What Young People Who Have Experienced Maltreatment Want From Out-of-School Sex and Relationship Education: A Qualitative Synthesis of Participatory Research With Young People

Childhood maltreatment can have profound and lasting impacts on survivors, often necessitating a raft of therapeutic and trauma-informed services. In recent studies, young survivors have highlighted the potential for sexual and relationship education (SRE) to provide young people opportunities to make sense of and seek support related to their maltreatment but have reflected that their experiences of SRE are rarely responsive to their needs. Given that many are not able to access SRE at school, they have argued for targeted programmes to be tailored to their needs. This systematic review explores what young people who have experienced maltreatment want and need from SRE in non-school settings. Drawing on seven research papers published between 2000 and 2023, where young survivors were engaged directly in qualitative studies, the paper identifies key considerations for creating trauma and survivor-informed SRE. Findings emphasise the importance of universal SRE programmes in acknowledging the link between childhood maltreatment and risk behaviours, accommodating survivors’ unique experiences and educational needs in SRE design, and addressing their heightened vulnerability to future harm. It advocates for more targeted and intensive programmes that are accessible to young survivors at key points while linking them up to services to help them reclaim their sexualities. Moreover, the study advocates for a nuanced understanding of young survivors’ resilience and the need for sensitivity when facilitating trauma-informed programmes. It stresses the value of working with survivors to shape SRE and the ways that they would like to play a role as peer educators and advocates.