‘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

Sexual harassment is unlawful under the Equality Act 2010. In our work with pupils, we defined peer-on-peer sexual harassment as:

• making sexual comments, remarks, jokes either face-to face or online
• lifting up skirts or taking a picture under a person’s clothing without them knowing
• making nasty comments about someone’s body, gender, sexuality or looks to cause them humiliation, distress or alarm
• image-based abuse, such as sharing a nude/semi-nude photo or video without the consent of the person pictured
• sending unwanted sexual, explicit or pornographic photographs/videos to someone

The report was written in response to a request from the Minister for Education in June 2021. This review is of relevance to learners, parents and schools as well as to the Welsh Government, statutory services and third sector organisations directly involved with children and young people.