bullying meaning essay

Bullying Essay for Students and Children

500+ words essay on bullying.

Bullying refers to aggressive behavior so as to dominate the other person. It refers to the coercion of power over others so that one individual can dominate others. It is an act that is not one time, instead, it keeps on repeating over frequent intervals.  The person(s) who bullies others can be termed as bullies, who make fun of others due to several reasons. Bullying is a result of someone’s perception of the imbalance of power.

Types of bullying :

There can be various types of bullying, like:

• Physical bullying:  When the bullies try to physically hurt or torture someone, or even touch someone without his/her consent can be termed as physical bullying .
• Verbal bullying:  It is when a person taunts or teases the other person.
• Psychological bullying:  When a person or group of persons gossip about another person or exclude them from being part of the group, can be termed as psychological bullying.
• Cyber bullying:  When bullies make use of social media to insult or hurt someone. They may make comments bad and degrading comments on the person at the public forum and hence make the other person feel embarrassed. Bullies may also post personal information, pictures or videos on social media to deteriorate some one’s public image.

Read Essay on Cyber Bullying

Bullying can happen at any stage of life, such as school bullying, College bullying, Workplace bullying, Public Place bullying, etc. Many times not only the other persons but the family members or parents also unknowingly bully an individual by making constant discouraging remarks. Hence the victim gradually starts losing his/her self-esteem, and may also suffer from psychological disorders.

A UNESCO report says that 32% of students are bullied at schools worldwide. In our country as well, bullying is becoming quite common. Instead, bullying is becoming a major problem worldwide. It has been noted that physical bullying is prevalent amongst boys and psychological bullying is prevalent amongst girls.

Prevention strategies:

In the case of school bullying, parents and teachers can play an important role. They should try and notice the early symptoms of children/students such as behavioral change, lack of self-esteem, concentration deficit, etc. Early recognition of symptoms, prompt action and timely counseling can reduce the after-effects of bullying on the victim.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Anti-bullying laws :

One should be aware of the anti-bullying laws in India. Awareness about such laws may also create discouragement to the act of bullying amongst children and youngsters. Some information about anti-bullying laws is as follows:

• Laws in School: To put a notice on the notice board that if any student is found bullying other students then he/she can be rusticated. A committee should be formed which can have representatives from school, parents, legal, etc.
• Laws in Colleges: The government of India, in order to prevent ragging , has created guideline called “UGC regulations on curbing the menace of ragging in Higher Education Institutions,2009”.
• Cyber Bullying Laws: The victim can file a complaint under the Indian Penal Code .

Conclusion:

It is the duty of the parents to constantly preach their children about not bullying anyone and that it is wrong. Hence, if we, as a society need to grow and develop then we have to collectively work towards discouraging the act of bullying and hence make our children feel secure.

Customize your course in 30 seconds

Which class are you in.

• Travelling Essay
• Picnic Essay
• Our Country Essay
• My Parents Essay
• Essay on Favourite Personality
• Essay on Memorable Day of My Life
• Essay on Knowledge is Power
• Essay on Gurpurab
• Essay on My Favourite Season
• Essay on Types of Sports

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Download the App

• Engineering
• Write For Us
• Privacy Policy

Essay on Bullying

Here we have shared the Essay on Bullying in detail so you can use it in your exam or assignment of 150, 300, 500, or 1000 words.

You can use this Essay on Bullying in any assignment or project whether you are in school (class 10th or 12th), college, or answer writing for competitive exams. 

Topics covered in this article.

Essay on Bullying in 150 words

Essay on bullying in 250-300 words, essay on bullying in 500-1000 words.

Bullying is a serious issue that affects individuals of all ages, particularly in schools and online platforms. It involves repeated aggressive behavior aimed at causing harm, imbalance of power, and psychological distress to the victim. Bullying can take various forms, such as physical, verbal, or relational aggression.

The consequences of bullying are significant and long-lasting. Victims often experience emotional and psychological trauma, leading to decreased self-esteem, depression, anxiety, and even suicidal ideation. Bullying also creates an unhealthy and hostile environment, impacting the overall well-being of individuals and hindering their ability to thrive and learn.

To combat bullying, it is crucial to raise awareness, promote empathy, and foster a culture of respect and inclusivity. Schools and communities should implement anti-bullying policies and provide support systems for both victims and perpetrators. Education on the effects of bullying and the importance of kindness and empathy can help prevent and address this issue effectively. It is everyone’s responsibility to stand up against bullying and create a safe and nurturing environment for all individuals.

Bullying is a harmful and pervasive issue that involves repeated aggressive behavior aimed at causing harm, distress, and power imbalance. It manifests in various forms such as physical, verbal, or relational aggression, primarily affecting individuals in schools.

The consequences of bullying are significant and far-reaching. Victims often experience emotional and psychological trauma, leading to decreased self-esteem, anxiety, depression, and, in extreme cases, suicidal ideation. Bullying not only impacts individual victims but also creates an unhealthy environment that hampers overall well-being and learning.

To combat bullying effectively, awareness and prevention strategies are essential. Raising awareness about the nature and consequences of bullying among students, teachers, parents, and communities is crucial. Implementing comprehensive anti-bullying policies in schools, defining bullying, establishing reporting mechanisms, and imposing appropriate consequences for perpetrators is necessary. Fostering a culture of respect, empathy, and inclusivity can prevent bullying and create a safer environment.

Support systems should be in place for both victims and bullies. Victims need access to counseling and resources to cope with the effects of bullying. Intervention programs and counseling can help bullies develop empathy, address underlying issues, and learn alternative behaviors.

Collaboration between schools, parents, and communities is vital. Open communication, encouraging reporting, and proactive measures are necessary to create a positive and safe environment.

In conclusion, bullying is a harmful issue with severe consequences for individuals and communities. By raising awareness, implementing policies, fostering a culture of respect and empathy, and providing support, we can combat bullying effectively. Together, we can create a society where bullying is not tolerated, and individuals can thrive in safe and inclusive environments.

Title: Bullying – The Menace That Demands Immediate Attention

Introduction :

Bullying is a persistent and alarming issue that plagues individuals across various environments, with schools being a common breeding ground for such behavior. This essay aims to explore the definition and types of bullying, its detrimental effects on victims, the underlying causes, the role of bystanders, and the strategies required to effectively address and prevent bullying.

I. Definition and Types of Bullying

Bullying is a form of repeated and intentional aggression characterized by a power imbalance, where the bully seeks to cause harm, distress, and domination over the victim. It can take various forms, including physical aggression, verbal abuse, relational manipulation, and cyberbullying.

II. Detrimental Effects of Bullying

Bullying has severe consequences for the mental, emotional, and social well-being of victims. It can lead to decreased self-esteem, anxiety, depression, academic decline, school avoidance, and in extreme cases, suicidal ideation or attempts. The long-lasting effects of bullying extend beyond the immediate victim, creating a hostile and unhealthy environment for all individuals involved.

III. Underlying Causes of Bullying

Several factors contribute to the development of bullying behavior. These may include family dynamics, exposure to aggression or violence, a desire for power and control, low empathy levels, and a lack of appropriate social skills. Additionally, societal factors such as media influence and cultural norms may indirectly support or perpetuate bullying behavior.

IV. The Role of Bystanders

Bystanders play a significant role in the bullying dynamic. They can either reinforce the bully’s behavior by passively observing or actively participating, or they can intervene and support the victim. Creating a culture where bystanders feel empowered to speak up against bullying and report incidents is crucial in addressing this issue.

V. Strategies to Address and Prevent Bullying

A. awareness and education, b. establishing clear policies and consequences, c. encouraging reporting and support, d. empathy and social-emotional learning, e. involving the community.

Raising awareness about the detrimental effects of bullying and its various forms is essential. Educational institutions should implement comprehensive anti-bullying programs that educate students, teachers, and parents about the signs of bullying, its impact, and the importance of intervention.

Schools should have well-defined anti-bullying policies that outline the definition of bullying, reporting procedures, and consequences for perpetrators. These policies should be communicated effectively to all stakeholders to create a safe and inclusive environment.

Creating a safe reporting system where victims and witnesses feel comfortable reporting incidents is crucial. Offering support and counseling services for victims, as well as intervention programs for bullies, helps address the underlying issues and promote behavioral change.

Integrating empathy and social-emotional learning programs into the curriculum can foster a culture of respect, kindness, and empathy. Teaching students how to manage emotions, develop healthy relationships, and resolve conflicts peacefully can prevent bullying behavior.

Engaging parents, community members, and local organizations in anti-bullying initiatives fosters a collective effort in addressing this issue. Collaboration between schools, families, and communities is essential to create a comprehensive and sustained approach to bullying prevention.

Conclusion :

Bullying is a deeply concerning issue that inflicts significant harm on individuals and communities. By raising awareness, implementing clear policies, fostering empathy, involving bystanders, and providing support, we can effectively address and prevent bullying. It is our collective responsibility to create safe and inclusive environments where every individual can thrive without fear of aggression or harm. Through concerted efforts, we can eradicate bullying and cultivate a society built on respect, empathy, and equality.

Related Articles More From Author

What is pharmacognosy, essay on community service, essay on plagiarism.

Defining school bullying and its implications on education, teachers and learners

Contributing to UNESCO’s work on fostering safe learning environments , which addresses many different forms of violence, the UNESCO Chair on Bullying and Cyberbullying, in collaboration with the World Anti-Bullying Forum (WABF), led an international working group to create a more holistic and inclusive definition of school bullying. Professor James O’Higgins Norman, UNESCO Chair on Bullying and Cyberbullying, shares his insights on this work.

Why revisit the definition of bullying?

Many current anti-bullying programmes in schools are rooted in early definitions characterizing bullying as an “unwanted aggressive behavior that is repeated over time and involves an imbalance of power or strength”. While this was groundbreaking at the time and advanced the work of researchers, policy makers, educators and others, evolving perspectives have deepened our understanding of bullying.

Research shows that progress in reducing school bullying has been slow, with only a 19% decrease in perpetration and a 15% drop in the rate of learners facing bullying. This means we must reassess our understanding and approaches to bullying, especially in our increasingly complex world, where both in-person and online bullying intertwine with personal and societal issues.

How are you revisiting the definition of bullying?

