POLL: Should sex education be compulsory for all school children?
Seven in 10 youngsters in the West Midlands think the government should ensure all children have school lessons on sex and relationships, new figures reveal.
Three quarters of those asked believe all children would be safer if they had age-appropriate classes on sex and education, according to the poll for children's charity Barnardo's.
The results support calls by the charity for the government to introduce compulsory age-appropriate sex and relationships education through the Children and Social Work Bill.
Barnardo's wants MPs to put pressure on the government to make the change while the bill is debated in the Commons this week.
More than nine in 10 of West Midlands children surveyed said it was important for them to understand the dangers of being online so they can stay safe, and 85 per cent agreed that young people would have healthier relationships if they understood why it's important to respect each other.
Hugh Sherriffe, Barnardo's regional director, said: "The overwhelming majority of children who answered our poll believe they would be safer if they had age-appropriate sex and relationships lessons in school.
"It's time to listen to children who are clearly telling us that they need help in understanding the digital dangers and the risks of sharing images of themselves with strangers.
"Online grooming is a very real danger facing all children and nearly half of the girls polled said they were worried about strangers contacting them online.
"Compulsory sex and relationships lessons for all children must be introduced as soon as possible – it will help prevent children being groomed and sexually exploited."
