The festive season is often described as a magical time for children, filled with excitement and anticipation. However, for safeguarding teams and school staff, it can also be a period of increased vulnerability for many students. Our blog this week looks at the unique risks that arise during this time and what we need to do to keep children safe.
Every December, safeguarding services report a rise in cases, and organisations like the NSPCC see increased calls from children in distress. By staying vigilant, keeping systems tight, and supporting families, school staff can help ensure every child is safe and supported, even when school doors are closed.
Why Is the Festive Period a Time of Increased Vulnerability?
1. Disruption of Routine Schools are protective environments where routines and trusted adults provide stability. During the festive period, timetables change, rehearsals may replace lessons, and children might go home earlier or to unfamiliar adults. These changes can weaken the usual safety nets, making risks less obvious but very real.
2. Loss of Daily Touchpoints When school closes, children lose daily contact with trusted adults. A child who relies on lunchtime clubs or a chat with a teacher may lose that support for a couple of weeks. Changes in behaviour or signs of distress could go unnoticed.
3. Increased Risk at Home For some families, Christmas can be a time of crisis, especially where domestic abuse has historically been present. Children who are normally safe in school may suddenly spend more time in unsafe environments. Financial pressures, rising food costs, heating bills, and the expectation to provide presents, can all increase family stress. Where there is misuse of alcohol and heightened tensions, risks escalate. Some children may even be left to care for adults who are struggling, leading to anxiety, tiredness, withdrawal, lateness or absence, particularly in the final weeks of term.
4. Increased Extra Familial Risks/Contextual Safeguarding Risks When school doors close together with the familiar routines of the classroom, children can face hidden dangers beyond the safety of structured environments. Without the daily oversight of teachers and trusted adults, risks such as exploitation by criminal gangs, online predators, child trafficking, and radicalisation can become more pressing. Holiday periods, while joyful for many, can also create gaps in safeguarding, moments when those who seek to harm children may take advantage of reduced vigilance.
4. Online Safety Concerns Christmas is a peak time for new devices, which can suddenly open access to the online world without filters or parental guidance. This increases the risk of exposure to strangers, grooming, harmful content, or pressure to share images.
5. Mental Health Difficulties – Christmas can be a challenging season affecting wellbeing and mental health. Safeguarding should not take a holiday, and neither should our awareness: by staying alert and knowing where to turn for help, we can protect children and support mental health during the festive season.
5. Social Isolation Not every child looks forward to Christmas. Some feel lonely or cut off from support networks. Children with SEND or those who struggle with friendships may feel especially isolated, making them more vulnerable to risky behavior or harmful online connections.
6. School Events and Visitors The last few weeks of term are busy, with more visitors in school, evening events, and crowded environments. Managing consent around photography and ensuring children are collected safely becomes even more important.
7. When Parents are no Longer Together For children whose parents are separated, the festive season can bring particular challenges. Disputes over child contact arrangements, inconsistent household rules, or the presence of controlling step-relatives may lead to conflict and heightened anxiety.
Top Tips for Best Safeguarding Practice
Ensure Clear Contacts: Make sure staff and families know who to contact for safeguarding concerns over the holidays.
Reinforce Reporting: Remind everyone that even small concerns must be reported—vigilance matters!
Review Risk Assessments: Check risk assessments for seasonal activities, especially those involving dark evenings or off-site events. Ensure children are handed over safely to authorised adults.
Support Online Safety: Provide practical guidance to parents on setting up devices safely and monitoring online activity. Signpost to the Safer Internet Centre which offers guidance on device-specific safety settings, and resources like Childnet International who provide tools for creating family agreements around technology use.
Signpost Safeguarding Support Services: Keep safeguarding visible in school, ensure there is signposting for family support and welfare services, including Family Hubs
Signpost to Mental Health Resources: Organisations like MIND offer practical advice and helplines throughout the Christmas period, while services such as The Samaritans (open 24/7 on 116 123), Mental Health Support For Young People | YoungMinds and Childline provide immediate help for anyone struggling. In London, families can also access tailored resources through Good Thinking a digital wellbeing service designed specifically for Londoners.
Be Curious and Proactive: Encourage staff to ask themselves, “How is this child going to cope when school is not there?” and look out for signs of anxiety, tiredness, or withdrawal.
Manage School Events Safely: Ensure robust systems for managing visitors, consent for photography, and safe collection of children.
Signpost to domestic abuse support:
I need help – information and support on domestic abuse provides free and confidential support for women affected by domestic abuse.
ManKind Initiative – Supporting Male Victims of Domestic Abuse provides free and confidential support for men affected by domestic abuse.
Soola Georgiou
4 December 2025