The current situation in UK schools allows for unregulated external providers of #SexEducation #RSE #PSHE to transmit patently unsafe messages normalizing the practice of 'choking' - the pornified term for sexualised strangulation. 

The science, law and experiential evidence-base is clear that normalizing strangulation - and especially in educational settings, by trusted adults to children / young people - is egregiously wrong and a clear breach of safeguarding.

The Institute For Addressing Strangulation Position Statement sums it up with crystal clarity: There Is No Safe Way To Strangle   https://ifas.org.uk/ifas-position-statement-there-is-no-safe-way-to-strangle/

We, the co-signatories and those signing the petition ask that the relevant parties in the Department of Education, Home Office and Ministry of Justice act with all possible urgency to vote on materials being provided to schools by external providers - and materials subsequently absorbed into the school Sex Ed / RSE / PSHE resource pools - to identify and prohibit those that promote myths of 'safe' 'choking [sic] and impose new, binding guidelines relating to this harmful practice on those seeking to supply schools with materials. 

We trust in a quick response from named individuals or/and their representatives.

Thank you

Michael Conroy, Director of Men At Work CIC (anti-sexism and anti-violence training company)

Professor Michael Flood, Queensland University of Technology, internationally recognized researcher on men, masculinities, and violence prevention

Dr Elizabeth Dalgarno, Director and Founder on behalf of SHERA Research Group (Health, Social, Human Rights and Economic Impacts of Domestic Abuse / Violence on Women and Children)

Louise Barraclough RGN DFSRH MA (Woman & Child Abuse) Interim Head of Safeguarding, MCA and DASV Lead Royal Devon NHS

Nordic Model Now! (group campaigning to end the violence of commercial sexual exploitation)

Tanya Carter and Tracy Shaw, spokeswomen for Safe Schools Alliance UK

Gemma Aitchison (BA hons, MSc, PGCE), founder of Yes Matters UK, Chair of the GMCA VAWG Panel and CYP officer at Women's Aid Federation of England

Kerry Daynes, Consultant and Registered Forensic Psychologist

Melissa LJ Rees - Trainee Psychotherapist

Male Allies Challenging Sexism (MACS)

Michael Sheath, Independent Sexual Crime Consultant