Children at Dovecot Primary school attend an Ariel Trust session
Primary school pupils are to play a key role in helping to produce a new film to help other youngsters identify when they may be in danger of becoming a victim of online grooming or exploitation linked to criminal gangs.
The initiative, led by the Ariel Trust, and backed by the Police and Crime Commissioner, the Merseyside Violence Reduction Partnership, and Merseyside Police is part of a pioneering project, which has already helped thousands of young people across Merseyside and is being rolled out to even younger children to help protect them in the future.
The latest phase of the project, targeting children in Key Stage 1, is being launched at Dovecot Primary School today, focusing on a common but potentially harmful phrase that many adults have often used to discourage children: “Don’t tell tales.”
Working closely with teachers and pupils at the infant school, Ariel Trust is developing a new educational film, aimed at six- and seven-year-olds titled “Telling Tales or Asking for Help?”
The film will be used within age-appropriate workshops to empower children with the confidence and awareness to recognise the signs, helping them to speak out to trusted adults if they encounter any unsafe behaviours or experiences that don’t feel right.
The production will use language that the children will understand and identify with, focusing on the topic of bullying to demonstrate help seeking skills when feeling unsafe or uncomfortable.
The film is part of a broader violence reduction programme and marks the Ariel Trust’s first time working with infant school children. It builds upon the successful ‘Grassing or Grooming’ resource which Ariel Trust has been delivering to schools across the region since 2021.
The project is being supported by Operation Payback, a funding scheme that sees money confiscated from offenders appearing before Liverpool Crown Court on drugs charges given to local charities.
The wider rollout will be funded by the Merseyside Violence Reduction Partnership, with Ariel Trust aiming to reach 150 schools and engage 5,000 children in help-seeking workshops over the next year.
The key to keeping our young people safe is through education. We are seeing more and more school-age children becoming empowered to recognise the warning signs when somebody is trying to exploit them.
This new initiative is a significant step forward in reaching even younger children. It will allow us to get upstream, educating our children even earlier, so we can encourage more young people to speak out as soon as they feel like they are under threat or experiencing behaviours that makes them feel unsafe.
Ariel Trust has a proven track record when it comes to bringing about positive change. They are brilliant at giving pupils the words and language to use in a way that is age-appropriate, and we know that this really resonates with our young people.
I’m pleased to support the launch of this new programme with cash which has been seized out of the pockets of criminals and is now being used for good to protect our children.
I look forward to seeing how the input from the children of Dovecot Primary, aids the development of this new film, helping us to deliver these vital lessons to a younger audience, equipping many more of them with the confidence to speak out when something doesn’t feel right.
Merseyside Police Commissioner Emily Spurrell
Times have changed, children are exposed to online risks at an earlier age. Therefore, responsible adults need to change too.
We need to think about how we encourage children to talk about the threats they encounter online. The development of positive help seeking behaviour is an important part of the process required to keep children safe.
By creating and sharing this new film, Ariel Trust hopes to spark a cultural shift in how communities support children in speaking up; laying the groundwork for safer, more resilient futures.
Paul Ainsworth, Director at Ariel Trust
Prevention and early intervention are some of the most powerful tools we have to keep children safe.
We welcome this initiative developed by the Ariel Trust that aims to tackle exploitation before it starts, giving more children the chance to grow up free from the influence of gangs and criminal exploitation.
Education is key to being able to tackle gang recruitment and this programme gives some of our youngest learners the knowledge and confidence they need to recognise risk and make safer choices, which will help to make Merseyside safer for years to come.
Liverpool Local Policing Superintendent Tony Fairhurst, one of the senior officers for EVOLVE Liverpool-Knowsley
We’re incredibly proud to be part of this pilot. Children are exposed to more online risks and emotional pressures than ever before. Projects like this, introduced early in their education, help build the resilience they need to protect themselves and stay safe.
This project has helped our pupils understand the value of speaking out and supporting one another. They’ve gained confidence, learned how to express their feelings, and know who to turn if something doesn’t feel right.
Their enthusiasm for the project has been remarkable, and the school is thrilled to see such positive progress and we know it will bring positive, lasting change to the lives of our pupils and many other children.
Danika Weston, Pastoral Safeguarding Officer and Senior Mental Health Lead at Dovecot Primary