We were delighted to be working alongside Policy Hub Scotland on this event, putting together the agenda for such a crucial topic.
The Women and Equalities Committee launched the first Parliamentary inquiry into the scale and impact of Sexual harassment and violence in schools. The subsequent Committee report, published in Septemb
e were delighted to be working alongside Policy Hub Scotland on this event, putting together the er 2016 ‘exposed the shocking scale of sexual harassment and sexual violence that is not being tackled effectively in English schools’.
In support of the inquiry the charity, Fixers, undertook research into the topic. Their subsequent report concluded that sexualised behaviour is the new social norm in young people’s daily lives. Along with research from Girlguiding UK which reported that 75% of girls and young women said anxiety about potentially experiencing sexual harassment affects their lives in some way. The same survey found that 90% of young women aged 13-21 agree that the government should make sure all schools are addressing sexual harassment and bullying in schools. Data published last Autumn showed that 5,500 sexual offences were recorded in UK schools over a three year period – at least a fifth of which were carried out by children, so called ‘peer-on-peer’ abuse.
This event focussed on the scale of sexual harassment and sexual violence in schools and how we, in Scotland, can address this issue and prevent it from continuing to undermine our younger generation’s sense of safety, feeling of self-confidence and perception of positive, healthy and respectful relationships.
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