As a UNESCO Chair, my role involves facilitating interdisciplinary research and dialogue, and working towards a more holistic approach to bullying. Our recommendation for a ‘whole-education’ approach to tackle bullying recognizes individual, contextual, and societal dimensions.

With support from UNESCO and the WABF, I facilitated the working group to revisit the definition of bullying, consulting scholars, policymakers and practitioners worldwide. We gathered feedback from a diverse group and have conducted wide consultations. This working group was launched following the recommendations by a Scientific Committee on preventing and addressing school bullying and cyberbullying, convened by UNESCO and the French Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports.

What would a revised definition mean for education policymakers and practitioners, for school communities and learners?

The proposed definition promotes a holistic and inclusion-driven approach to tackling bullying and violence in schools and in online spaces. 

Crafting a more inclusive definition has the potential to break down academic and professional barriers, encouraging cooperation between sectors, and among scholars, policymakers, educators, and learners. It provides a solid foundation to better understand bullying particularly regarding those most marginalized due to appearance, ethnicity, gender, social class, or sexuality, among others. Bullying is a complex issue tied to individual, contextual, and structural factors, making collaboration essential.

Together, we can deepen our understanding and address not only the behavior but also the underlying systems and ideologies supporting bullying.

What is your vision for this improved definition of school bullying?

My vision aligns with United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4, on education, in that our work on bullying, and all other forms of school violence, is aimed at ensuring an inclusive and equitable quality education and the promotion of lifelong learning opportunities for all. 

What message do you have for teachers and learners?

To teachers and school staff: Do not accept bullying as normal. Create a safe classroom environment by setting clear expectations for kindness and respect, remain vigilant for signs of bullying, stay informed about effective prevention strategies, and promptly address any incidents. Implement a robust anti-bullying policy. Under the idea of a ‘whole-education’ approach, collaborate with colleagues and parents, incorporate empathy and anti-bullying content into the curriculum, and use collaborative learning methods.

To learners: Report bullying, be confident in recognizing and responding to it, and encourage bystander intervention. You have the power to stop bullying.

New definition and what’s next?

The working group presented its proposed revised definition of school bullying at the WABF held in October 2023. The proposed definition reads:

School bullying is a damaging social process that is characterized by an imbalance of power driven by social (societal) and institutional norms. It is often repeated and manifests as unwanted interpersonal behaviour among students or school personnel that causes physical, social, and emotional harm to the targeted individuals or groups, and the wider school community.

This new inclusive definition of school bullying was largely welcomed by delegates at the Forum. The UNESCO Chair and WABF hope that this revised definition will contribute to opening a new chapter in the global conversation on the nature of and responses to bullying and cyberbullying. 

For UNESCO, the new definition of bullying reflects our approach and work to ensure that schools are safe and supportive learning environments. This means that to end all forms of school violence, including bullying, we must understand that these behaviours do not happen in isolation, that there are different drivers of violence, and that a ‘whole-education’ approach is needed. 

More information

Related items.

• International Day Against Violence and Bullying at School, including Cyberbullying
• Health education
• Topics: Display
• See more add

More on this subject

Other recent news

• History & Society
• Science & Tech
• Biographies
• Animals & Nature
• Geography & Travel
• Arts & Culture
• Games & Quizzes
• On This Day
• One Good Fact
• New Articles
• Lifestyles & Social Issues
• Philosophy & Religion
• Politics, Law & Government
• World History
• Health & Medicine
• Browse Biographies
• Birds, Reptiles & Other Vertebrates
• Bugs, Mollusks & Other Invertebrates
• Environment
• Fossils & Geologic Time
• Entertainment & Pop Culture
• Sports & Recreation
• Visual Arts
• Demystified
• Image Galleries
• Infographics
• Top Questions
• Britannica Kids
• Saving Earth
• Space Next 50
• Student Center
• Introduction

Background factors

Consequences.

• Workplace bullying
• Policies and prevention

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

• Healthline - Types of Bullying Your Child May Be Facing in School
• Verywell Family - Bullying
• Academia - History of Bullying
• Australian Human Rights Commission - What is bullying?: Violence, Harassment and Bullying Fact sheet
• Psychology Today - Bullying
• GoodTherapy - Bullying
• Social Sciences LibreTexts - Bullying
• The Nemours Foundation - For Teens - Dealing With Bullying
• National Center for Biotechnology Information - Consequences of Bullying Behavior
• MedicineNet.com - Bullying
• bullying - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)
• bullying - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)
• Table Of Contents

bullying , intentional harm-doing or harassment that is directed toward vulnerable targets and typically repeated. Bullying encompasses a wide range of malicious aggressive behaviours, including physical violence , verbal mockery, threats, ostracism , and rumours spread either orally or by other means of communication, such as the Internet . One influential definition proposed by Norwegian researcher and psychologist Dan Olweus says:

A person is bullied when he or she is exposed, repeatedly and over time, to negative actions on the part of one or more other persons, and he or she has difficulty defending himself or herself.

Given the damage a single incident can cause, however, some scholars question whether the behaviour must be repeated in order to qualify as bullying. Additionally, not all people engaged in this interaction can be categorized as pure bullies or pure victims; research has distinguished a third category of “bully-victims,” youth who are both bullies and victims.

School bullying

Bullying in educational settings remains a commonplace everyday experience. In Europe significant attention to school bullying began in the early 1970s, in part because of the efforts of Olweus, as well as a widely publicized trio of victim suicides in Norway in 1983. A spate of school shootings in the late 1990s brought further media attention to the subject of school bullying, and concern was renewed during a later series of bullying-related suicides in Canada and the United States . A U.S. national study published at the turn of the 21st century documented that bullying and other forms of aggression affected approximately 30 percent, or 5.7 million, middle- to high-school students in the then-current school term.

Early research showed that the prevalence of bullying increases quickly as children age, peaking during early adolescence, and declines in later adolescence. Distinct gender patterns also were identified, most studies finding that boys bully their classmates more frequently than do girls and that boys tend to target other boys. However, both of these findings may be in part artifacts of a narrow conception of bullying as overt harassment, as opposed to covert rumour mongering and ostracism. Children’s definitions of bullying centre on physical aggression and verbal abuse, which are more common among boys and younger adolescents. When studies adopt a broader measure that includes more subtle forms of aggression, such as spreading rumours, ostracism, manipulation, and “ cyberbullying ” (the anonymous electronic posting of mean-spirited messages about a person), the gender and age differences become less dramatic. Indeed, some research has found equivalent levels of aggression, broadly defined, among girls and boys. At the same time, girls tend to be disproportionately victimized, both by boys and by other girls.

Other demographic patterns are harder to discern. With respect to race and ethnicity , several studies from Europe and Australia found no racial differences in bullying, while others showed that students who were members of a country’s racial or ethnic minorities were more likely to be victimized. Contradictory results also surface in the United States, where one national study found that Latinos were more likely to bully and that African American students were more likely to be victimized, yet another identified African Americans as those less apt to become victims. These mixed results suggest that there may not be any general patterns with respect to race and that racial and ethnic differences in bullying may instead depend on the ethnic composition of individual schools.

The results of studies of the structure and socioeconomic status of families are likewise mixed regarding the likelihood of children becoming bullies. However, exposure to aggression and conflict in the home consistently relates to aggressive behaviour . Parents who are aggressive or neglectful, use corporal punishment , or engage in serious conflicts with each other are more prone to have children who bully.

Over the course of adolescence, peer groups become increasingly important and in some cases eclipse parental influences. As within the family, exposure to aggression in the peer group is associated with bullying behaviour. There is a strong tendency for bullies to be friends with other bullies in their class or school. It is not clear to what extent this is because bullies choose other bullies as friends or because they influence their friends to engage in aggression, but research typically finds that both selection and influence processes are at work.

Research often has found that—perhaps as a result of exposure to conflict and aggression in the home and at school—bullies suffer from mental health problems. Bullying may arise as a response to low levels of self-esteem and empathy or to elevated levels of anxiety , depression , or anger. Additional research has documented that bullies have difficulty adjusting to school and that academic failures may contribute to their aggressive behaviour. These research findings together suggest that bullying is caused by psychological deficiencies, which in turn are triggered by exposure to aggression and conflict.

However, other research finds evidence of a quite different pattern, where bullies have either equivalent or higher levels of self-esteem than bystanders. Some bullies have high levels of social skills, empathy , and self-regard. They may occupy central positions in the social life of their schools and can be seen as quite popular among their peers, although they are not necessarily well-liked. Indeed, the high social status of these aggressors likely empowers them to torment their more vulnerable peers. In this view, rather than resulting from psychological troubles, bullying behaviour stems from a desire for greater social status among peers. As with gender, this novel, seemingly discrepant image of the popular bully may result from the expansion in the definition of harmful actions—or changes in bullying behaviour itself—to include cyberbullying and other forms of covert harassment.

These two general patterns—the bully as socially marginal and psychologically troubled versus the bully as socially successful and charismatic—have parallels in research on victims. The bulk of research on victims suggests that they are vulnerable or otherwise different in some dimension that is of importance to most adolescents. They are more likely to be physically underdeveloped and socially isolated and to have difficulty making friends. Victimization rates are also substantially higher among gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender youth and among youth who are overweight or disabled. Additional research, using a wide notion of aggression, documents that a good deal of harmful behaviour—if not the bulk—targets popular adolescents in addition to isolated adolescents.

Bullying emerges out of fundamental social processes, and it is not always accurately identified as a negative personality trait by peers and onlookers. The terms bully and victim themselves can be misleading, because they suggest a permanence to these characteristics that is not always reflected in actual social interaction. As mentioned earlier, people can be both perpetrators and targets, which calls into question the stability of the bully and victim identities. Furthermore, bullying behaviour often appears to develop in reaction to struggles over status and power within group contexts . Depending on the situation, individuals may engage in short-term deleterious bullying behaviour in order to gain a social advantage over others. Once an advantageous position has been reached, however, they may no longer employ bullying tactics. Some research documents that harmful aggressive behaviour toward classmates increases as peer status increases until the pinnacle of the hierarchy is reached, at which point such actions decrease in frequency. A substantial amount of school bullying thus appears to result not simply from individual proclivities but also from social jockeying among adolescents.

