A campaign to help protect children from sexual abuse has launched in four new London boroughs.
Barking and Dagenham, Wandsworth, Richmond, and Kingston, are the newest cohort of the London PANTS campaign, created by children’s charity the NSPCC.
Talk PANTS, which features a friendly dinosaur called Pantosaurus, helps children understand in an age-appropriate way that their body belongs to them, they have the right to say no, and they can speak out if anything does not feel right.
Haringey was the first London borough to take on Talk PANTS in 2022, but since then 25% of borough local authorities have joined the London PANTS campaign.*
A launch event was held virtually on June 24, at which a London woman spoke who has experienced child sexual abuse first hand.
Andreena was abused by her mother’s boyfriend from the ages of 5 to 10 years old. When her mother found out about the abuse he was arrested and convicted, but the impact of what happened had many repercussions for Andreena and her family.
Andreena’s behaviour began to deteriorate at school, and family relationships became more complicated. However as an adult she has regained a sense of control over her life.
She said: “I know as well as anyone, life isn’t always happy. You don’t just speak your truth and skip off into the sunset. You do lose people, some relationships never mend, people are on different journeys to you. As you get older though, you see what is important, and what is important to me is that I can live as my true, authentic self.”
The PANTS acronym was created to give parents an easy way to approach the subject of child sexual abuse. It stands for:
Privates are private
Always remember your body belongs to you
‘No’ means no
Talk about secrets that upset you
Speak up – someone can help
As part of the campaign, the NSPCC will be giving out Talk PANTS resource bags to local schools and early years settings across participating boroughs. These bags were made possible by generous donations in memory of the NSPCC trustee Anita Green, and will include lesson and activity plans, a display pack, Pantosaurus plushie, a copy of Pantosaurus and the Power of PANTS and other resources for professionals.
In addition, Talk PANTS Week will celebrate the campaign from October 13 – 17 this year.
Hayley Garner, NSPCC Local Campaigns Manager for London and the South East, said: “We are very excited to have four new boroughs join our London PANTS campaign. We want to be ambitious in keeping every child safe from sexual abuse, and reach as many children as we can with these vital messages.
“Please do come along to our sessions this summer, whether you are a parent or carer, or a professional who works with children.”
For more information on upcoming Talk PANTS events in participating boroughs, visit the NSPCC London & South East Facebook page. To learn more about the NSPCC’s Talk PANTS campaign and the Underwear Rule, visit the charity’s website and search for ‘Talk PANTS.’
If you have a concern about a child, advice is available from specialists at the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000 or by emailing help@NSPCC.org.uk.
