Over a fifth of girls have experienced unwanted sexual contact

Over a fifth of British women aged 18 and over say they’ve experienced unwanted sexual contact in or around school as girls,* but the majority did not report it.

These alarming findings, commissioned by global children’s charity Plan UK, expose the hidden scale of sexual violence and abuse experienced by girls of school age in Britain.

Over 2,000 women across Britain were polled by ICM on behalf of the charity. 1 in 5 (22%) reported some experience of sexual touching, groping, flashing, sexual assault or rape whilst they were in or around school. Almost half that number (10%) say the abuse occurred ‘sometimes’ or ‘frequently.’

But 3 in 5 (61%) of those who had experienced abuse said they never once reported it to a teacher or another person in authority.

Tanya Barron, Chief Executive at Plan UK, says: "Our findings show that school girls have been suffering in silence for decades. We know that these experiences can have a devastating impact on their lives.

"Unwanted sexual contact can affect a young girl’s self-esteem and educational achievements. It stops school being a safe place to learn. Without adequate support it can affect their confidence and stop them from fulfilling their potential.

"It is extremely worrying to see that girls have been experiencing unwanted sexual contact in or around school since at least the 1940s. It’s vital that schools and teachers are better supported to help protect young people. We also need to ensure that young people are educated about healthy relationships and consent."

Plan UK are calling for:

High quality, statutory sex and relationships education to help young people understand about healthy relationships and consent. This should include work with boys as well as girls.

Support for schools so they can effectively address gender equality, tackle stereotypes and end unwanted sexual contact

A commitment to preventing violence against girls at all levels by making sure bullying policies address gender and violence against girls.

Support for teachers to prevent and manage incidences of unwanted sexual contact in schools.

Ensure provisions are in place so that schools are a safe place where children can report their concerns.

Plan UK works with children and their communities in 50 countries worldwide. One of the main barriers for the 62 million girls across the world missing out on an education is gender based violence, including unwanted sexual contact in or around school.

Barron adds: "This is a global problem. Girls and boys need clear messages that unwanted sexual contact in or around school is not acceptable.

"Our #LearnWithoutFear campaign came about because girls in school right now told us there was a problem with unwanted sexual contact in and around school. But, clearly this worrying behaviour is not a new thing and has also been experienced by their mothers and even their grandmothers when they were at school.

"We must support young women in Britain and across the world to learn without fear."

The findings also revealed that almost 1 in 3 adults (32%) aged 18-24 years in Britain have experienced unwanted sexual contact in or around school, while 1 in 10 (11%) aged 65 plus report having the same experience.

Additional findings from the report reveal that 65% of those surveyed who have witnessed unwanted sexual contact happening to others in school have also experienced it. While 68% of those who have experienced unwanted sexual contact in schools have also witnessed it happening to others.