Although the root causes of bullying remain unclear, its consequences for victims are abundantly apparent. The U.S. Secret Service in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Education found that bullying was a factor in the majority of “incidents of targeted school violence” in the last two and a half decades of the 20th century. Victimization is also significantly related to suicidal ideation, social isolation, anxiety and depression, low self-esteem, physical health problems, and diminished academic performance and school attachment. Many of these effects can last well into adulthood.

However, victims are not the only ones who suffer from bullying. For many outcomes, bully-victims often fare the worst on a variety of measures, but pure bullies also experience difficulties. They are at increased risk of subsequent mental health problems and are likely to encounter difficulty maintaining positive relationships as adults. More significantly, bullies are considerably more likely to be convicted of crimes and incarcerated as young adults.

Some youth nevertheless use bullying as a way to gain social status among peers. These adolescents may be more strategic in how they choose their targets, and they are also likely to be among the more popular students in school. For at least some of them, bullying and harassment effectively boost their status and influence among schoolmates by winning the admiration of peers or by tearing down social rivals. Generally speaking, however, bullying is more effective at harming victims than aiding aggressors.

Reviewed by Psychology Today Staff

Bullying is a distinctive pattern of repeatedly and deliberately harming and humiliating others, specifically those who are smaller, weaker, younger or in any way more vulnerable than the bully. The deliberate targeting of those of lesser power is what distinguishes bullying from garden-variety aggression .

Bullying can involve verbal attacks (name-calling and making fun of others) as well as physical ones, threats of harm, other forms of intimidation, and deliberate exclusion from activities. Studies indicate that bullying peaks around ages 11 to 13 and decreases as children grow older. Overt physical aggression such as kicking, hitting, and shoving is most common among younger children; relational aggression—damaging or manipulating the relationships of others, such as spreading rumors, and social exclusion—is more common as children mature.

Most bullying occurs in and around school and on playgrounds, although the internet lends itself to particularly distressing forms of bullying. Approximately 20 percent of students report being bullied at school, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Boys and girls are equally likely to be bullied.

• Why People Bully
• Who Bullies Target
• Why Bullying Is So Harmful
• Cyberbullying
• How to Handle a Bully

People bully because it can be an effective way of getting what they want, at least in the short term, and because they lack the social skills to do so without harming others. Bullying also is a way of establishing social dominance, although over time, as children’s behavioral repertoires generally broaden, it becomes an increasingly dysfunctional way.

Bullies are made, not born, and i t happens at an early age; if the normal aggression of 2-year-olds is not handled with consistency, children fail to acquire internal restraints against such behavior. Bullying remains a very durable behavioral style, largely because bullies get what they want—at least at first.

Research finds that bullies have a distinct psychological makeup . They lack prosocial behavior, are untroubled by anxiety , and do not understand others' feelings. They exhibit a distinctive cognitive feature, a kind of paranoia : They misread the intentions of others, often imputing hostility in neutral situations. Others may not like them, but they typically see themselves quite positively. Those who chronically bully tend to have strained relationships with parents and peers.

Girls are just as likely as boys to be bullies, but they are far less likely to engage in overt aggression. Instead, they tend to hurt others by damaging or manipulating their relationships . They may spread false rumors about someone, tell others to stop liking someone in order to get even with him or her, engage in social exclusion, threaten to withdraw friendship to get their way, or give someone the silent treatment.

Bullies couldn't exist without victims, and they don’t pick on just anyone. Research shows that those singled out for bullying lack assertiveness even in nonthreatening situations and radiate fear long before they ever encounter a bully. These are children who don’t stand up for themselves.

Up to about age 7, bullies pick on almost anyone. After that, they single out kids to prey on. engaging in a "shopping process" to determine which other children would make suitably submissive victims . Bullies like victims who become visibly upset when they are picked on and who do not have friends or allies. Researchers find that those chosen as victims evince insecurity and apprehension.

Studies of children show that victims easily acquiesce to bullies’ demands, handing over bikes, toys, and other playthings. They cry and assume a defensive posture; their highly visible displays of pain and suffering are rewarding to bullies and serve as an important signal of the bully’s dominance. Children who become victims offer no deterrent to aggression, which can make them disliked even by their non-bullying peers.

Bullying causes a great deal of misery to others, and its effects on victims can last for decades, perhaps even a lifetime. The pain of bullying may be felt most acutely around adolescence , a developmental stage where sensitivity to rejection heightens greatly. Victimization is a common source of school avoidance , leads to feelings of shame and self-worthlessness, and may lead to chronic depression and anxiety .

Bullying carries the implicit message that aggression and violence are acceptable solutions to problems when they are not. Cooperation and the peaceful resolution of differences support an increasingly interconnected world. Bullying not only harms its victims but it harms the perpetrators themselves. Most bullies have a downwardly spiraling course through life, as their aggressive behavior interferes with learning, holding a job, and establishing and maintaining intimate relationships.

Some bullies do leave the behavior behind. But many do not; aggression is a very stable social interaction style . Many who were bullies as children turn into antisocial adults, who are far more likely than nonaggressive kids to commit crimes, batter their wives, abuse their children—and produce another generation of bullies.

Bullies frequently carry out their aggression before an audience of peers, and the presence of an audience can boost a bully’s sense of power. But bystanders seldom stop the aggression ; they may in fact enjoy the spectacle. Even if they don’t approve of the situation, they may dislike the victim or fear retaliation by the bully.

Bullying causes a great deal of emotional harm to individuals, and being a victim of bullying is a major reason why many young people drop out of school. Bullying also harms society at large by creating a source of aggression and violence; those who bully are at increased risk of engaging in criminal behavior as adults.

As the social life of young people has moved onto the internet, so has bullying, with electronic bullying becoming a significant new problem in the past decade. Whereas bullying was once largely confined to school, the ubiquity of handheld devices affords bullies constant access to their prey. Cyber harassment can be especially disturbing because it can often be carried out anonymously; victims may have no idea who the perpetrators are.

The anonymity of cyberbullying removes many restraints on meanness and amplifies the ferocity of aggression . It’s easier to inflict pain and suffering on others when you don’t have to look them in the eye. Constantly evolving digital technologies enable new ways of spreading false information about targets.

Both direct harassment and relational aggression thrive on the internet. Cyberbullies can spread false rumors with viral speed on social media . They can falsely impersonate someone and conduct all manner of mischief in someone else’s name. Sexual harassment and cyberstalking particularly target women. And long after the active bullying has stopped, malicious information can linger on the internet and continue to harm.

Cyberbullying is particularly unsettling and extremely difficult to combat because victims often do not know who is behind it. Further there is no opportunity for bystanders to witness incidents and to potentially intervene. But perhaps most distressing of all, it can be inescapable and relentless, affording victims no safe haven.

The best defense against bullying is being socially skilled—teaching all children social skills and allowing them to develop confidence in their own abilities. As social engineers for young children, parents are especially important in bully-proofing their children: They can regularly inquire about social challenges their children face and role-play possible solutions. The second-best defense against bullying is to walk away and not fight back.

Studies show that the most effective way of stopping a bully is to activate bystanders; after all, bystanders reward bullies with attention . Since most children are witnesses to bullying at some point, teaching all children that they have an important role to play in stopping bullying is essential. A bully may make an effort to retaliate against one person who speaks up but is not likely to target several.

During the past decade or so, schools have widely adopted anti-bullying programs. The report card on their effectiveness , however, is mixed. Experts explain that schools are where most bullying takes place but they are not where attitudes about power and aggression, skills of emotion regulation , or social skills—the key influences on bullying—are learned.

Children are deeply ashamed of being bullied and may not let anyone know when they are being victimized. Therefore parents have an obligation to know something about their children’s general competence with peers and how peers treat them—by asking teachers during school conferences and by gently asking their children about their social life. Teaching children to fight back is not effective; helping them gain social skills is.

How much does the cruel behavior of a child define their later potential to be an authentically caring adult?

Anyone who believes that belittling or bullying is necessary for success knows little about sports performance and even less about human psychology.

While kids often justify leaving peers out, excluding others deepens beliefs that they don't belong. Spending time with peers can reduce harmful biases and halt bullying behavior.

Autistic children face a variety of challenges in school, including an increased risk of bullying and social challenges. How can schools create a welcoming space for them?

Research shows why witnessing political rudeness is bad for you. Here's what you can do about it.

Back-to-school and a polarized nation bring name-calling into the spotlight. Understanding it helps us better recognize, reduce, and stop its slow, corrosive drip into our lives.

The toll chronic bullying takes on mental health can be worse than the damage done by abusive parents, research finds. Schoolwide character education can help stem the tide.

How to confront adult bullies.

What if bullying was addressed from a stress response perspective? Looking through this lens opens up the possibilities to remedy bullying conduct.

In my opinion, states should stop depending on BMI tests and weigh-ins to find children who could require obesity treatments.

• Find a Therapist
• Find a Treatment Center
• Find a Psychiatrist
• Find a Support Group
• Find Online Therapy
• United States
• Brooklyn, NY
• Chicago, IL
• Houston, TX
• Los Angeles, CA
• New York, NY
• Portland, OR
• San Diego, CA
• San Francisco, CA
• Seattle, WA
• Washington, DC
• Asperger's
• Bipolar Disorder
• Chronic Pain
• Eating Disorders
• Passive Aggression
• Personality
• Goal Setting
• Positive Psychology
• Stopping Smoking
• Low Sexual Desire
• Relationships
• Child Development
• Self Tests NEW
• Therapy Center
• Diagnosis Dictionary
• Types of Therapy

It’s increasingly common for someone to be diagnosed with a condition such as ADHD or autism as an adult. A diagnosis often brings relief, but it can also come with as many questions as answers.

• Emotional Intelligence
• Gaslighting
• Affective Forecasting
• Neuroscience

• Essay Samples
• College Essay
• Writing Tools
• Writing guide

Creative samples from the experts

↑ Return to Essay Samples

Analytical Essay: The Reasons for Bullying

Bullying can cause real misery and depression to the extent that it can destroy people’s lives. As a result, bullies are often greatly disliked and punished harshly, as they should be, but it is also important to understand the reasons for bullying so that the bully can be helped too. While we all know that it is important to help the victims of bullying, the bullies need to be helped too, or they will continue to be unhappy and will probably go on and bully others. This is one of the solutions for bullying .

