17th September 2016 1:00
By Blue Tutors
Following a recent inquiry, a report presenting the findings of the Commons Women and Equalities Committee has “revealed a concerning picture” of sexual harassment and violence in schools today. There were 5500 incidents reported to the police, including 600 rapes in schools in the last three years alone. What is more concerning is that there is no formal obligation for schools to report or even record incidents of sexual assault. As there is chronic underreporting and no centralised data collection of such incidents, the inquiry had to rely on survey date from a number of organisations, including Girlguiding UK. The responses showed the shocking extent of the problem, with 71% of girls in school routinely hearing terms like “slut” used towards them, and almost one in three 16 to 18 year olds having experienced unwanted sexual touching while in school. Teachers revealed that this type of verbal of physical assault is not only common but an expected part of school life. The committee chair, Maria Miller, compared the current situation to that in the workplace twenty years ago, and many are left stunned that children at school cannot even expect the standard of legal protection afforded to adults.
The prevalence of such behaviour is having a measurable impact on the psychological wellbeing of young women and girls. Three quarters of young women said the anxiety surrounding sexual harassment at school affected them negatively, from how they felt about their bodies and likelihood of participating in class, to serious mental health consequences including self-harm, drug use and depression. Schools were criticised for the “alarming inconsistency” in how incidents are dealt with and the lack of training, support or guidelines for teachers. 60% of girls between 13 and 21 having faced sexual harassment in the past year alone, yet most schools still fail to report incidents to the police or take them seriously. While not all of the behaviour is classed as criminal activity, the report states that “it does create an environment for children and young people that we find deeply troubling”. Addressing low-level sexual abuse is key to avoiding escalation and creating a safe environment for children to learn; failing to do so will also have long-term repercussions on gender equality.
The report outlines several recommendations and concrete actions to improve the current situation, focusing on the prevention and monitoring. A consistent approach needs to be achieved, primarily through clear nation guidance from the Department of Education and school oversight body, Ofsted. Schools should be “recording, monitoring, preventing and responding to incidents” and, crucially, this data should be collected and published and their performance evaluated as part of regular inspections and ongoing assessment. Finally, the report calls for an overhaul of sexual education in schools, insisting on compulsory sexual and relationship education starting in primary school.
Sexual education in the UK is theoretically already mandatory, however certain schools, such as independent academies, can opt out. Where sexual education is available, it is woefully inadequate, delivered by poorly trained teachers following grossly outdated government guidelines. The report highlighted the widespread availability of pornography and the role of the internet and smartphones as a key factor in facilitating sexual misconduct in school. So called ‘revenge porn’, the unwelcome distribution of sexual images, which was criminalised last year, is among the forms of sexual bullying, along with being unwillingly shown pornographic material. Yet, the government guidelines, last updated in 2000, make not mention of pornography, and only one in four schools have an internet and social media policy. There is significant evidence of the negative effect that access to pornography has had on children’s perceptions of sex, intimacy and consent; many are now calling for pornography to be included in a more current, comprehensive sexual education program.