By Emma Batha
LONDON (TrustLaw) - Britain’s teachers are failing to protect girls as young as four from female genital mutilation (FGM) because they have not been trained to spot the warning signs, the country’s leading children’s charity has said.
The government, which believes some 20,000 girls in England and Wales are at risk of FGM, said teachers have a key role to play in safeguarding girls in danger.
But four in five teachers have not had any training on how to deal with FGM, according to a survey conducted for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) which was released on Monday.
The NSPCC called on schools to support teachers to deal with FGM in the same way they would for other forms of child abuse.
“There are young girls in British classrooms who will be subjected to the agony and trauma of FGM and a life of pain,” said Lisa Harker, head of strategy at the NSPCC.
“Teachers are on the frontline in the fight against FGM yet they clearly feel unprepared for this role.”
FGM, which is illegal in Britain, is found among several ethnic communities including Somalis, Eritreans, Sudanese and Egyptians. The most extreme form involves removing all external genitalia and sewing up the vaginal opening.
Parents in some societies often see it as a way to preserve virginity before marriage and fidelity after girls are wed. However, the procedure can cause serious health and psychological problems and even death.
The British government, which has vowed to crack down on FGM, says teachers are particularly well placed to catch the warning signs that a girl is at risk for FGM and that pupils may confide in them before they would contact the police or social services.
TEACHERS DANGEROUSLY IGNORANT OF LAWS AND GUIDANCE ON FGM
But the NSPCC survey found:
--One in six teachers did not know FGM was illegal in Britain even though it was outlawed in 1985
--A similar number did not see FGM as child abuse
--Seven out of ten did not know there was government guidance on how to deal with FGM
Government guidance says if a teacher believes a girl is at risk of FGM, or has already undergone FGM, the police and social services must be informed, even if this is against the girl’s wishes.
The government believes many girls are taken abroad for FGM during the school summer holidays, even though this is also a crime under British law.
Campaigners say alarm bells should ring if a girl talks about going on holiday for a special ceremony, or appears quiet and withdrawn after the summer break.
FGM can make urination and menstrual periods very painful so teachers should also be alert if a girl takes long or frequent toilet breaks or regularly misses school. Another warning sign is if a girl appears in pain and clutches her body, or if she cannot cross her legs when sitting on the floor.
FEAR OF CULTURAL INSENSITIVITY MUST NOT DETER TEACHERS FROM REPORTING FGM
“The secret world of female genital mutilation means that teachers may be the only professionals these children come into contact with,” the NSPCC’s Harker said.
“This is why they play such a vital role in raising concerns as part of their responsibility to act on all types of suspected child abuse.”
Campaigners believe frontline professionals - like police, teachers and health workers - have been reluctant to intervene in the past for fear of being branded racist or culturally insensitive.
But Efua Dorkenoo, FGM expert at rights group Equality Now, said teachers should not ignore FGM because they think it is a family matter or cultural issue.
“They would not act like this if sexual abuse was being discussed,” she added
“FGM isn't cultural - it is an extreme form of violence and child abuse, which ruins the lives of millions of girls. We can all play our part in eliminating it from the UK once and for all."
(Editing by Lisa Anderson)
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