One main cause of bullying is for bullies to try and make themselves look big in front of other people. They think that if they pick on somebody smaller and weaker than them, then they will look bigger and stronger by comparison. Bullies usually do this for popularity, even though people usually fear them rather than actually like them, by making themselves look ‘good’ in front of friends and potential friends. Differently, but also for popularity, other people also bully others because of peer pressure, perhaps because their friends are bullying someone and they do not want to be cast out from the group for not joining in.

Both of these causes really come down to a lack of self-esteem, and this in itself can have a number of different causes. Many bullies have been bullied themselves, which is why it is important to always help the bullies as well as the victims. They have been belittled by others, so they then have to try and prove that they are better than someone else so that they don’t feel that they are below everyone.

Many bullies also have a very unhappy home life, and then bully for a number of different reasons. This home life could be the cause of a lack of self-esteem, especially if they are abused by their parents, or they could be bullying for other reasons. It could just be that they have never been taught how to behave correctly because they have never had any positive role models, or their parents are nasty to them so they just think that it is completely normal. In other cases, people start bullying because they are acting out and trying to get attention. This is often the case with children and young people who feel ignored by their families and want to get their attention in any way possible.

All in all, there are a numerous different reasons for bullying, and they vary from person to person. It is important to understand a bully’s personal motives though, because only then can we help them and stop them from hurting others.

Follow Us on Social Media

Get more free essays

Send via email

Most useful resources for students:.

• Free Essays Download
• Writing Tools List
• Proofreading Services
• Universities Rating

Contributors Bio

Find more useful services for students

Free plagiarism check, professional editing, online tutoring, free grammar check.

Home — Essay Samples — Social Issues — Bullying — School Bullies: Unmasking the Causes, Effects, and Solutions

School Bullies: Unmasking The Causes, Effects, and Solutions

• Categories: Bullying Youth Violence

About this sample

Words: 706 |

Published: Sep 7, 2023

Words: 706 | Pages: 2 | 4 min read

Table of contents

The causes of school bullying, the effects of school bullying, addressing school bullying: potential solutions, the role of cyberbullying, conclusion: a collective responsibility.

• Family Environment: Some bullies come from dysfunctional or abusive households, where they may witness aggressive behavior or experience neglect, leading to a lack of empathy and poor coping mechanisms.
• Peer Influence: Bullying can be perpetuated by peer groups or friends who encourage or reinforce aggressive behavior, creating a culture of harassment within school settings.
• Low Self-Esteem: Some bullies engage in aggressive behavior as a means of boosting their self-esteem or compensating for feelings of insecurity or inadequacy.
• Power Imbalance: Bullying often occurs in situations where there is a perceived power imbalance, such as differences in physical strength, popularity, or social status.
• Media and Technology: Exposure to violent media, cyberbullying through online platforms, and social media can contribute to the normalization of aggressive behavior among young people.
• Psychological Impact: Victims of bullying often experience anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and an increased risk of developing mental health issues that can persist into adulthood.
• Academic Consequences: Bullying can disrupt a student's ability to concentrate, leading to a decline in academic performance and a reduced enthusiasm for learning.
• Physical Health: Bullying can lead to physical health problems, such as headaches, stomachaches, and sleep disturbances, due to the stress and anxiety it induces.
• Social Isolation: Victims of bullying may withdraw from social activities, resulting in feelings of isolation and a diminished sense of belonging.
• Long-Term Effects: The effects of bullying can persist into adulthood, impacting relationships, career prospects, and overall quality of life.
• Educational Programs: Schools can implement anti-bullying programs that promote empathy, conflict resolution skills, and respect for diversity, fostering a culture of inclusivity.
• Teacher Training: Educators should receive training on recognizing and addressing bullying behavior, creating safe and supportive classroom environments.
• Parental Involvement: Parents can play a crucial role by monitoring their children's online activities, fostering open communication, and actively addressing any signs of bullying.
• Peer Support: Encouraging students to act as allies and report instances of bullying can help create a supportive network within schools.
• Legal Frameworks: Policymakers can enact and enforce anti-bullying legislation, ensuring that schools take appropriate measures to prevent and respond to bullying incidents.
• Mental Health Support: Schools should offer access to counseling services for both victims and perpetrators of bullying to address underlying emotional and psychological issues.
• Digital Literacy Education: Schools should educate students about responsible online behavior, digital etiquette, and the consequences of cyberbullying.
• Reporting Mechanisms: Establish clear channels for reporting cyberbullying incidents and ensure swift and appropriate responses.
• Parental Involvement: Parents should actively engage with their children's online activities, promote responsible internet use, and be vigilant about signs of cyberbullying.
• Platform Responsibility: Social media platforms should enforce anti-cyberbullying policies, respond to user reports, and take steps to prevent online harassment.

Cite this Essay

Let us write you an essay from scratch

• 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
• Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

Dr Jacklynne

Verified writer

• Expert in: Social Issues

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

2 pages / 913 words

1 pages / 643 words

1 pages / 620 words

4 pages / 1618 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on Bullying

Bullying in schools is a pervasive issue that affects countless students every day, leading to detrimental effects on their mental health and academic performance. From physical violence to cyberbullying, the tactics used by [...]

Bullying is a serious issue that affects individuals of all ages, backgrounds, and walks of life. It can have long-lasting negative effects on the mental and emotional well-being of those who experience it. In this essay, we [...]

Have you ever been captivated by the power dynamics at play in a story, where characters assert their dominance through words and actions? In the novel "Tangerine" by Edward Bloor, the theme of bullying is prominent, with [...]

Bullying is a serious issue that can have lasting effects on individuals, particularly college students who are at a vulnerable stage in their lives. The effects of bullying can be physical, emotional, and psychological, and can [...]

Regina sits in her room, gazing off at her bookshelf thinking about Cady Heron. Her eyes widen as if a brilliant idea came up. She darts toward the burn book - a book with girls’ yearbook pictures with negative comments and [...]

Bullying has become a major problem, and the use of the internet has just made it worse. Cyber bullying is bullying done by using technology; it can be done with computers, phones, and the biggest one social media. Children need [...]

Related Topics

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Where do you want us to send this sample?

By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.

Be careful. This essay is not unique

This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before

Download this Sample

Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts

Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.

Please check your inbox.

We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

• Instructions Followed To The Letter
• Deadlines Met At Every Stage
• Unique And Plagiarism Free

Bullying Essay

Our activity

Finished orders

Professional writers

Writers online now

Operators are online

Of 5 average writers' score

Bullying is something that nobody should have to go through but alas, it occurs towards any number of individuals or people. One can define bullying as seeking to coerce, harm or intimidate someone for one’s gain. It is morally reprehensible but sadly typical in high school and educational institutions. A lot of teachers are actually assigning essays on bullying to students in the hope of making people think about it seriously.

Just like people that are bullied, sometimes one can feel hopeless about their homework. This by no means is an indicator of lack of ability, for instance one may lack time to carry out their work. Our writing service offers people with the help they need to write their essays 24/7. One of our many trained writing staff will be happy to assist you in any aspect of the writing process.

Check Our Samples

Argumentative Essay

New Technology: Beneficial or Dangerous?

Academic level: Bachelor

Subject: Communication

Paper format: MLA

Corporate Social Responsibility

Subject: Management

Paper format: Harvard

Master’s Prepared Nurse Interview

Academic level: Master

Paper format: APA

Research Paper

The Maya Tribe

Academic level: Undergraduate

Subject: History

What Exactly is a Bullying Essay?

A lot of people might be asking what exactly an essay about bullying is about. Fortunately, a lot of people have not been bullied in their lives, but one should touch on inequality, humiliation and any unfair treatment in their bullying as saying. It isn’t all too frequent phenomenon that exists in schools around the world and your essay should touch on it. It’s important to hit home and make an emotional connection in order to create a great assignment. It is often the case that bullying essays are assigned to students because of the severity of the problem.

Writing a Bullying Essay

When you’re going to write your essay, what exactly is the plan? Don’t worry because we are here to help with the writing process. Let’s take a look at an example plan to guide you in your essay writing.

The introduction

How can bullying be defined and what are some common examples?

The negative implications of bullying

The adverse consequences that bullying can have

What are the victims of bullying and what happens to them?

What is the true meaning of the essay (thesis statement)?

The different conditions where bullying can take place

The outcome is that the Lincoln have

Certain solutions to tackle bullying

How can the parents/children/community get involved?

Think about bullying and rewrite your thesis statement in your introduction

Relate back to the thesis statement and consider the essay as a whole

Remember: do not include any new information here!

How to Start the Essay off – an Unforgettable Intro

Every essay gets off to a good start, or a bad one, based on the introduction alone. One will need their introduction to be super succinct and to the point. It’s important to engage the reader and get off to a flying start from the get go. As you think about bullying, introduce the topic with a hook, statistic or anecdote. You can use something else if you like, just make sure it makes an emotional connection with the audience.

It is a great idea to define what bullying is using both dictionary terms and your own words. Whether you’re writing a cyber bullying essay or an argumentative essay about bullying, show how important the issue is by bringing statistics to the table. In essence, you will want to alert the reader of the severity of the problem and to help them understand what is to come throughout the essay. Nail the introduction and nailing the rest of the essay will be easy.

Concluding Like a Pro – a Brilliant Conclusion

The conclusion should serve as the point where everything comes together. The audience needs to have an impression left and motivation for them to feel strongly against bullying. As with the thesis statement made in the introduction it is vital that this is rewritten or revisited. The audio will need to become interested and they will need justification for caring about the issue of bullying. It is up to you as a writer to hone in on the points within the conclusion, but do remember not to include any additional information. If you find yourself with other additional points, go back and stick them in the body.

Bullying Essay Pointers and Ideas

If you’re not sure of what to write, don’t worry. Where here to take the stress away. Here are a number of different things that you can include in any bullying essay:

Offer some information on abusive practices

Discuss the role of bullying and its prevalence in society

List any negative impacts and implications of bullying

Write about the importance of further studies and research

Write about any significant lessons that can be learnt

Discuss the causes and effects of bullying, taking a multifaceted and broad approach

Final Writing Tips

When you get to your essay and think that it’s all over, think again! It doesn’t matter whether it’s short or long, there are definite checks that you should make. Let’s take a look at them because they’re not to be ignored:

Check the format and structure of the paper to see if your writing close

Fix grammar problems

Check your spelling and punctuation

Seek the feedback of peers and academics before reviewing

Read the essay to others around you and get their opinion

Revisit and review every aspect of the content

Essay Examples

To help you along your way, we’ve come up with three different examples which one can evaluate in order to write their bullying essay. This unacceptable part of human life needs to be drawn on in a logical thought out manner. One can look at examples in order to know what to write. From a persuasive essay about bullying to a cause and effect of bullying essay, let’s take a look at examples.

