Following yesterday's powerful call from nearly 300 public figures urging the Prime Minister to end physical punishment against children in England, it's clear that safeguarding remains at the forefront of national concern.
The NSPCC's report of a 40% increase in contacts about physical punishment underscores an urgent reality: as mentors, we must be prepared to respond appropriately when children in our care disclose abuse or when we suspect it.
Youth mentors occupy a unique position of trust. Young people often feel more comfortable confiding in mentors than parents, teachers, or other authority figures. This privilege comes with significant responsibility, being prepared to recognise, receive, and respond to disclosures of abuse, including physical punishment.
A critical misconception in safeguarding is that child abuse primarily affects young children and manifests as physical or sexual harm. The reality is far more complex. Older children and teenagers experience abuse that often looks very different from what we traditionally imagine.
While physical punishment and sexual abuse remain serious concerns, older young people face additional forms of harm that can be equally damaging:
Contextual Safeguarding: Abuse Beyond the Home
Contextual safeguarding recognises that as children grow older, they spend increasing time outside the family home, and abuse can occur in these external contexts. This includes:
These forms of extra-familial abuse (abuse occurring outside the family) can be particularly challenging to identify because they don't fit the traditional "parent harming child" model.
A 16-year-old coerced into criminal activity, a 15-year-old experiencing exploitation by someone they met online, or a 17-year-old being groomed by a gang are all experiencing child abuse, even though it's happening outside their home.
Domestic Abuse in Young People's Relationships
Teenage relationships can involve serious domestic abuse, yet this is often dismissed as "relationship drama" or normal teenage behaviour. For anyone under 18, controlling, coercive, or violent behavior from a partner is child abuse. This includes:
Young people may not recognise these behaviors as abuse, especially if they're normalised in peer groups or portrayed romantically in media. As mentors, we must take teenage relationship concerns seriously and recognise them as safeguarding issues, not merely relationship difficulties.
Critically, the definition of a child for safeguarding purposes extends to age 25 for young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). This recognises that young adults with SEND may have additional vulnerabilities and require extended protection.
If you're mentoring someone aged 18-25 with SEND, all the safeguarding principles that apply to younger children apply to them. They deserve the same protection, the same careful response to concerns, and the same access to safeguarding procedures. Don't assume that because someone is legally an adult, abuse concerns don't warrant the same urgency.
When a Child or Young Person Discloses AbuseStay Calm and Listen
If a young person discloses abuse to you, your immediate response matters profoundly. Remain calm, even if you're shocked by what you're hearing. Your reaction will shape whether they feel safe continuing to share.
What to Do:
What to Avoid:
Document Carefully
As soon as possible after the conversation, write down exactly what the young person said using their words, not your interpretation. Note the date, time, and any visible signs you observed. This documentation may be crucial for safeguarding processes.
Sometimes there's no direct disclosure, but warning signs emerge. With older young people, these signs may be less obvious than with younger children.
Trust Your Instincts
If something feels wrong, it probably warrants attention. Don't dismiss concerns because you lack "proof" or because the young person is older. Safeguarding procedures exist precisely for these ambiguous situations.
Indicators That May Suggest Harm:
Traditional signs (still relevant for older young people):
Additional signs in older young people:
Follow Your Organisation's Procedures
Every mentoring organisation should have clear safeguarding policies. Familiarise yourself with these before you need them. Typically, you'll need to:
Report concerns immediately to your designated safeguarding lead or manager. In most organisations, concerns should be raised within 24 hours, though immediate risks require immediate action.
Remember: Age Doesn't Diminish Urgency
Whether you're concerned about a 10-year-old experiencing physical punishment, a 15-year-old in an abusive relationship, a 17-year-old being exploited by a gang, or a 23-year-old with SEND experiencing coercion, the same safeguarding principles apply. All deserve protection and appropriate intervention.
When to Contact Authorities Directly
If you believe a young person is in immediate danger, contact the police on 999. If you're concerned but it's not an emergency, contact your Local Authority's children's social care services (or adult social care for those aged 18-25 with SEND) or the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000.
Don't Go It Alone
Never attempt to handle safeguarding concerns independently. Even experienced professionals work within frameworks of supervision and multi-agency collaboration. Your role is to be alert, to listen, and to report—not to investigate or resolve.
Yesterday's letter to the Prime Minister, backed by the NSPCC's Chris Sherwood, actor Samantha Morton, and hundreds of others, reflects growing recognition that physical punishment harms children. With the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill progressing through Parliament, we may soon see legislative change in England joining Scotland and Wales, where physical punishment is already banned.
This cultural shift means mentors must be particularly attuned to physical punishment concerns. What some parents consider "discipline," the law may increasingly recognise as harmful. The 40% increase in NSPCC Helpline contacts about physical punishment suggests more adults are questioning practices once considered acceptable.
Traditional safeguarding focused heavily on abuse within the family home. Contextual safeguarding represents a paradigm shift, acknowledging that harm occurs in multiple contexts:
As a youth mentor, you may be the first person to notice changes suggesting extra-familial harm. Unlike parents or teachers, you occupy a unique relational space where young people may feel safer discussing peer pressure, relationships, or community concerns.
After making a safeguarding referral, your mentoring relationship continues, though it may feel complicated. The young person may feel anxious about what happens next or even regret disclosing. Continue to:
Effective safeguarding requires examining our biases. We might think:
These assumptions can prevent us from recognising harm. Remember: capacity to consent develops over time, and young people, particularly those with SEND, may not fully understand when they're being exploited or harmed.
Age doesn't eliminate vulnerability; it often just changes how vulnerability manifests.
Receiving abuse disclosures or handling suspicions takes an emotional toll, particularly when dealing with complex situations like exploitation or teenage relationship abuse. Seek support from your organisation's supervision structures, speak with your safeguarding lead about how you're processing the situation, and consider accessing professional support if needed.
Working with cases involving contextual safeguarding can feel particularly overwhelming because the solutions aren't always straightforward. You may feel frustrated by systemic limitations or helpless when young people return to harmful situations. Remember: your role is to maintain the relationship, keep reporting concerns, and provide consistent support, not to single-handedly rescue anyone.
As the national conversation about physical punishment evolves, youth mentors stand on the frontline of child protection. By creating safe spaces where young people feel heard, staying vigilant to all forms of harm, not just traditional abuse and acting decisively when concerns arise, we fulfill our fundamental duty: keeping children and young people safe.
The coalition delivering yesterday's letter to Downing Street reminds us that protecting children requires collective action, from celebrities and policymakers to everyday mentors building trusting relationships with young people. Each of us has a role to play in creating a society where all children and young people, regardless of age or where harm occurs, are safe from abuse.
Remember! Abuse doesn't stop being abuse because it happens outside the family home, because it's perpetrated by peers, or because the victim is older.
All young people under 18, and those up to 25 with SEND deserve protection, belief, and appropriate intervention.
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