Extra-familial harm is the term statutory guidance uses for harm outside the home. Working Together 2026 covers it in chapter 3, paragraphs 216 to 223, and its glossary notes that there is no legal definition. Examples include criminal exploitation such as county lines and financial exploitation, serious violence, modern slavery, online harm, sexual exploitation, teenage relationship abuse and radicalisation.
The glossary describes extra-familial contexts as places such as parks, housing estates, shopping centres, takeaways, transport hubs, and social media and gaming platforms.
KCSIE 2026 paragraph 21 asks all staff, especially the DSL and deputies, to consider whether children are at risk of abuse or exploitation outside their families. Paragraph 66 says social care assessments should consider harm outside the home, so schools should give as much information as possible in a referral.
Some points from Working Together:
- Children with SEND, looked-after children and children missing from home, care or education may be at greater risk (paragraph 218).
- Every child should get a safeguarding response, including children who are harming others (paragraph 219).
- Where several children are harmed in the same context, work with the group as well as each child (paragraph 221).
The approach of responding to the place or group as well as the child is often called contextual safeguarding. Our guide explains both terms and what schools can do.