An Argumentative Essay about Bullying

Make the world a great place – bullying is a social issue.

What can be said about bullying. One of the most draining and emotionally damaging things that can happen to children today. It is morally reprehensible and completely unacceptable. A lot of times, efforts are made to stop bullying which can either appear successful or futile. Throughout the course of this essay, I will look at the case of bullying and form an argument as to where I stand on the issue. It is my opinion that fighting against bullying something that should be employed in every school and by the wider society, not only by children. Many things have changed over time, however bullying is still as strong as it ever has been. A lot needs to be done about this.

As mentioned previously, bullying is morally reprehensible behaviour. Being a former victim of bullying, I believe I know where I stand on this matter. So what exactly is building? One can define bullying as behaviour that intends to coerce, intimidate or harm someone. Have you ever seen people misuse their power? It is a dog eat dog world out on the schoolyard, with the most powerful exerting the most control. What can be said about bullying? It is a natural part of life, yet what exactly goes on and how is it changing over time? Some of the most common forms of bullying and name-calling, face-to-face aggression, rumours, physical violence and cyberbullying. Over time, cyberbullying is becoming more prominent whereas aggression is taking a backseat.

As technology has advanced, so have the bullies. Trolls are ever too common in our society and the fact that everybody carries around smartphones with them gives bullies an easy access. Nowadays one doesn’t even have to be in contact with the other person, they can merely view someone from the comfort of their own home. Text messages, social media responses, shaming and name-calling are all too common and can be done anywhere. It is now even more easy to grow following, attracting others to harass the innocent victim. A bully can round up other “ recruits” in order to get their “work” done. Not only this, but bullies can share information with ease, for instance creating websites about their victims which humiliate them. Harassment is a very controversial topic of our time and our technology is perpetuating its ease.

So why does bullying occur? A lot of people think it is because of disenfranchised youth and socio-economic problems which create tension in society. People may often bully others because they feel some sort of insecurity within themselves. Confidence is important in the child and if one doesn’t have confidence, they can become very angry and bitter people. One can also feel jealous of another person and then decide to bully them. Is it really sometimes the fault of the bully or can we look at much broader causes? There is a lot to ponder and due to the affects the building can have, a lot to solve.

So how can one prevent bullying? Because of the changing technology of our time and disenfranchisement of youth, I believe that people need to turn not only to children in the class but to wider society in order to tackle bullying. There are a variety of reasons why this is a societal problem.

A child may go to school as a bully because of their background. People that do not have a lot of money and have poor health, drug addiction, trauma or any other sort of harrowing issues may raise kids. If they do then children will become very much disenfranchised and will be riddled with insecurities and problems, leading them to take their frustrations out on other children. It is vital in my opinion that society changes and that support is given to those with rough backgrounds. The underlying causes of bullying can be looked at and eventually one will come to prior courses, such as issues within the child’s family.

Schooling systems may not be able to tackle bullying because of a lack of funding received by the state. It is one thing for a school to put money into tackling bullying, however if there is no money then it makes it more difficult. A lot of schemes aimed and tackling the causes of behavioural problems are long run and take a lot of financial backing. If schools are not able to receive funding then there will be problems.

It is one thing for a bully to experience a lack of opportunities at home, yet bullies often may feel that there is no hope for them in society, leaving them to take their frustrations out on others. We may look at the whole overall system and the way that there are a lack of opportunities for children. In poor areas country, there may not be any schemes in place to help children express themselves, leading to pent-up anger and frustration. How can a child expect to function in a normal manner if they can’t even go and play in the park because their park is a gang war zone? This rhetorical question illustrates my point.

I have made my position on the fact that bullying ought to be an issue considered by society. The causes of bullying are very much societal and broad problem. It is not only the school, or the people around the bully, but society too. Problems are multifaceted and complex, requiring broad solutions. I can only hope that adequate solutions in the future proposed to tackle bullying take into account the grander scheme of things and socio economic problems.

Persuasive Essay About Bullying

Bully – you are a criminal.

The act of bullying is a sick reminder of the problems that schools face today. Bullying starts with annoying comments and progresses on to much more severe matters. Everybody who’s been to school has seen how it happens and how it makes people feel. Whether you’re a victim of bullying or a former bully, you can certainly appreciate the severity of the act. A lot of people may say that bullies are nothing but ignorant children, but say what they might, bullies end up becoming criminals. This lack of self esteem can lead to stealing, leaving, thuggery and a long life spent in the penal system.

Bullying is regarded as a crime by almost every law enforcement agency in every country, because of the detrimental effects it can have on individuals. One not only needs to look at what goes on in classrooms, bullying can escalate in the wider society too in the form of crime that involves coercion, harassment, humiliation and violence. The effects that bullying can have on any individual is evident and the insecurities of children can have severe consequences, becoming so severe that they are considered illegal.

In rare and unfortunate circumstances, bullying can result in tragic loss of life. One need only look at suicide victims or violent acts committed by bullies. Look through the archives of news articles and you can find some about tragic cases where bullies have resulted in suicides. As an example, the teenager Larry King shot himself in the head in front of all of his classmates and his teacher as a result of bullying he faced at school. Other even more tragic cases, such as the Columbine shootings, have been linked to bullying that the children faced – in this case, the victims were in their dozens and were gunned down by those children that had been bullied.

People often have the assumption that the bullies aren’t aware of the consequences of their actions all that they are not aware that they are doing harm to others. This is untrue. Bullies definitely understand what they are doing. It doesn’t matter whether the bully is an adult or a young child, they certainly know what they are doing is wrong. Bullying is abuse and abuse really has to stop. Those that take a blase attitude and dismiss bullying as something which is common are completely missing the point. Do we really want members of society to go to jail or commit crimes? More needs to be done by schools, parents, children and society altogether . Bullying will not go away on its own and it is here to stay unless something is done about it.

In summation, people need to work together to stop bullying. Bullying is indeed a criminal act. If you look at what bullying is, it involves coercion, abuse, intimidation, ridicule and sometimes violence – all of these can be considered in criminal acts. It is important that people stand up to bully and also work to improve self-esteem within the community. If something can be done, change can really come about to improve society.

Cause and Effect Of Bullying Essay

The bullies – why and how.

Take a look at some of the most widespread and neglected problems in school and you will find bullying at the top of the list. One shouldn’t turn a blind eye towards this harrowing aspect of life. The implications of bullying are severe and so there should be severe consequences for those who are bullying others. This important issue is not likely to be solved any time soon until everybody takes a stance and addresses the underlying causes and reasons why bullying is happening in the first place. With the right kind of training, guidance and skills, everybody can work in their own respective way to alleviate the problem of bullying in society. In order to tackle bullying, one needs to look at the why and how, all the causes and effects of bullying on children.

What exactly is bullying? In a broad sense, one can look at bullying as an aggressive and abnormal behavioural response directed towards a victim. Bullying usually encompasses either one or many of the following: coercion, aggression, antisocial behaviour, victimisation, intimidation, ridicule and violence. Bullying in schools has the potential to repeat over time. Children who practice this usually use their physical strength to their advantage or they leak information to harm their victim. Anything from teasing, name-calling, threats, taunting and spreading rumours are common acts of bullying within school.

If one looks at the root causes of bullying, it is often attributed to dysfunctional family life. People can do well growing out of the pot of dirt, yet it is usually the dirt that fosters bullying. Studies have shown that significant numbers of children who identify as bullies come from family homes which show little love and affection towards these children. Parents may not exercise the most appropriate behaviour and may abuse their children, leading them to become insecure and angry individuals. It is the behaviour patterns that children see in the dysfunctional home which they imitate out on the playground. When a bully does not feel any sort of assistance, their power grows and they feel rewarded when they bully somebody. It is difficult for ability to regulate their emotions and manage them. Often they will become angry and agitated because this is what they are used to at home in their dysfunctional family. By no means it is a dysfunctional family the only cause of bullying problems, yet research has shown that it is a significant contributor.

There are numerous and extensive effects of school bullying. From a mental standpoint, bullying has a large potential to severely impact victims lives, even after bullying has ceased. People who have been intimidated and frightened throughout their childhood are far more likely to suffer from anxiety, mental health problems and depression. This is exacerbated when the bullying is long run and over a prolonged period. The consequences of bullying on the psyche include loneliness, depression, low self-esteem and an increased potential to lapse into various illnesses. Some all of these issues can persist right through into childhood as the building blocks have been corrupted in the early years. It should be discussed that the mental impacts can harm both the victim and the bully. Those that carry on bullying for a long period of time are increasingly likely to suffer problems in the future of their own.

The effect of bullying on academic performance is an issue which highlights the causes and effects. Once someone finds themselves to be a constant victim of bullying, they may refuse to go to school and so their grades suffer as a result. If they do go to school, they may not be able to concentrate and learn. Research has shown that bullying impacted approximately 12 million students in 2018 and hundred 20,000 of the students stayed home from school every day because of the severity of bullying. Catastrophic effects can lead people to drop out of school. More tragically, schools may not have enough resources to deal with bullying all the children which are the victims.

Parents, friends and family suffer as a result of bullying. Children can become isolated and strange, distrusting the people who are supposed to be close to them. They may feel constantly alienated and justified to attack others and seek revenge in order to relieve their anxieties and insecurities. There are a lot of physical effects that come from school bullying. Bruises, bumps, bites or other physical ailments are far too common in school. One can also experience malnutrition and problems related to sleep lost if they are severely bullied.

It is an unfortunate fact that there are too many effects of bullying, so more should be done to tackle it. One can see that the causes and effects are multifaceted and encompass various different parts of life. One should not only consider the early, the victim and direct relationship – problems need to be solved by looking at prior, root causes. There is a lot to be done, yet a lot of progress can be made.

