Some took to social media unhappy about questions to Year 10 and Year 12 pupils about when they were last sexually active, including genital touching and oral sex, and what they might have done for STI prevention and contraception.
Dr Nicola Brink, director of Public Health, said the online survey was designed to help Education and Health & Social Care put together an accurate picture of the current health and wellbeing of young people in Guernsey.
It is the first Young People’s Survey to be carried out locally since 2022 and the first to be managed by Public Health.
‘Sexual health is an important part of that picture, and it is important we have a high-level understanding of whether young people are practising safe sex if they are engaging in sexual activity,’ she said.
‘This information can inform sexual education curriculums and help us ensure our health and care support for young people is appropriate.’
She clarified that the survey was age-specific, catered to Years 6, 8, 10 and 12, so younger children do not see all of the questions posed to older children.
Some parents were concerned that the survey would be carried out in lesson time, posing risk to data protection and intimate information being seen by fellow pupils or teachers.
‘Parents have had the questions shared with them in advance and data protection colleagues have advised and guided us to ensure opt-out arrangements that are in place, so, any young person can opt out of filling the survey in, or choose not to answer certain questions if they would prefer not to,’ said Dr Brink.
She said that children who answered the initial question that they had not been sexually active do not receive any of the subsequent questions, and similar questions had been asked in previous surveys.
The survey topics are wide-ranging to provide a broad overview of health and wellbeing, such as self-rated health, diet, physical activity, sleep, screen use and e-safety, substance use, worries, relationships and sexual health.
‘To ensure survey content is age-appropriate we have benchmarked against questions posed in other places, and have sought and gained the endorsement of the Guernsey Ethics Committee,’ said Dr Brink.
‘Education colleagues, including head teachers, have been involved in the development of the surveys and the HSC committee have had sight of the questionnaire.’
In a letter to parents prior to the survey being distributed in schools, Dr Brink said that participants could leave out any questions they did not want to answer, the survey was anonymous and confidential, and no information would be asked that could identify a child personally.
The letter also shared links to the questions that each year group involved would receive. The survey results will be published next year. A further letter was sent to the parents of some pupils across the island’s schools inviting them to take part in a ‘risk-aversion intervention’ starting this week.
It said the children had been invited following on from the first survey, with different dates for male and female students.
‘Taking part in the programme doesn’t mean there is anything “wrong” with your child. Any child will benefit from taking part,’ said the letter.
‘What it does provide is an opportunity to learn more about positive decision-making and how we can manage risk in any situation.
‘Students taking part will be champions of the programme throughout the school and will have the chance to further develop the programme for other young people across the country.’
Parents also had the option to withdraw their child from participating.
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