Harmful Sexual Behaviour Response Using the Brook Traffic Light Tool
Guidance for school staff on distinguishing age-appropriate from concerning sexual behaviour using the Brook Sexual Behaviours Traffic Light Tool, with referral pathways.
Not all sexual behaviour by children is harmful, and not all of it requires a safeguarding referral. KCSIE 2025 expects staff to be able to differentiate developmentally typical sexual behaviour from behaviour that is concerning or harmful. The Brook Sexual Behaviours Traffic Light Tool, widely adopted in UK schools and accepted by local safeguarding partnerships, groups behaviours into green (healthy and age-appropriate), amber (outside the typical range and requiring monitoring or intervention), and red (harmful and requiring immediate safeguarding action). This resource walks staff through the model, gives age-banded examples, and sets out the response and referral steps for each tier.