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

Official websites use .gov

A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS

A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

How to Prevent Bullying

Parents, school staff, and other caring adults have a role to play in preventing bullying. They can: 

• Help kids understand bullying. Talk about what bullying is and how to stand up to it safely. Tell kids bullying is unacceptable. Make sure kids know how to get help.
• Keep the lines of communication open . Check in with kids often. Listen to them. Know their friends, ask about school, and understand their concerns.
• Encourage kids to do what they love. Special activities, interests, and hobbies can boost confidence, help kids make friends, and protect them from bullying behavior.
• Model how to treat others with kindness and respect.

Help Kids Understand Bullying

Kids who know  what bullying is can better identify it. They can talk about bullying if it happens to them or others. Kids need to know ways to safely stand up to bullying and how to get help.

• Encourage kids to speak to a trusted adult if they are bullied or see others being bullied. The adult can give comfort, support, and advice, even if they can’t solve the problem directly. Encourage the child to  report bullying  if it happens.
• Talk about  how to stand up to kids who bully . Give tips, like using humor and saying “stop” directly and confidently. Talk about what to do if those actions don’t work, like walking away
• Talk about strategies for staying safe, such as staying near adults or groups of other kids.
• Urge them to help kids who are bullied  by showing kindness or getting help.
• Watch the short webisodes and discuss them - PDF with kids.

Keep the Lines of Communication Open

Research tells us that children really do look to parents and caregivers for advice and help on tough decisions. Sometimes spending 15 minutes a day talking can reassure kids that they can talk to their parents if they have a problem. Start conversations about daily life and feelings with questions like these:

• What was one good thing that happened today? Any bad things?
• What is lunch time like at your school? Who do you sit with? What do you talk about?
• What is it like to ride the school bus?
• What are you good at? What would do you like best about yourself?

Talking about bullyin g directly is an important step in understanding how the issue might be affecting kids. There are no right or wrong answers to these questions, but it is important to encourage kids to answer them honestly. Assure kids that they are not alone in addressing any problems that arise. Start conversations about bullying with questions like these:

• What does “bullying” mean to you?
• Describe what kids who bully are like. Why do you think people bully?
• Who are the adults you trust most when it comes to things like bullying?
• Have you ever felt scared to go to school because you were afraid of bullying? What ways have you tried to change it?
• What do you think parents can do to help stop bullying?
• Have you or your friends left other kids out on purpose? Do you think that was bullying? Why or why not?
• What do you usually do when you see bullying going on?
• Do you ever see kids at your school being bullied by other kids? How does it make you feel?
• Have you ever tried to help someone who is being bullied? What happened? What would you do if it happens again?

Get more ideas for talking with children - PDF about life and about bullying. If concerns come up,  be sure to respond .

There are simple ways that parents and caregivers can keep up-to-date with kids’ lives. 

• Read class newsletters and school flyers. Talk about them at home.
• Check the school website
• Go to school events
• Greet the bus driver
• Meet teachers and counselors at “Back to School” night or reach out by email
• Share phone numbers with other kids’ parents

Teachers and school staff also have a role to play. 

Encourage Kids to Do What They Love

Help kids take part in activities, interests, and hobbies they like. Kids can volunteer, play sports, sing in a chorus, or join a youth group or school club. These activities give kids a chance to have fun and meet others with the same interests. They can build confidence and friendships that help protect kids from bullying.

Model How to Treat Others with Kindness and Respect

Kids learn from adults’ actions. By treating others with kindness and respect, adults show the kids in their lives that there is no place for bullying. Even if it seems like they are not paying attention, kids are watching how adults manage stress and conflict, as well as how they treat their friends, colleagues, and families.

Cyberbullying: What is it and how can you stop it?

Explore the latest psychological science about the impact of cyberbullying and what to do if you or your child is a victim

• Mental Health
• Social Media and Internet

Cyberbullying can happen anywhere with an internet connection. While traditional, in-person bullying is still more common , data from the Cyberbullying Research Center suggest about 1 in every 4 teens has experienced cyberbullying, and about 1 in 6 has been a perpetrator. About 1 in 5 tweens, or kids ages 9 to 12, has been involved in cyberbullying (PDF, 5.57MB) .

As technology advances, so do opportunities to connect with people—but unfettered access to others isn’t always a good thing, especially for youth. Research has long linked more screen time with lower psychological well-being , including higher rates of anxiety and depression. The risk of harm is higher when kids and teens are victimized by cyberbullying.

Here’s what you need to know about cyberbullying, and psychology’s role in stopping it.

What is cyberbullying?

Cyberbullying occurs when someone uses technology to demean, inflict harm, or cause pain to another person. It is “willful and repeated harm inflicted through the use of computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices.” Perpetrators bully victims in any online setting, including social media, video or computer games, discussion boards, or text messaging on mobile devices.

Virtual bullying can affect anyone, regardless of age. However, the term “cyberbullying” usually refers to online bullying among children and teenagers. It may involve name calling, threats, sharing private or embarrassing photos, or excluding others.

One bully can harass another person online or several bullies can gang up on an individual. While a stranger can incite cyberbullying, it more frequently occurs among kids or teens who know each other from school or other social settings. Research suggests bullying often happens both at school and online .

Online harassment between adults can involve different terms, depending on the relationship and context. For example, dating violence, sexual harassment, workplace harassment, and scamming—more common among adults—can all happen on the internet.

How can cyberbullying impact the mental health of myself or my child?

Any form of bullying can negatively affect the victim’s well-being, both at the time the bullying occurs and in the future. Psychological research suggests being victimized by a cyberbully increases stress and may result in anxiety and depression symptoms . Some studies find anxiety and depression increase the likelihood adolescents will become victims to cyberbullying .

Cyberbullying can also cause educational harm , affecting a student’s attendance or academic performance, especially when bullying occurs both online and in school or when a student has to face their online bully in the classroom. Kids and teens may rely on negative coping mechanisms, such as substance use, to deal with the stress of cyberbullying. In extreme cases, kids and teens may struggle with self-harm or suicidal ideation .

How can parents talk to their children about cyberbullying?

Parents play a crucial role in preventing cyberbullying and associated harms. Be aware of what your kids are doing online, whether you check your child’s device, talk to them about their online behaviors, or install a monitoring program. Set rules about who your child can friend or interact with on social media platforms. For example, tell your child if they wouldn’t invite someone to your house, then they shouldn’t give them access to their social media accounts. Parents should also familiarize themselves with signs of cyberbullying , such as increased device use, anger or anxiety after using a device, or hiding devices when others are nearby.

Communicating regularly about cyberbullying is an important component in preventing it from affecting your child’s well-being. Psychologists recommend talking to kids about how to be safe online before they have personal access to the internet. Familiarize your child with the concept of cyberbullying as soon as they can understand it. Develop a game plan to problem solve if it occurs. Cultivating open dialogue about cyberbullying can ensure kids can identify the experience and tell an adult, before it escalates into a more harmful situation.

It’s also important to teach kids what to do if someone else is being victimized. For example, encourage your child to tell a teacher or parent if someone they know is experiencing cyberbullying.

Keep in mind kids may be hesitant to open up about cyberbullying because they’re afraid they’ll lose access to their devices. Encourage your child to be open with you by reminding them they won’t get in trouble for talking to you about cyberbullying. Clearly explain your goal is to allow them to communicate with their friends safely online.

How can I report cyberbullying?

How you handle cyberbullying depends on a few factors, such as the type of bullying and your child’s age. You may choose to intervene by helping a younger child problem solve whereas teens may prefer to handle the bullying on their own with a caregiver’s support.

In general, it’s a good practice to take screenshots of the cyberbullying incidents as a record, but not to respond to bullies’ messages. Consider blocking cyberbullies to prevent future harassment.

Parents should contact the app or website directly about removing bullying-related posts, especially if they reveal private or embarrassing information. Some social media sites suspend perpetrators’ accounts.

If the bullying also occurs at school or on a school-owned device, or if the bullying is affecting a child’s school performance, it may be appropriate to speak with your child’s teacher or school personnel.

What are the legal ramifications of cyberbullying?

In some cases, parents should report cyberbullying to law enforcement. If cyberbullying includes threats to someone’s physical safety, consider contacting your local police department.

What’s illegal can vary from state to state. Any illegal behaviors, such as blackmailing someone to send money, hate crimes, stalking, or posting sexual photos of a minor, can have legal repercussions. If you’re not sure about what’s legal and what’s not, check your state’s laws and law enforcement .

Are big tech companies responsible for promoting positive digital spaces?

In an ideal world, tech companies would prioritize creating safer online environments for young people. Some companies are working toward it already, including partnering with psychologists to better understand how their products affect kids, and how to keep them safe. But going the extra mile isn’t always profitable for technology companies. For now, it’s up to individuals, families, and communities to protect kids’ and teens’ best interest online.

What does the research show about psychology’s role in reducing this issue?

Many studies show preventative measures can drastically reduce cyberbullying perpetration and victimization . Parents and caregivers, schools, and technology companies play a role in educating kids about media literacy and mental health. Psychologists—thanks to their expertise in child and teen development, communication, relationships, and mental health—can also make important contributions in preventing cyberbullying.

Because cybervictimization coincides with anxiety and depression, research suggests mental health clinicians and educators should consider interventions that both address adolescents’ online experiences and support their mental, social, and emotional well-being. Psychologists can also help parents speak to their kids about cyberbullying, along with supporting families affected by it.

You can learn more about cyberbullying at these websites:

• Cyberbullying Research Center
• StopBullying.gov
• Nemours Kids Health

Acknowledgments

APA gratefully acknowledges the following contributors to this publication:

• Sarah Domoff, PhD, associate professor of psychology at Central Michigan University
• Dorothy Espelage, PhD, William C. Friday Distinguished Professor of Education at the University of North Carolina
• Stephanie Fredrick, PhD, NCSP, assistant professor and associate director of the Dr. Jean M. Alberti Center for the Prevention of Bullying Abuse and School Violence at the University at Buffalo, State University of New York
• Brian TaeHyuk Keum, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Social Welfare at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs
• Mitchell J. Prinstein, PhD, chief science officer at APA
• Susan Swearer, PhD, Willa Cather Professor of School Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln; licensed psychologist

Recommended Reading

You may also like

• Type 2 Diabetes
• Heart Disease
• Digestive Health
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Diet & Nutrition
• Health Insurance
• Public Health
• Patient Rights
• Caregivers & Loved Ones
• End of Life Concerns
• Health News
• Thyroid Test Analyzer
• Doctor Discussion Guides
• Hemoglobin A1c Test Analyzer
• Lipid Test Analyzer
• Complete Blood Count (CBC) Analyzer
• What to Buy
• Editorial Process
• Meet Our Medical Expert Board

Cyberbullying: Everything You Need to Know

• Cyberbullying
• How to Respond

Cyberbullying is the act of intentionally and consistently mistreating or harassing someone through the use of electronic devices or other forms of electronic communication (like social media platforms).

