To be very uncomfortable that this survey is taking place in Scottish schools?

[blueberryporridge]

www.holyrood.com/news/view,childrens-commissioner-calls-for-government-to-pause-rollout-of-controversial-teen-sex-survey?fbclid=IwAR2iE6AWMEdP65alyKNm_Xp5adSlJWRiWxUyEWNnWVUiKIuGse8u3p7Dq8E

Eh?

It’s a survey for secondary school children in Scotland asking them about their involvement in drugs, alcohol, smoking and sex, including a question about anal sex. Their responses are supposedly anonymous but they have to enter their exam candidate number which means they can be linked to their responses. Children’s Commssioner is very concerned about data protection aspects. There is also a lot of concern about the whole concept of the survey. some Scottish local authorities have already refused to let their schools take part. This is a Scottish Government project and Nicola Sturgeon has defended it.

Why are people so endlessly interested in the sex lives of minors these days? It's fucking creepy.
You wouldn't force adults to fill in a survey like this.
And I bet, I just bet they have to declare their preferred gender too.
Just leave them alone ffs.

It's the snp. Of course they will do weird shit like this, look who their former leader was. Not surprised sturgeon has defended it. Must be some bullshit excuse coming up about how they want to know numbers of kids taking drugs etc to help reduce the numbers. Agreed with another poster, it's creepy as hell that adults want to know this about kids.

I think it's the confidentiality issue which is most concerning. Nicola Sturgeons response about the data not being presented in a way which would identify individuals completely ignores the fact that the survey is not anonymous if a pupils name can be obtained through the link to their candidate number.

They need to address that issue before they proceed with it.

There so much wrong with this I don’t even know where to start. We’d never ask adults in their workplace to complete such an “anonymous” survey, some of those kids will have experienced sex in the context of abuse - so do they complete the questionnaire as if their experience was consensual or do they skip over that part? The questions could trigger all kinds of trauma response in kids, how are they going to deal with that. Fourteen and fifteen years olds can’t legally consent to sex, so what are they going to do with responses from that age group saying they’re sexually actively. There’s a strong possibility kids will lie about their sexual activity either down playing it or over exaggerating it so will we have policy and practice build around inaccurate data?

It’s ridiculous, a complete over stretch on the part of the government but that’s nothing new. Every day in every way I lose confidence in this governments ability to safeguard children and young people.

Who’s voted YABU??! Obviously don’t have children in Scotland who are at risk of their personal information being taken! There is no support or guidance in place for children who may of had traumatic sexual experiences and are being confronted with a demand to know when they last had anal sex. Parents should be outraged but the SNP as usual trying to slyly push through their own agenda.

There so much wrong with this I don’t even know where to start. We’d never ask adults in their workplace to complete such an “anonymous” survey, some of those kids will have experienced sex in the context of abuse - so do they complete the questionnaire as if their experience was consensual or do they skip over that part? The questions could trigger all kinds of trauma response in kids, how are they going to deal with that. Fourteen and fifteen years olds can’t legally consent to sex, so what are they going to do with responses from that age group saying they’re sexually actively. There’s a strong possibility kids will lie about their sexual activity either down playing it or over exaggerating it so will we have policy and practice build around inaccurate data?

This sums up a lot of why I am uncomfortable with it. I am also concerned about confidentiality. And that the question re sexual activity combines vaginal and anal sex as one answer, which I feel is giving out a very unfortunate message to young girls by appearing to normalise anal sex and just adding to the pressure many of them already seem to be under due to porn and social media.

My dd is 5 but if she was at high school she wouldn't be filling it out.

As an adult I would find those questions intrusive and inappropriate even if completely anonymous. No way will my kids be taking part in this.

I have huge concerns about how the data is going to be used, who will have access to it and that it can be tracked back to individual children.

Report it to the ICO - they have jurisdiction in Scotland for data protection issues.

And in the meantime tell your child not to fill it in. I agree it's wrong that the child can be matched to their exam number. This is not what the exam number is for.

