According to research conducted by the Office of Standards for Education, Services and Crafts for Minors (Ofsted), 9 out of 10 female students interviewed said they had been subjected to sexual insults and constantly received sexual photos or videos.
She also points out that the boys exchange pictures of naked students as if it were a collecting game.
We find that students often see no benefit in reporting such behavior because they view it as a normal experience, notes the report, which also cites fear of social ostracism or reputation damage as reasons for reticence.
Ofsted’s inspectors, who visited 32 public and private schools and spoke with more than 900 teens, also found that teachers were not willing to give advice beyond their topics or that they lacked knowledge on topics such as consensual and healthy relationships and sharing sexual images.
Britain’s chief executive, Amanda Spielman, said she was “shocked” and found it alarming that many teens, especially girls, consider that they must accept sexual harassment as part of their development.
This is a cultural issue, the official said, as attitudes and behaviors have become normal, schools cannot solve it on their own.
However, the report urges school administrators to assume that their students are victims of sexual harassment even when there are no complaints about it.
Education Minister Gavin Williamson, who was commissioned to investigate last March after thousands of anonymous students posted on social networks with anonymous testimonies online, warned that sexual assault in any form is unacceptable.
After the official report was published, the British government announced greater support for school institutions so that they could face any form of harassment against students.
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