CI urges parents to challenge ‘sex survey’ for kids

Parents in Scotland are being urged to oppose the Scottish Government’s controversial and intrusive survey into the sex lives of young people.

Councils are being pushed to gather information through the ‘Health and Wellbeing Census’, a survey that asks teens as young as fifteen shocking sexual questions and primary children intrusive questions about their home life.

Pupils in S4 and above will be asked “How much, if any, sexual experience have you had?”, and provided a list of possible answers. Children aged eight and above will be asked “How often do you enjoy being with the people you live with?”

Invasion of privacy

The survey has been billed as anonymous, but it will be possible to trace answers back to individual children, as they will be required to use their student candidate number when filling it in, raising concerns over the privacy of sensitive personal information.

Despite widespread concern, including from the Children and Young People’s Commissioner, Holyrood officials have refused to withdraw the survey.

The survey is not compulsory so parents can advise their children not to answer the survey, should they be asked to fill it in. The children are also free to refuse themselves.

Some councils have already said they are dropping the survey, or removing the most explicit parts, but The Christian Institute is urging parents to continue adding pressure by writing to their councils to make their objections known.

‘Immediately withdrawn’

The Institute’s Scotland Officer Nigel Kenny said: “Parents must write to their local councillors, telling them they do not wish their child to be given the survey. They also need to seek assurances that it will be immediately withdrawn and not issued again, in any form.”

He said this advice went beyond parents, adding: “If you do not have children in the relevant age groups, please still consider contacting your council leader to express your concerns – especially if you have grandchildren who are affected. And of course pupils can also refuse to respond to the survey too.”

The Institute also urged Christians to “pray for the protection of young minds from inappropriate material and that the rights of parents would be respected”.