CONTENT WARNING: This article discusses sexual harassment.
A new report has revealed shocking insight into “widespread, entrenched and normalised harmful sexual behaviours” across Australian schools. This includes the discovery of girls in Year 5 and Year 6 being “continually asked” to send nudes that are being “passed around to other boys”.
Following a nationwide survey, Australian schools were discovered to be at a “crisis point” after 66.6 per cent of respondents witnessed sexual harassment amongst pupils and 79.8 per cent reported an increase in sexual behaviours in schools.
“Moaning is a big problem. Even ‘good’ kids are doing it to win favour with others…The moaning I’ve heard was from boys,” one respondent revealed.
According to its findings — which are analysed in the “Sexual Harassment of Teachers” (SHoT) report — educators are witnessing more incidents of image-based sexual abuse, with students as young as Year 2 accessing and sharing pornographic content on personal devices or social media.
SHoT, published by Collective Shout in partnership with author and educator Maggie Dent, also found that male students in Year 9 and Year 10 were responsible “for the majority” of the harmful behaviours. However, children from Kindergarten to Year 3 also presented the same behaviour.
“I have been very concerned for a while now about some of the things I’m hearing from teachers and parents in my community and the team at Collective Shout and I thought it was important to get a sense of the prevalence of sexual harassment in schools,” Dent shared.
“This report demonstrates a strong need for educational authorities to provide teachers and schools with clear steps they can follow to prevent and deal with sexual harassment.
“I would also urge parents and other caring adults in our kids’ lives, to have awkward conversations with their kids, and not just expect schools to be responsible for addressing this behaviour from some boys. This needs to be a whole community response.”
One respondent shared they have witnessed male students “get away with a warning for really inappropriate sexual behaviour towards female students because ‘they’re too young, just boys being boys.”
Alongside the increased sexual behaviours of students, the survey revealed disturbing statistics of teachers — almost all female — being subjected to sexual harassment by male students.
“Sexually harassing behaviours appear to be perpetrated most frequently by male students, with sexual groaning, sexually suggestive gestures and sexual name calling being the most frequent forms of sexual harassment,” the report’s key findings read.
One respondent shared a disturbing incident where a male student told his girlfriend about his “rape fantasies” involving the teacher.
“He also threatened to rape his girlfriend if she told anyone,” the respondent shared.
Collective Shout Movement Director Melinda Tankard has called for a “strong, national and uniform response” to address the report’s disturbing findings.
“This is a crisis. Schools have become sites of abuse,” Tankard shared.
“The safety of teachers and female students is significantly compromised.
“I speak in large numbers of public and private schools and the stories I’ve been told by female teachers and students this year are the worst I’ve heard in more than a decade of engagement with public and private schools.”
Despite the concerning findings, teachers reported “significant gaps” in their school’s policies, procedures and codes of conduct.
SHoT also reported a “significant mental health decline” amongst respondents, with many educators admitting to taking long-term leave, changing schools or leaving the profession due to increased harmful behaviours.
Image source: Getty
Help is available.
- If you require immediate assistance, please call 000.
- If you’d like to speak to someone about sexual violence, please call the 1800 Respect hotline on 1800 737 732 or chat online.
- Under 25? You can reach Kids Helpline at 1800 55 1800 or chat online.
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