Y5 taught about child prostitution

[ShiteheadRevisited]

Help me get some perspective.

DD(9) told me last night that as part of their class learning about children's rights in R.E. yesterday, that "there was a really sad one" about "adults who make children have sex for money!"

She looked very shocked and upset telling me. Their teacher (very experienced with older daughter herself) apparently said that "you should all know what sex is" and that "this (adults making children have sex) is really, really horrible" and then moved on.

They have not covered human reproduction yet, and school's curriculum states that sex ed will occur in Y6, with a letter going home to parents beforehand (it's a small independently primary).

Our daughter knows about human reproduction/birds & bees etc but not sex for pleasure or anything else yet.

I don't consider myself a prude but am feeling very out of touch and actually quite emotional that a piece of childhood innocence has been taken from her.

AIBU to feel this way? I honestly don't know whether I'm being a bit of a pearl-clutcher and that this is normal content for primary schools nowadays, or if I have a right to feel pissed off??

Wow. I would be pissed off. That’s so bizarre.

There's no such thing as child prostitution, it's sexual abuse of a child. Shocking for them yes definitely, but as part of a scheme of learning... Depends how it was handled. I can understand the shock though.

Not ok. "Sex for money" implies some kind of mutually beneficial transaction, as opposed to horrific abuse. Why on earth did this come up?!

The terminology is so wrong too which in a way is what allows the teacher to claim is appropriate - adults are facilitating raping children for profit. Can the teacher sell that as a suitable year 5 topic?

I wouldn't be keen on that either. Basic sex ed is sensible at 9 but why child prostitution?

No wonder we have so many depessed dcs when this sort of content is included.

You should have been advised that this was a subject going to be taught.

Child prostitution? That's not what it is, it's the sexual exploitation and rape of children. If you aren't old enough to consent to sex then you aren't old enough to sell it.

I’m far from a pearl-clutcher, and don’t normally disagree with teachers tackling difficult subjects but I cannot imagine this came up through class discussion from a comment one of the children made independently, so the teacher chose to mention it.

It’s sexual abuse, it’s extremely serious. It’s not “sex for money” - those children aren’t being paid. It IS “really, really horrid” but it’s not “adults making children have sex” it’s adults raping children.

I’d be asking for an explanation.

I would expect a nine year old to know what sex is, and what a prostitute is.

And I would also expect a 9 year old to have an understanding that many children are exploited in many different ways, including them being sold as child prostitutes, even though the terminology is wrong, that is how they’re seen by the perverts who exploit them.

We spend far too much time trying to protect children from a world which others of their age are a product of.

Sex education fine, safeguarding fine. Discussing child abuse/peadophilia in such a dismissive sloppy way absolutely not. Discussions like that are need to be carefully thought out and yes I'd say nine is too young.

but at 9 - in a class of 30 there's a fair chance that at least one child has been or is being sexually abused, or will be (nspcc stats are 1 in 20).
Surely better that children know about this, so that happens to them - or has already - they know what it is, that it is wrong and hopefully will feel empowered to something about it and get help, rather than suffer in ignorance and be blackmailed to keep secrets?
sadly it's probably those children at higher risk that will not be taught these skills in a supportive home environment.

Newsround spend ages thinking how to address the horrors of the world in a child friendly way, so I'm not against the tough stuff being taught. But this is the wrong way to do it and I don't think they should be describing child rape in this way or in fact at all at this stage.

I would complain. You should have even informed first and frankly if sex Ed isn't taught until y6 then this is going to make it seem scary.

I teach RS in secondary. Sometimes discussions go in a direction or a child asks a question at a tangent and you have to provide some sort of answer that is honest and true but you don't want to derail the lesson completely. It sounds like the teacher gave a straight, though oversimplified reply and moved on to get the lesson back on track. I think best thing now is for you, if your DD asks or is wondering, to give a little more context about how the children get no choice, emphasise the importance of speaking up and leave it there.

Nothing in the OP suggests that this was presented as anything but a terrible crime forced on some child victims. Did the teacher actually use the dubious words "child prostitution"?

I’ve taught in year 5 for many years and can say there’s no reason for the teacher to have mentioned that in that way off her own back, the fact that she has is really bizarre. We do have to discuss grooming but it’s more ‘never talk to someone you don’t know online, there are some adults that aren’t kind and don’t want to keep you safe’ kind of stuff.
It could possibly have come up in conversation if a child asked a question (believe me some of the questions we get asked by children are eye opening) but the fact that she discussed it in those terms and then didn’t let the parents know via email afterwards that this had been bought up in class etc is really not ok.
Your daughter at 9 doesn’t have the vocabulary or wider world knowledge to have come up with that on her own so it’s definitely come from the adult; I’m really quite shocked to be honest!
I’d ask to speak to the teacher first to get her side then take it further to her phase lead and headteacher. We have a duty of care to the children in the class and discussing child ‘prostitution’ is not ok.

I had a similar conversation with my kids at a similar age. Pretty hard to talk about grooming esp online grooming without explaining of what the adult in question is after. Mine were shocked/horrified too but I felt it important for them to know.

The op used the words child prostitution.

@cansu

The op used the words child prostitution.

Yes but did the teacher?

😱 this is not ok.

Thanks all for your responses. No, the teacher didn't use the term "child prostitution" - that's my own clumsy vocabulary and I realise now that this term is wrong (told you, I'm a dinosaur!).

She did (apparently) say the words "sometimes adults have sex with children for money".

I will have a chat with her to find out the context and her version of events, and then possibly raise it further with headteacher.

Thanks again for you comments, they've really helped.

From the OP's post it doesn't seem to have been covered well at all. It is sad and awful but I agree we need to educate children in order to protect them better

Also my ten year old knows about things like that from watching musicals, Les Mis, Hamilton, Miss Saigon, Wicked, all have themes around some form of prostitution, infidelity, child labour and abandonment. I explain them so she understands the plot. Its not awful that kids know this stuff, and teachers can't cover all bases in a class of 30, responding to every random question with a detailed and PSHE response.

If you’re not happy, talk to the school to find out exactly what was said.

We want our children to be innocent and we want to protect them. However if you have adopted children, children in care, asylum children etc etc in your class then you have children who know horror.
I’ve had to broach some very difficult and quite frankly horrific subjects because of something a child has talked about with other children.
These subjects can’t and shouldn’t be brushed under the carpet and if children bring them up then they have to be dealt with. Talk to your daughter about it and help her understand that not all children enjoy her lifestyle.

never talk to someone you don’t know online

wow - stranger danger myth still being supported then?