Even the NSPCC doesn't understand the difference between sex and gender

[Ofew]

I have recently started a small business and needed to draft a safeguarding statement. The NSPCC website has some helpful guidance and a template, and I used them to help me write my own.
However when referring to equalities they list most of the relevant protected characteristics but the omit both sex and gender reassignment, and seem to conflate them as gender, which seems all kinds of wrong!

So I sent them an email. I wonder if they'll respond.

Here's what I sent:

Dear Sir/Madam

I am writing to express my disappointment in the NSPCC's otherwise helpful guidance on safeguarding statements.

I came to the NSPCC's guidance because I am drafting a safeguarding statement for a newly established small business. The guidance and template were extremely helpful and I used them to inform my own document.

However, I was extremely disappointed to see that the NSPCC omits the protected characteristics of sex and gender reassignment in its equality statements. It states:

Your organisation should make sure that all children and young people have the same protection regardless of age, disability, gender, racial heritage, religious belief, sexual orientation or identity.

It appears that the NSPCC may have conflated sex and gender reassignment under "gender". However these two protected characteristics are very different in law and in practice, and the kinds of discrimination experienced by people holding these protected characteristics are very different. Moreover, "gender" is not a protected characteristic in law under the Equality Act 2004. "Gender" is simply a social construct referring to certain societal norms.

I am especially disappointed that an organisation such as NSPCC should fail to acknowledge the particular discrimination, abuse and harassment experienced by women and girls because of their sex (not gender).

In addition, your approach of conflating sex and gender reassignment fails to recognise the very particular challenges faced by children who consider they may be transsexual.

I would be very happy to discuss this with you further and I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully

www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/safeguarding/writing-a-safeguarding-policy/

safeguardingtool.nspcc.org.uk/documents/167/Safeguarding-policy.pdf?_ga=2.109359751.387708123.1528445170-1286254606.1528445170

indeed.

NSPCC have replied!

Here it is:

Thank you for contacting us about the omission of the protected characteristics of sex and gender reassignment from our suggested equality statements.

Thank you for drawing this to our attention. We will be updating the content on our Writing a safeguarding policy page and our Example safeguarding policy as soon as possible, to better reflect the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010. The text will now read:

Your organisation should make sure that all children and young people have the same protection regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.

We’ve contacted relevant colleagues within the NSPCC to make them aware of this and suggested they update the statement in their content as necessary.

The NSPCC provides services and resources to support all children and we are in the process of reviewing our safeguarding content to ensure it reflects all children’s needs.

You might find the following resources of interest as they discuss issues relating to the abuse of young women and girls and the experiences of transgender young people:

· “Is this sexual abuse?” report about children’s experiences of peer sexual abuse:
www.nspcc.org.uk/services-and-resources/research-and-resources/2018/nspcc-helplines-report-peer-sexual-abuse/
· Childline annual review 2015-16: includes a section on gender identity including the experiences of transgender young people:
www.nspcc.org.uk/services-and-resources/research-and-resources/2016/childline-annual-review-2015-16-turned-out-someone-did-care/
· Childline resources to support transgender young people:
www.childline.org.uk/info-advice/your-feelings/sexual-identity/transgender-identity/

With best wishes

Haven't looked at the links they sent me yet...

Excellent Ofew! Thanks for the update.

Ofew

BRILLIANT WORK. THANK YOU!

I had to do a new DBS check today. The form asked for my gender. Incidentally the only options were male and female. Once you are alert to it you really do notice it everywhere.

Very interesting article here:
thegermanyeye.com/what-really-happens-when-the-nspcc-goes-to-uk-primary-schools-3638

@Ofew

Haven't looked at the links they sent me yet...

This one is interesting: www.childline.org.uk/info-advice/your-feelings/sexual-identity/transgender-identity/ The photo shows someone-I'd guess non binary, in pink footwear but blue jeans. Ye gods. "Transgender describes people who feel that the sex they were assigned at birth doesn't match how they feel inside. For example, someone who was born as a girl but has always felt like a boy. We're here to give you help and support if you need it." "our gender identity isn’t always the same as the gender you were given at birth." Interesting phrase, "assigned at birth". Do people also get assigned as human?

Very interesting article Trish, I will watch the videos in the links, they sound dodgy.

I'm feeling quite suspicious of Childline, there appears to be a bit of gender ideology seepage. I'll do some digging when I have time.

It makes me angry.

TrishTeres
What is the source for this article? Are you based abroad? Basically I don't believe that this article is accurate and I'm very suspicious of the intentions of the writer.

Agree, I've done a domain search on that website Trish has posted and it doesn't look credible.

The chat boards on the childline website really do worry me, the endless threads from teen girls with poor body image, comparing successes in weight loss etc... I can’t see how this echoing narrative is going to help them and not just amplify their discomfort and promote further negative thoughts and behaviour.

I didn’t see any rogd threads but I believe there are some on there

Zombie thread resurrection. Most information is from 2.5 years ago. Perhaps start a new one if compelling information from a credible source has become available?