Although it is believed by many to be a religious issue, it is a cultural practice. There are no health benefits. Communities particularly affected by FGM in the UK include girls from: Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Egypt, Nigeria, Eritrea, Yemen, Indonesia and Afghanistan. In the UK, FGM tends to occur in areas with larger populations of communities who practice FGM, such as first-generation immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers. These areas include: London, Cardiff, Manchester, Sheffield, Northampton, Birmingham, Oxford, Crawley, Reading, Slough and Milton Keynes. Key Points: It is not a religious practice Occurs mostly to girls aged from 5 8 years old but up to around 15 year old – Criminal offence in UK since 1985 Offence since 2003 to take girls abroad Criminal penalties include up to 14 years in prison Reasons for this cultural practice include: Cultural identity an initiation into womanhood – Gender identity moving from girl to woman – Sexual control reduce the woman’s desire for sex – Hygiene/cleanliness unmutilated women are regarded as unclean – Risk Factors: Low level of integration into UK society Mother or sister who has undergone FGM who are withdrawn from personal, social health education (PSHE) A visiting female elder from the country of origin Being taken on a long holiday to the family’s country of origin Talk about a event or procedure to a woman’ ‘special’ ‘become High Risk Time: Be aware This procedure takes place in the summer, as the recovery period after FGM can be 6 to 9 weeks. Schools should be alert to the possibility of FGM as a reason why a girl in a group is absent from school or where the family request an absence’ for just ‘authorised before or just after the summer school holidays. Although, it is difficult to identify girls before FGM takes place, where girls from these high-risk groups return from a long period of absence with symptoms of FGM, advice should be sought from the police or social services. Post-FGM Symptoms include: Difficulty walking, sitting or standing Spend longer than normal in the bathroom or toilet Unusual behaviour a lengthy absence Reluctance to undergo normal medical examinations
Although it is believed by many to be a religious issue, it is a cultural practice. There are no health benefits. Communities particularly affected by FGM in the UK include girls from: Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Egypt, Nigeria, Eritrea, Yemen, Indonesia and Afghanistan. In the UK, FGM tends to occur in areas with larger populations of communities who practice FGM, such as first-generation immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers. These areas include: London, Cardiff, Manchester, Sheffield, Northampton, Birmingham, Oxford, Crawley, Reading, Slough and Milton Keynes. Key Points: It is not a religious practice Occurs mostly to girls aged from 5 – 8 years old but up to around 15 year old Criminal offence in UK since 1985 Offence since 2003 to take girls abroad Criminal penalties include up to 14 years in prison Reasons for this cultural practice include: Cultural identity – an initiation into womanhood Gender identity – moving from girl to woman Sexual control – reduce the woman’s desire for sex Hygiene/cleanliness – unmutilated women are regarded as unclean Risk Factors: Low level of integration into UK society Mother or sister who has undergone FGM who are withdrawn from personal, social health education (PSHE) A visiting female elder from the country of origin Being taken on a long holiday to the family’s country of origin Talk about a ‘special’ event or procedure to ‘become a woman’ High Risk Time: Be aware This procedure takes place in the summer, as the recovery period after FGM can be 6 to 9 weeks. Schools should be alert to the possibility of FGM as a reason why a girl in a group is absent from school or where the family request an ‘authorised absence’ for just before or just after the summer school holidays. Although, it is difficult to identify girls before FGM takes place, where girls from these high-risk groups return from a long period of absence with symptoms of FGM, advice should be sought from the police or social services. Post-FGM Symptoms include: Difficulty walking, sitting or standing Spend longer than normal in the bathroom or toilet Unusual behaviour a lengthy absence Reluctance to undergo normal medical examinations
child_protection_policy_.docx