Why is it that some teachers feel they can comment on their students’ bodies, contact them on dating apps, ask them about their sex lives and even attempt to kiss or sexually touch them? A startling finding from a report I co-authored shows that almost all instances of teacher-to-student sexual harassment take place on the school grounds – indicating that there may be a culture of acceptance in some schools across the UK and Ireland.
There are no circumstances in which it is appropriate for teachers to gesture, joke about or discuss sex or any sexual topics with their students – formal biology and personal health education excluded. When we tell students to cover their bodies out of “respect for male staff”, we tell young girls that creepy behaviour from teachers is to be expected. When staff tell students that their sex lives and “reputation” are being discussed in the staff room, we tell students that commenting on and objectifying young people is fair game. When heads of school dismiss reports of inappropriate behaviour as “trouble making” or “exaggerations of harmless behaviour” we tell teenagers that their feelings are not valid and that schools will not listen to their concerns.
There are primarily two reasons that people sexually harass others. Some are oblivious to the problematic nature of their comments and behaviour, others know it is wrong but think that they can get away with it.
If this is also the case in school settings, there are two potential solutions. First, we train teachers. All secondary school staff have a duty of care over children and are taught how to identify signs of overt sexual abuse, but they are not necessarily taught what constitutes sexual misconduct that falls outside sexual contact. It should not have to escalate to sexual touching or more severe instances of abuse for reporting mechanisms to take effect.
Second, we create a space where other staff can identify harassment and feel as though they can call out their colleagues. It is an uncomfortable truth that people who abuse their positions to exploit students can also be, and often are, very charming and likable people and colleagues – research on harassment in all contexts confirms this. It’s so much easier to excuse problematic behaviour because we generally believe someone to be “a good person” – we say to ourselves it was a one-off, they’re harmless, they didn’t mean it in a “bad way”. This way of thinking blinds us to red flags that under any other circumstance would not be tolerated.
When teachers are not trained sufficiently to identify harassment, boundaries are ambiguous, and individuals are left to assess whether an incident was “bad enough” to warrant reporting or even discussion. This is coupled with a lack of reporting procedures in place for bystanders that do not rely on the teacher going directly to the heads of school – who may well be friends with the harasser. Staff worry that if they are wrong they risk destroying the career of a good teacher, as well as risking being personally ostracised at work.
Harassers become emboldened when their behaviour is tolerated and even accepted, so the only way to end sexual harassment in schools is to create an environment where we can call out bad behaviour. To counteract it, schools should enforce zero-tolerance policies for boundary violations and require reference checks to include any confirmed instances of boundary violation or allegations of sexual harassment. While teachers are entitled to investigations that prove or disprove allegations, including them on references could allow schools to identify patterns of behaviour. Schools should also enforce that bystanders have a responsibility to report harassment and to prioritise the safety of children over the potential discomfort of their colleagues. A national database for all confirmed instances of harassment or other forms of sexual misconduct perpetrated by school staff should be made accessible.
Students should also be taught about the specific examples that constitute sexual harassment. Young people’s understanding of what constitutes inappropriate sexual conduct are often black and white – for instance, one respondent who said a male teacher would flirt with her, touch her and give her special attention throughout her entire school experience, said: “At the time I thought it was so cool. He was the good-looking teacher in school. Looking back, the weird attention started when I was 13.” Finally, support and counselling for students and staff who report harassment should be accessible without having to rely on the school as a first point of contact.
Most teachers are incredibly hardworking and do the very best for their students. But teachers have incredible access and reach to huge numbers of some of our society’s most vulnerable people. Research continuously shows that children who experience sexual abuse grow into adults who have more health problems and live shorter lives. Compounding this, when harassment and abuse are perpetrated by someone in a position of trust, the person’s ability to develop healthy, trusting and loving relationships that are free from manipulation and abuse can be adversely affected. Even if there is one teacher in a school who behaves this way, it is one too many.
• The headline of this article was amended on 30 August 2023 to remove a reference, which was not supported by the main text, to harassment being “widespread”.
Kate Dawson is a lecturer in psychology at the University of Greenwich
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