It would be wrong in an adult workplace, and it is much more so when the targets are pupils in a classroom. More than a fifth of girls aged seven to 12 have experienced sexual jokes from boys; almost a third of 16- to 18-year-old girls have suffered unwanted sexual touching. Nearly three-quarters of teenagers heard girls denigrated with words such as “slut” or “slag” regularly. Teachers report frequent incidents of girls sending nude pictures to their boyfriends – then finding they have been forwarded to others.
The report from the House of Commons women and equalities committee paints an alarming picture of widespread sexual harassment in schools across England. Unveiled is a culture that is damaging not only to girls, but also to boys, who are sometimes victims and often face pressure to “prove their masculinity” by objectifying and baiting their schoolmates. Charities report similar findings from across Britain. Some of these problems are longstanding. It is disturbing to learn that teachers still write it off as “horseplay” when boys lift the skirts of girls, or ignore aggressive sexual remarks. Failure to take harassment seriously encourages perpetrators to see their behaviour as normal and to escalate their actions; it also deters victims from reporting what has happened.
Such problems have been exacerbated by new developments. Government guidance on sex education, drawn up 16 years ago, does not even mention pornography. That must change given that polls suggest almost a quarter of young people were 12 or younger when they first saw porn, and what was previously considered hardcore material has become increasingly mainstream. The emergence of an internet culture that treats young girls – and suggests that they treat themselves – as sexual objects must be recognised and challenged. Pornographic images, demeaning comments and outright misogyny damage the wellbeing and self-esteem of our young people. Disturbingly, there is evidence that children are referencing pornography as a “benchmark” in sexual relationships. This environment promotes an insidious suggestion that hypersexualised self-presentation is a freely chosen expression of body confidence. It’s not.
To roll back the advance of pornography will need Theresa May to pick up where David Cameron left off. The government has already pledged to introduce age-verification for porn websites in the digital economy bill now under consideration. This will mean British porn sites will be accessed often only by credit card holders. To deal with foreign-based sites, ministers should revisit the idea that internet service providers should block porn unless customers ask that they do not. In the offline world, Tuesday’s report makes many sensible recommendations for further action, including ensuring that Ofsted inspectors consider sexual harassment as well as other forms of bullying, and updating guidance to schools on how to tackle these problems.
Most importantly, perhaps, is the need to combine zero tolerance of abuse with the fostering of positive attitudes towards sexuality. Sex education is compulsory in maintained secondary schools, and may be taught by primary schools. But the teaching focuses on the biology when it should concentrate on relationships and consent.
Sex education should be much more comprehensive and begin much earlier. In some cases, pupils are having sex before they are taught about it. In the Netherlands there are lessons for children as young as four – but, equally importantly, they talk about values, ethics and reciprocal respect.
Ideally, such education might be led by younger instructors, perhaps from outside the school who are medically trained and not embarrassed to lead open discussions. Its aim should not only be to say that harassment and coercion are unacceptable, but to encourage children to value themselves and others, teaching them that informed consent and mutual enthusiasm should be the basis for sex.