Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to issue guidance to local authority children's services, childcare providers and schools on how to detect and prevent breast ironing; and if so, when such guidance will be issued.

The government is committed to protecting children and young people from all forms of abuse and neglect. Professionals should follow the attached statutory guidance ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’ (2018) to deal with breast ironing, as with any other form of abuse.

Schools should also have regard to the attached statutory guidance ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ (2018).

We are introducing Relationships Education and Relationships and Sex Education which will become mandatory in all schools from September 2020. The associated guidance sets out that pupils at secondary school should be taught to recognise when relationships (including family relationships) are unhealthy or abusive. This includes the unacceptability of neglect, emotional, sexual and physical abuse and violence, and addressing honour based violence and female genital mutilation. Pupils will also be taught how to get further advice, including how and where to access confidential support.