Clarifying the DfE’s RSHE and KCSIE updates: effective 1st September 2026

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There has been considerable discussion about the new requirements for schools to address misogyny, online misogynistic content, incel culture, pornography, consent and healthy relationships, with particular attention to violence against women and girls (VAWG).

Some commentary and social-media posts have presented this as a one-sided “boys versus girls” approach, or suggested that the new curriculum treats boys and young men as inherently problematic.

That is not an accurate description of what the final statutory guidance says.

The guidance does place significant emphasis on misogyny and related harms, but it also contains explicit safeguards against stigmatising boys and makes clear that sexual violence can affect anyone.

What do the documents actually say?

RSHE statutory guidance

The revised Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education statutory guidance was published in July 2025 and comes into force on 1 September 2026. Schools must have regard to the guidance when developing and delivering their RSHE provision.

The revised guidance gives greater attention to issues including misogyny, online misogynistic content, incel culture, pornography, consent, sexual harassment and sexual violence. The Government has said the revised curriculum is intended to help pupils challenge harmful online influences while supporting positive conceptions of masculinity and femininity.

However, the guidance is also explicit that this must not become a lesson in blaming or stereotyping boys.

Sexual violence can affect anyone…

Paragraph 79 states that pupils should understand that anyone can be a victim of sexual violence, regardless of sex or other protected characteristics. It also acknowledges that most sexual violence is committed against women and girls and may have a sex-based component. Crucially, however, it says teachers should avoid language that stigmatises boys or suggests that boys or men are always perpetrators, or that girls or women are always victims.

This is an important distinction: Recognising statistical patterns is not the same as stereotyping individuals.

Challenge harmful ideas; not children

Paragraph 80 says staff should be alert to everyday sexism, misogyny, homophobia and stereotypes and should take action to challenge harmful beliefs and attitudes. But it makes an important distinction: where misogynistic ideas are expressed, staff should challenge the ideas rather than the person expressing them.

That principle is highly relevant to effective safeguarding. A child who expresses a harmful idea may need challenge, education and support. That does not mean the child should be labelled as inherently harmful because of their sex.

Positive masculinity matters too

Paragraph 81 is particularly clear. Pupils should have opportunities to develop positive conceptions of masculinity and femininity, including learning from positive male role models.

The guidance also states that pupils should understand that most boys and young men are respectful to girls and young women and to each other. It recognises that young people may encounter online material that normalises harmful or violent sexual behaviour, including misogynistic influencers. But again, teachers are specifically instructed to avoid stigmatising boys or perpetuating harmful stereotypes about boys.

The guidance therefore does not support a message that “boys are the problem”. It supports teaching children to recognise and reject harmful behaviour and ideas.

KCSIE 2026 (England)

The revised Keeping Children Safe in Education 2026 comes into force on 1 September 2026. It is statutory safeguarding guidance for schools and colleges in England. KCSIE also adopts an explicitly whole-school approach.

Paragraph 158 says preventative education should help create a culture of zero tolerance for sexism, racism, misogyny/misandry… and other forms of physical violence and conflict. The inclusion of both misogyny and misandry is significant.

The safeguarding framework is therefore not: men/boys = perpetrators and women/girls = victims

It is: harmful behaviour and attitudes should be identified, challenged and prevented, whoever expresses them and whoever experiences them.

KCSIE also expressly recognises that children can abuse other children through abusive, harassing and misogynistic/misandrist messages, including online.

There is nothing wrong with teaching children about violence against women and girls. There is nothing wrong with teaching boys about respect for women and girls. The problem would arise if this became a simplistic or stereotypical account of sex and behaviour.

Good RSHE should equip all pupils to:

  • understand consent and boundaries;
  • recognise abusive and controlling behaviour;
  • develop healthy relationships;
  • communicate respectfully;
  • challenge prejudice and stereotypes;
  • recognise harmful online content;
  • understand that pornography may present unrealistic or harmful ideas about sex and relationships;
  • recognise that anyone can experience sexual violence or harassment;
  • understand that behaviour is a choice and individuals are responsible for their own conduct; and
  • know how and where to seek help.

The revised guidance itself points towards this broader approach. Evidence matters; but so does language. It is legitimate for schools to teach that particular forms of violence are disproportionately experienced by women and girls, where this is supported by evidence.

It is equally important that this does not become:

“boys are dangerous”
“men are inherently violent”
“girls are inevitable victims”

The Government’s own guidance specifically cautions against this kind of stereotyping. A child should be taught that their sex does not determine whether they are a good or bad person.

They should instead learn that their behaviour, choices and treatment of other people matter. That is a much stronger foundation for safeguarding.

A Protect and Teach perspective

At Protect and Teach, we believe children should be given the knowledge and critical-thinking skills necessary to understand difficult issues without being taught to view themselves or others primarily through the lens of sex, victimhood or perpetration.

Schools should be able to acknowledge uncomfortable statistics without turning those statistics into stereotypes.

They should challenge misogyny and misandry.

They should protect girls and boys.

They should teach respect for women and respect for men.

And they should help every child understand that healthy relationships depend upon mutual respect, consent, boundaries, responsibility and kindness.

The objective should be to educate children about harmful behaviour; not to teach them to distrust an entire sex. That distinction matters.

It is also precisely why parents should be able to see what their child’s school is teaching, understand the evidence and ask questions about the materials and external providers being used.

Official resources

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