range of bilingual safeguarding and child protection training featuring regional regulations. Get in touch with our team today to discuss how we can help support whole school training.

Article written by Stephanie Hobler