The last time they did something like this they used it as the excuse to try and bring in their illegal Named Person Scheme. This will be used for the same purpose.
The SNP have an unhealth interest in children and their gardening wing of Green deviants are even more dangerous.
Nippy, self styles herself as Chief Mammy (in overall charge of scotlands children). The privately educated Mhairie Black from a posh area but wants to portray herself as a weedgie ned thought it acceptable to take a drag queen, Flow Job, into a school and permitted them to post photographs of themselves with the children on their social media accounts with also contained pictures of them as an adult entertainer. Patrick Harvie, who you wouldn't leave alone with a dog let alone kids, not only is the proud owner of an Ian Dunn memorial award (the same Ian Dunn of the PIE - yes that one) but he also thinks it acceptable to partake in a childrens bikability session (as part of his sustainable transport role) but turns up helmetless and in dark colours going against every bit of good practice that has been drummed into these kids.

I understand a need for policy makers to know and understand what young people are doing so that initiatives can be better tailored towards current needs. But I do not trust the SNP administration with this in the slightest

Well I will be telling my 13 year old if he's asked to fill out a survey like that to politely refuse.

Is the intention that students take the survey in school? Because if so I think that while the link to their exam numbers is more worrying, in practice the biggest risk to confidentiality is that they'll try and look at each other's, which is never hard to do if you're doing a survey in a classroom.

@FOJN

I think it's the confidentiality issue which is most concerning. Nicola Sturgeons response about the data not being presented in a way which would identify individuals completely ignores the fact that the survey is not anonymous if a pupils name can be obtained through the link to their candidate number.

They need to address that issue before they proceed with it.

AND the assumption that kids are having sex, including anal.

Asking when the last time was, infers it is usual at their age.

Anyone having sex at the age of the kids at the younger end of this survey are being raped. There is alot about this survey that needs addressing, mainly who wrote these questions in the first place and why do they want to know which kids are or are not having anal sex.

All the usual suspects on Twitter failing to understand people's concerns and framing objections to this survey as objections to sex education or just snp bad. 🙄 same old same old.

All the usual suspects on Twitter failing to understand people's concerns and framing objections to this survey as objections to sex education or just snp bad. 🙄 same old same old.

Yes. If you dare to disagree with Scotgov policy now, you can expect the usual suspects to pile in on you fast. So woke that they can’t see the damage they are causing. Time the grown ups were back in charge!

I remember doing a survey like this at school when I was about 14. It would have been in about 2004. I'm in England I think it was completely anonymous though. I remember thinking some of the questions were a bit 😯 but we just laughed about it afterwards.

I'm sure It was used to inform PSHE planning. They need to understand what teenagers are doing in order to teach them how to do it safely. They need to do it in an anonymous way though.

I remember doing a similar survey at school too - would have been around 2004/5. Not saying I agree with it - but it’s not a brand new concept created by the SNP…

I share concerns about the lack of anonymity, but don't think there's an issue with the content.

It's for secondary year fours and upwards, so 14+. Plenty of 14 year olds are having sex, whether or not you like it (and, anecdotally, a very small handful have had anal sex by the time they've left school/college).

Surely it's better to gather data from young people to see if they can spot trends - for example, an increase in sexual activity, or in a particular type of drug use - that can inform PSHE/similar lessons and awareness in schools, as well as directing local government resources or policing to areas where associated criminal activity might also be increasing?

So no, don't think it's a bad thing. But do think the need to add an identifying candidate number is bad.

Apparently it couldn't be accessed by some schools as it failed their internet adult content filter.
Several council areas aren't doing it as there has been so much parental concern.

I'm glad my DC's are no longer at school. This would horrify me? Are you having anal sex? What sort of question is that to ask an S4 pupil? They're going to get ridiculous answers and underage children worrying about why they aren't having sex.

It looks like a data grab if you ask me. Who knows where the data will end up. There was concern about the vaccine status apps data being shared.

@housemaus

I share concerns about the lack of anonymity, but don't think there's an issue with the content.

It's for secondary year fours and upwards, so 14+. Plenty of 14 year olds are having sex, whether or not you like it (and, anecdotally, a very small handful have had anal sex by the time they've left school/college).

Surely it's better to gather data from young people to see if they can spot trends - for example, an increase in sexual activity, or in a particular type of drug use - that can inform PSHE/similar lessons and awareness in schools, as well as directing local government resources or policing to areas where associated criminal activity might also be increasing?

So no, don't think it's a bad thing. But do think the need to add an identifying candidate number is bad.

Some of them may have had anal sex, and lots may well be having vaginal sex. It doesn’t mean you want to normalise it.

I've already explained to my ds and his school that he will not be filling this in its disgusting that snp are doing this and I think that anyone who thinks that this survey is OK should have to fill it in linked to all their personal records and hand it over to the snp to do with as they please

The children's commissioner wants it paused.