Because cyberbullying mainly affects children and adolescents, many brush it off as a part of growing up. However, cyberbullying can have dire mental and emotional consequences if left unaddressed.

This article discusses cyberbullying, its adverse effects, and what can be done about it.

FangXiaNuo / Getty Images

Cyberbullying Statistics and State Laws

The rise of digital communication methods has paved the way for a new type of bullying to form, one that takes place outside of the schoolyard. Cyberbullying follows kids home, making it much more difficult to ignore or cope.

Statistics 

As many as 15% of young people between 12 and 18 have been cyberbullied at some point. However, over 25% of children between 13 and 15 were cyberbullied in one year alone.

About 6.2% of people admitted that they’ve engaged in cyberbullying at some point in the last year. The age at which a person is most likely to cyberbully one of their peers is 13.

Those subject to online bullying are twice as likely to self-harm or attempt suicide . The percentage is much higher in young people who identify as LGBTQ, at 56%.

Cyberbullying by Sex and Sexual Orientation

Cyberbullying statistics differ among various groups, including:

• Girls and boys reported similar numbers when asked if they have been cyberbullied, at 23.7% and 21.9%, respectively.
• LGBTQ adolescents report cyberbullying at higher rates, at 31.7%. Up to 56% of young people who identify as LGBTQ have experienced cyberbullying.
• Transgender teens were the most likely to be cyberbullied, at a significantly high rate of 35.4%.

State Laws 

The laws surrounding cyberbullying vary from state to state. However, all 50 states have developed and implemented specific policies or laws to protect children from being cyberbullied in and out of the classroom.

The laws were put into place so that students who are being cyberbullied at school can have access to support systems, and those who are being cyberbullied at home have a way to report the incidents.

Legal policies or programs developed to help stop cyberbullying include:

• Bullying prevention programs
• Cyberbullying education courses for teachers
• Procedures designed to investigate instances of cyberbullying
• Support systems for children who have been subject to cyberbullying 

Are There Federal Laws Against Cyberbullying?

There are no federal laws or policies that protect people from cyberbullying. However, federal involvement may occur if the bullying overlaps with harassment. Federal law will get involved if the bullying concerns a person’s race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, disability, or religion.

Examples of Cyberbullying 

There are several types of bullying that can occur online, and they all look different.

Harassment can include comments, text messages, or threatening emails designed to make the cyberbullied person feel scared, embarrassed, or ashamed of themselves.

Other forms of harassment include:

• Using group chats as a way to gang up on one person
• Making derogatory comments about a person based on their race, gender, sexual orientation, economic status, or other characteristics
• Posting mean or untrue things on social media sites, such as Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, as a way to publicly hurt the person experiencing the cyberbullying  

Impersonation

A person may try to pretend to be the person they are cyberbullying to attempt to embarrass, shame, or hurt them publicly. Some examples of this include:

• Hacking into someone’s online profile and changing any part of it, whether it be a photo or their "About Me" portion, to something that is either harmful or inappropriate
• Catfishing, which is when a person creates a fake persona to trick someone into a relationship with them as a joke or for their own personal gain
• Making a fake profile using the screen name of their target to post inappropriate or rude remarks on other people’s pages

Other Examples

Not all forms of cyberbullying are the same, and cyberbullies use other tactics to ensure that their target feels as bad as possible. Some tactics include:

• Taking nude or otherwise degrading photos of a person without their consent
• Sharing or posting nude pictures with a wide audience to embarrass the person they are cyberbullying
• Sharing personal information about a person on a public website that could cause them to feel unsafe
• Physically bullying someone in school and getting someone else to record it so that it can be watched and passed around later
• Circulating rumors about a person

How to Know When a Joke Turns Into Cyberbullying

People may often try to downplay cyberbullying by saying it was just a joke. However, any incident that continues to make a person feel shame, hurt, or blatantly disrespected is not a joke and should be addressed. People who engage in cyberbullying tactics know that they’ve crossed these boundaries, from being playful to being harmful.

Effects and Consequences of Cyberbullying 

Research shows many negative effects of cyberbullying, some of which can lead to severe mental health issues. Cyberbullied people are twice as likely to experience suicidal thoughts, actions, or behaviors and engage in self-harm as those who are not.

Other negative health consequences of cyberbullying are:

• Stomach pain and digestive issues
• Sleep disturbances
• Difficulties with academics
• Violent behaviors
• High levels of stress
• Inability to feel safe
• Feelings of loneliness and isolation
• Feelings of powerlessness and hopelessness

If You’ve Been Cyberbullied 

Being on the receiving end of cyberbullying is hard to cope with. It can feel like you have nowhere to turn and no escape. However, some things can be done to help overcome cyberbullying experiences.

Advice for Preteens and Teenagers

The best thing you can do if you’re being cyberbullied is tell an adult you trust. It may be challenging to start the conversation because you may feel ashamed or embarrassed. However, if it is not addressed, it can get worse.

Other ways you can cope with cyberbullying include:

• Walk away : Walking away online involves ignoring the bullies, stepping back from your computer or phone, and finding something you enjoy doing to distract yourself from the bullying.
• Don’t retaliate : You may want to defend yourself at the time. But engaging with the bullies can make matters worse.
• Keep evidence : Save all copies of the cyberbullying, whether it be posts, texts, or emails, and keep them if the bullying escalates and you need to report them.
• Report : Social media sites take harassment seriously, and reporting them to site administrators may block the bully from using the site.
• Block : You can block your bully from contacting you on social media platforms and through text messages.

In some cases, therapy may be a good option to help cope with the aftermath of cyberbullying.

Advice for Parents

As a parent, watching your child experience cyberbullying can be difficult. To help in the right ways, you can:

• Offer support and comfort : Listening to your child explain what's happening can be helpful. If you've experienced bullying as a child, sharing that experience may provide some perspective on how it can be overcome and that the feelings don't last forever.
• Make sure they know they are not at fault : Whatever the bully uses to target your child can make them feel like something is wrong with them. Offer praise to your child for speaking up and reassure them that it's not their fault.
• Contact the school : Schools have policies to protect children from bullying, but to help, you have to inform school officials.
• Keep records : Ask your child for all the records of the bullying and keep a copy for yourself. This evidence will be helpful to have if the bullying escalates and further action needs to be taken.
• Try to get them help : In many cases, cyberbullying can lead to mental stress and sometimes mental health disorders. Getting your child a therapist gives them a safe place to work through their experience.

In the Workplace 

Although cyberbullying more often affects children and adolescents, it can also happen to adults in the workplace. If you are dealing with cyberbullying at your workplace, you can:

• Let your bully know how what they said affected you and that you expect it to stop.
• Keep copies of any harassment that goes on in the workplace.
• Report your cyberbully to your human resources (HR) department.
• Report your cyberbully to law enforcement if you are being threatened.
• Close off all personal communication pathways with your cyberbully.
• Maintain a professional attitude at work regardless of what is being said or done.
• Seek out support through friends, family, or professional help.

Effective Action Against Cyberbullying

If cyberbullying continues, actions will have to be taken to get it to stop, such as:

• Talking to a school official : Talking to someone at school may be difficult, but once you do, you may be grateful that you have some support. Schools have policies to address cyberbullying.
• Confide in parents or trusted friends : Discuss your experience with your parents or others you trust. Having support on your side will make you feel less alone.
• Report it on social media : Social media sites have strict rules on the types of interactions and content sharing allowed. Report your aggressor to the site to get them banned and eliminate their ability to contact you.
• Block the bully : Phones, computers, and social media platforms contain options to block correspondence from others. Use these blocking tools to help free yourself from cyberbullying.

Help Is Available

If you or someone you know are having suicidal thoughts, dial  988  to contact the  988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline  and connect with a trained counselor. To find mental health resources in your area, contact the  Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline  at  800-662-4357  for information.

Cyberbullying occurs over electronic communication methods like cell phones, computers, social media, and other online platforms. While anyone can be subject to cyberbullying, it is most likely to occur between the ages of 12 and 18.

Cyberbullying can be severe and lead to serious health issues, such as new or worsened mental health disorders, sleep issues, or thoughts of suicide or self-harm. There are laws to prevent cyberbullying, so it's essential to report it when it happens. Coping strategies include stepping away from electronics, blocking bullies, and getting.

Alhajji M, Bass S, Dai T. Cyberbullying, mental health, and violence in adolescents and associations with sex and race: data from the 2015 youth risk behavior survey . Glob Pediatr Health. 2019;6:2333794X19868887. doi:10.1177/2333794X19868887

Cyberbullying Research Center. Cyberbullying in 2021 by age, gender, sexual orientation, and race .

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: StopBullying.gov. Facts about bullying .

John A, Glendenning AC, Marchant A, et al. Self-harm, suicidal behaviours, and cyberbullying in children and young people: systematic review .  J Med Internet Res . 2018;20(4):e129. doi:10.2196/jmir.9044

Cyberbullying Research Center. Bullying, cyberbullying, and LGBTQ students .

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: StopBullying.gov. Laws, policies, and regulations .

Wolke D, Lee K, Guy A. Cyberbullying: a storm in a teacup? . Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2017;26(8):899-908. doi:10.1007/s00787-017-0954-6

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: StopBullying.gov. Cyberbullying tactics .

Garett R, Lord LR, Young SD. Associations between social media and cyberbullying: a review of the literature . mHealth . 2016;2:46-46. doi:10.21037/mhealth.2016.12.01

Nemours Teens Health. Cyberbullying .

Nixon CL. Current perspectives: the impact of cyberbullying on adolescent health . Adolesc Health Med Ther. 2014;5:143-58. doi:10.2147/AHMT.S36456

Nemours Kids Health. Cyberbullying (for parents) .

By Angelica Bottaro Bottaro has a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and an Advanced Diploma in Journalism. She is based in Canada.

