A NEW campaign by a charity aims to make protecting children from sexual abuse as easy as teaching them to eat their vegetables or learn the Green Cross Code.

NSPCC is to launch a six-week radio advertising campaign in Scotland to persuade families to adopt a new "underwear rule".

This uses the acronym PANTS to help parents talk to children about the risks of abuse, while avoiding embarrassment.

It stands for: Privates are private; Always remember your body belongs to you; No means no; Talk about secrets that upset you; and, Speak up – someone can help.

The campaign will be supported by the Childline charity's schools service, which will visit every primary school in Scotland.

It has also been backed by Scotland's Commissioner for Children and Young People, Tam Baillie, who said: "The simple messages in the NSPCC Underwear Rule can be used by parents and carers to raise these difficult issues in a way which children can understand."

The launch comes amid heightened awareness of sexual abuse following the revelations about Jimmy Savile and other high profile celebrities. However, experts warn assaults by celebrities or strangers are far less common than abuse carried out by a relative or someone a child knows.

That message is getting through according to a YouGov poll carried out for the NSPCC that found 74% of Scots recognised that relatives (34%) or acquaintances, neighbours or family friends (40%) pose the biggest risk of sexual abuse to children.

The poll found 80% of Scots believe parents should be responsible for talking to their primary school aged children about how to keep safe from sexual abuse, but fewer than half (48%) of Scottish parents have done so.

Matt Forde, head of service for NSPCC Scotland, said: "Parents have told us they lack confidence in approaching this important but difficult issue. The "Underwear Rule" is an easy age appropriate way for parents to make sure children speak up if something happens.

"It's easier to talk about than you may think and you don't have to mention abuse or sex at all. From an early age parents will talk to their children about the green cross code, stranger danger and eating your greens.

"If the Underwear Rule can become just as well known to children, we can stop abuse early, or even before it starts."