MPs call for action on sexual harrassment of girls in school

Groping, name calling and bullying is part of “everyday life” for schoolgirls but is sometimes dismissed by teachers as “just banter”, a Commons committee found.

Its report warned that some pupils, including those in primary school, were being exposed to hard-core pornography which was twisting their views on sex and relationships.

MPs pointed to research that found nearly a third of girls aged between 16 and 18 said they had experienced unwanted sexual touching at school and most girls and young women had faced some form of sexual harassment at school or college.

Pupils also reported hearing girls being called a slut or a slag on a regular basis, according to research highlighted by the Women and Equalities Committee.

It heard the “slapping of bums and flicking (lifting up) of skirts” was common while one teacher told how they had had “many young girls sobbing and humiliated in my office because partially naked images have gone viral”.

Too many schools were failing to deal with the problem while the government and watchdog Ofsted had no coherent plan.

Conservative MP Maria Miller, who chairs the committee, said: “Our inquiry has revealed a concerning picture. We have heard girls talk about sexual bullying and abuse as an expected part of their everyday life; with teachers accepting sexual harassment as ‘just banter’; and parents struggling to know how they can best support their children.

“It is difficult to explain why any school would allow girls to be subjected to sexual harassment and violent behaviour that has been outlawed in the adult workplace.

“The evidence shows it is undermining the confidence of young women. Failing to reinforce what is acceptable behaviour could well be fuelling the ‘lad culture’ that the Government has already identified as a problem in colleges and universities.

“Despite this, the Department for Education and Ofsted have no coherent plan to ensure schools tackle the causes and consequences of sexual harassment and sexual violence.

“There are some examples of excellent work being done by schools and third sector organisations to prevent sexual harassment and sexual violence. But too many schools are failing to recognise this as a problem.