We don’t tell our teachers – Experiences of peer-on-peer sexual harassment among secondary school pupils in Wales

This report considers the incidence of peer-on-peer sexual harassment in the lives of secondary-aged young people and reviews the culture and processes that help protect and support young people in secondary schools in Wales. Sexual harassment occurs when a person engages in unwanted conduct of a sexual nature that has the purpose or effect of:

• violating someone’s dignity; or
• creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for them

Recommendations

Secondary schools should:

• R1    Recognise that peer-on-peer sexual harassment is highly prevalent in the lives of young pupils and adopt a whole-school preventative and proactive approach to dealing with it. This importantly includes providing pupils with assurance that school staff will take every incidence of peer-on-peer sexual harassment seriously and work in partnership with parents and external agencies. 
• R2    Provide sufficient, cumulative and beneficial learning opportunities for pupils across the whole age range about healthy relationships, sex and sexuality education. This includes providing a safe, enabling and supportive environment for open and honest discussions.
• R3    Improve the way they record, categorise and analyse incidences of harassment and bullying. Records should include details about the nature and type of incidences, the impact on the victim and appropriate actions in response to both perpetrators and victims. Leaders should ensure they review records regularly and evaluate the impact of their actions on pupils’ wellbeing. 
• R4    Ensure all school staff receive regular and purposeful professional learning opportunities on personal and social education matters, including relationships, sexuality, diversity and gender transitioning. This is so that they are able to provide an affirmative, proactive approach to supporting pupils as they grow and develop into young adults.

Local authorities should:

• R5    Work with schools to collect and categorise and analyse all bullying and harassment data correctly and comprehensively. In addition, support schools to analyse this information regularly to identify trends and put restorative arrangements in place. 
• R6    Plan suitable intervention and support on gender issues at both school and local authority level, evaluating regularly their impact on pupil wellbeing. 
• R7    Provide school staff with the necessary professional learning to adopt a proactive approach to peer-on-peer sexual harassment, including homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying and harassment. 

The Welsh Government should:

• R8    Work with local authorities to improve the way they collect bullying and harassment information from schools and ensure that local authorities identify and respond to patterns and trends in behaviour. This is in order to plan suitable guidance, training and support for schools. 
• R9    Ensure schools receive regular and informative updates on best practice and suitable resources that are available to support them in the delivery of relationships and sexuality education.