Youth Commission demand action over sex education

Hampshire’s Youth Commission, organised by the police and crime commissioner Michael Lane, have consulted 3,300 people on relationships and sex education.

In its findings the commission said adults must better understand social media so as to help young people.

It said: ‘How can we be taught to keep safe, have better physical, emotional and mental health when the adults around us do not fully understand the world we are growing up in and understand what we feel is important?’

The report said ‘many parents do not know what they’re doing online’ and that parents do not ask children what they are doing.

The findings also say sex education classes need to improve teaching about bad relationships and merge lessons on physical, personal and emotional aspects of sex education.

Commission member Amy Hemming, 19, said: ‘Over the last year we been asking young people what issues are most important to them, their thoughts and experiences and their top idea to help.

‘Some of the issues raised through this consultation are already being tackled locally – for example through our Cyber Ambassadors in schools or the Commissioner’s funding for Hate Crime reporting centres.

‘We now want our voices, and the voices of the young people we have spoken to, to be heard at a national level.’