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KCSIE 2026 · Brook Traffic Light · Dual Victim-Perpetrator Status

Sexually Harmful Behaviour in Children

A practitioner guide for schools and multi-agency professionals on identifying, responding to, and referring sexually harmful behaviour (SHB) by children and young people, covering the Brook Traffic Light framework, KCSIE 2026 duties, and dual victim-perpetrator considerations.

ℹ️ Why This Matters

Research consistently shows that a significant proportion of sexual offences are committed by children and young people . One study suggests up to 30, 40% of sexual abuse against children is perpetrated by other young people. The response must balance safeguarding the victim while also recognising that the child displaying SHB is likely themselves a victim of abuse or harm.

KCSIE 2026: All sexual behaviour between children must be taken seriously and never dismissed as "just experimentation." Where a child's behaviour causes harm to another, it must be treated as a safeguarding concern for both children, the child who was harmed AND the child displaying the behaviour.

🚦 Brook Traffic Light Tool: Categorising Sexual Behaviour

The Brook Traffic Light Tool is the widely used framework in England for categorising children's sexual behaviours as green (healthy/normal), amber (requires attention), or red (harmful/abusive). It is age- and developmentally graded.

🟢 GREEN, Normal
  • Age-appropriate curiosity about bodies
  • Age-appropriate consensual exploration with peers
  • Questions about sex/relationships appropriate to development
Respond with: age-appropriate education and openness
🟡 AMBER, Requires Attention
  • Behaviour that is not developmentally typical
  • Preoccupation with sexual themes beyond what is expected
  • Behaviour involving a power imbalance but stopping short of coercion
Respond with: further assessment, consider whether abuse is driving the behaviour
🔴 RED, Harmful/Abusive
  • Coercive, threatening, or manipulative sexual behaviour
  • Significant age or power disparity
  • Behaviour that causes harm or distress to another
  • Penetrative acts, sexualised violence
Respond with: immediate safeguarding response for both children

Brook Traffic Light Tool © Brook. Available free at brook.org.uk/training/traffic-light-tool. Must be used in conjunction with professional judgement and knowledge of the individual child's developmental stage.

👥 Dual Victim-Perpetrator Status

Children and young people who display sexually harmful behaviour are overwhelmingly themselves victims of abuse. Research indicates that between 40, 80% of children referred to specialist SHB services have themselves been sexually abused. The child has a dual victim-perpetrator status and needs safeguarding and therapeutic support, not simply punishment.

Practitioners must:
  • Open a safeguarding referral for BOTH children
  • Conduct an assessment of the child displaying SHB, including their own abuse history.
  • Do not label a child as a "sex offender", as this causes harm and is rarely appropriate.
  • Involve specialist services (e.g. SAFE! project, Stop It Now, NWG Network)
School DSL response:
  • Never investigate alone. Refer to MASH and police if a crime has occurred.
  • Manage both children in school while investigation proceeds. Risk assessment is required.
  • Consider whether a Child Protection Conference is appropriate for the child displaying SHB
  • Do not share details between families without legal advice or MASH guidance

💻 Online Sexually Harmful Behaviour

Online SHB is increasingly common and presents specific challenges for schools and practitioners. It includes: sharing of nude or semi-nude images (NSNI), online sexual harassment, pressure to share sexual images, and group chats used to share exploitative content.

Nude/semi-nude image sharing (sexting): The sharing of nude or semi-nude images of under-18s is technically a criminal offence under the Protection of Children Act 1978. However, UKCIS guidance (2019) makes clear that schools should not automatically involve the police, the primary response is safeguarding. Report the concern to the DSL; the DSL decides whether a police referral is needed. Do NOT look at the images yourself.

What to Do & Referral Pathways

MASH referral
All RED behaviour, refer both the victim and the child displaying SHB to children's social care under s.47 without delay.
Police
Where a crime may have been committed, the DSL should consult with police before deciding on referral. Joint investigation may be needed.
CEOP
ceop.police.uk, for online sexual abuse and exploitation of children. Schools can report directly.
Stop It Now!
0808 1000 900
Free helpline for adults concerned about a child's sexual behaviour. Confidential, not a reporting line.
Brook Traffic Light
brook.org.uk, free tool and training for practitioners to categorise sexual behaviour and identify appropriate responses.
NSPCC
0808 800 5000
For professionals concerned about a child. nspcc.org.uk also has specialist SHB guidance.
Related resources
→ Peer-on-Peer Abuse hub → CSE hub → Online Grooming → Voice of the Child

Statutory references: KCSIE 2026 Part 5 (child-on-child sexual violence and harassment) · Children Act 1989/2004 · Sexual Offences Act 2003 · Protection of Children Act 1978 · Working Together 2026
Guidance: UKCIS (2019) Sharing nudes and semi-nudes: advice for education settings · Brook Traffic Light Tool · NWG Network