Gus Walz's powerful DNC moment shows the need to confront bullying

Gus Walz cries as his father, Democratic vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, speaks during the Democratic National Convention Aug. 21, in Chicago. Credit: AP/Charles Rex Arbogast

This guest essay reflects the views of Saundra M. Gumerove, president of the board of directors at AHRC Nassau and adjunct professor at the Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University.

When the camera cut to Gus Walz on the floor of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, I saw a young man living a once-in-a-lifetime moment. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz — his dad, his hero, his biggest supporter — was being considered for one of the highest offices in the land. Gus couldn’t contain his pride or tears.

It was a powerful moment, one that brought out the very best and the worst in the people who witnessed it. "Talk about weird," right-wing pundit Ann Coulter posted and subsequently deleted from X. "If the Walzs represent today's American man, this country is screwed," shot off conservative radio host Jay Weber on X in a longer, inflammatory post he later deleted. Both apologized. Weber was taken off the air.

Their apologies focused on how they didn’t know about Gus’ disability. Gus has ADHD, an anxiety disorder, and a nonverbal learning disorder. Bullying a teenager is always unacceptable, and I hate to break it to them but in real life bullying people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), including autism, looks and sounds exactly like that.

I see it every day as a mom and as a special needs attorney. My daughter Lauren has faced bullying her entire life. She was born with Sturge-Weber syndrome, which gives her a unique physical appearance and impacts cognition and medical health. When Lauren goes out in public people stare or make offhand comments like, "What’s wrong with her?"

The otherness projected onto my daughter isn’t her issue alone — it’s all of ours. We must collectively come together to address the roots of ableism and redirect focus to self-awareness about shifting social norms toward inclusion.

From our Editorial Board, get inside the local, city and state political scenes.

By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy .

Both sides of the aisle came to Gus Walz’s defense. We must be proactive and ensure that our political platforms remain inclusive. We cannot be bystanders to bullying especially now as the number of children with diagnoses of autism, intellectual disability or developmental delay is increasing, according to a 2023 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Let’s show people how inclusion and belonging create a better future for everyone. People must see and believe it’s possible because even with federal and state anti-discrimination laws, disability discrimination and bullying persist. According to an Urban Institute 2023 report, adults with disabilities "have worse self-reported physical and mental health status, lower employment rates, and higher rates of chronic illness, poverty, and material hardship than adults without disabilities."

Working toward full inclusion and belonging starts with education, awareness, and relentless advocacy. It took 25 years for Nassau County to advance reimbursement rates for speech, occupational, and physical therapists assisting preschoolers. There's more to do.

Funding is lagging statewide to support people with I/DD in our communities. People with I/DD need hands-on assistance from individuals called direct support professionals to lead healthy and independent lives. This profession is relatively unknown outside of the sector and remains underfunded despite annual campaigns. On a positive note, federal recognition of these professionals is being considered with a bill in Congress that would ensure the Office of Management and Budget collects data on direct support professionals to help inform lawmakers’ funding decisions.

Please, take time to better understand these issues — and share your support with legislators. The spotlight that shone on Gus Walz shines on us, too, as our collective call to action.

This guest essay reflects the views of Saundra M. Gumerove, president of the board of directors at AHRC Nassau and adjunct professor at the Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University.

Stay logged in.

The Newsday app makes it easier to access content without having to log in.

Unlimited Digital Access Only 25¢ for 5 months

Cookies on GOV.UK

We use some essential cookies to make this website work.

We’d like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services.

We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.

You have accepted additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

You have rejected additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

Review of sexual abuse in schools and colleges

Published 10 June 2021

Applies to England

© Crown copyright 2021

This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: [email protected] .

Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.

This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/review-of-sexual-abuse-in-schools-and-colleges/review-of-sexual-abuse-in-schools-and-colleges

Introduction

Ofsted was asked by the government to carry out a rapid review of sexual abuse in schools and colleges. This report summarises our findings and recommendations.

We were asked to report on the following:

Safeguarding and curriculum

Is the existing safeguarding framework and guidance for inspectors strong enough to properly assess how schools and colleges safeguard and promote the welfare of children.

How can schools and colleges be supported further to successfully deliver the new RSHE (relationships, sex and health education) curriculum, including in teaching about sexual abuse, cyber bullying and pornography as well as healthy relationships and consent?

Multi-agency safeguarding arrangements

How well are safeguarding guidance and processes understood and working between schools, colleges and local multi-agency partners?

Does working between schools, colleges and local safeguarding partners ( LSPs ), including local authority children’s social care, the police, health services and other support, need to be strengthened?

Victims’ voice and reporting

How does the current system of safeguarding in schools and colleges listen to the voices of children when reporting sexual abuse whether occurring within or outside school?

What prevents children from reporting sexual abuse?

Do victims receive timely and appropriate support from the right place?

Have inspections by ISI (the Independent Schools Inspectorate) and Ofsted been robust enough in relation to the issues raised?

Other considerations

In addition to what the government asked us to report on, we have also considered:

the range, nature, location and severity of allegations and incidents, together with context

the extent of schools’/colleges’ (and other agencies’ and adults’) knowledge of specific incidents and more general problems

schools’ safeguarding responses to known incidents and wider social and cultural problems, including:

their immediate response to specific incidents, including referrals to LSPs and victim support (and liaison with other schools/colleges, where those involved attend different schools/colleges from abusers)

schools’/colleges’ use of sanctions

any factors that have limited any immediate or subsequent response

schools’ safeguarding knowledge, culture and effectiveness, including their willingness to function as part of the wider safeguarding system with other partners

the adequacy of schools’ RSHE / PSHE (personal, social, health and economic) curriculum and teaching

the extent to which recent inspections explored relevant cases and issues

Executive summary and recommendations

The review included visits to 32 schools and colleges. In these, we spoke to over 900 children and young people about the prevalence of peer-on-peer sexual harassment and sexual violence, including online, in their lives and the lives of their peers. [footnote 1] We also spoke to leaders, teachers, governors, LSPs , parents and stakeholders. Finally, we reviewed the extent to which inspection has given sufficient oversight of this issue and considered how statutory guidance could be strengthened.

This rapid review does not report on individual schools and colleges or cases, all of which remain anonymous. We made a number of visits to schools named on the Everyone’s Invited website, as well as others not named. But this should not be assumed to be a fully representative sample of all schools and colleges nationally. It presents a picture of strong and weaker practice across participating schools and colleges, from which we have drawn our conclusions. Our conclusions reflect the strengths and limitations of the evidence. They focus on what we were asked to report on. You can find a full description of the methodology at the end of this report.

This rapid thematic review has revealed how prevalent sexual harassment and online sexual abuse are for children and young people. It is concerning that for some children, incidents are so commonplace that they see no point in reporting them. This review did not analyse whether the issue is more or less prevalent for different groups of young people, and there may well be differences, but it found that the issue is so widespread that it needs addressing for all children and young people. It recommends that schools, colleges and multi-agency partners act as though sexual harassment and online sexual abuse are happening, even when there are no specific reports.

On our visits, girls told us that sexual harassment and online sexual abuse, such as being sent unsolicited explicit sexual material and being pressured to send nude pictures (‘nudes’), are much more prevalent than adults realise. For example, nearly 90% of girls, and nearly 50% of boys, said being sent explicit pictures or videos of things they did not want to see happens a lot or sometimes to them or their peers. Children and young people told us that sexual harassment occurs so frequently that it has become ‘commonplace’. For example, 92% of girls, and 74% of boys, said sexist name-calling happens a lot or sometimes to them or their peers. The frequency of these harmful sexual behaviours means that some children and young people consider them normal.

When we asked children and young people where sexual violence occurred, they typically talked about unsupervised spaces outside of school, such as parties or parks without adults present, although some girls told us they also experienced unwanted touching in school corridors.

Children and young people, especially girls, told us that they do not want to talk about sexual abuse for several reasons, even where their school encourages them to. For example, the risk of being ostracised by peers or getting peers into trouble is not considered to be worth it for something perceived by children and young people to be commonplace. They worry about how adults will react, because they think they will not be believed, or that they will be blamed. They also think that once they talk to an adult, the process will be out of their control.

Children and young people were rarely positive about the RSHE they had received. They felt that it was too little, too late and that the curriculum was not equipping them with the information and advice they needed to navigate the reality of their lives. Because of these gaps, they told us they turned to social media or their peers to educate each other, which understandably made some feel resentful. As one girl put it, ‘It shouldn’t be our responsibility to educate boys’.

In the schools and colleges we visited, some teachers and leaders underestimated the scale of the problem. They either did not identify sexual harassment and sexualised language as problematic or they were unaware they were happening. They were dealing with incidents of sexual violence when they were made aware of them, and following statutory guidance. But professionals consistently underestimated the prevalence of online sexual abuse, even when there was a proactive whole-school approach to tackling sexual harassment and violence.

In light of this, even where school and college leaders do not have specific information that indicates sexual harassment and online sexual abuse are problems for their children and young people, they should act on the assumption that they are. Leaders should take a whole-school/college approach to developing a culture where all kinds of sexual harassment and online sexual abuse are recognised and addressed. To achieve this, schools and colleges need to create an environment where staff model respectful and appropriate behaviour, where children and young people are clear about what is acceptable and unacceptable behaviour, and where they are confident to ask for help and support when they need it. Central to this should be a carefully planned and implemented RSHE curriculum, sanctions and interventions to tackle poor behaviour and provide support for children and young people who need it, training and clear expectations for staff and governors, and listening to pupil voice. Further guidance on many of these aspects can be found in ‘Keeping children safe in education’. [footnote 2]

When it comes to sexual violence, it appears that school and college leaders are increasingly having to make difficult decisions that guidance does not equip them to make. For example, some school and college leaders told us that they are unsure how to proceed when criminal investigations do not lead to a prosecution or conviction. Schools and colleges should not be left to navigate these ‘grey areas’ without sufficient guidance. Furthermore, the current guidance does not clearly differentiate between different types of behaviour or reflect the language that children and young people use, particularly for online sexual abuse.

Schools and colleges cannot tackle sexual harassment and sexual violence, including online, on their own, and neither should they. For example, the prevalence of children and young people seeing explicit material they do not want to see and being pressured to send ‘nudes’ is a much wider problem than schools can address. While they can play their part, it is not only their responsibility to solve it. The government will need to tackle this issue through the Online Safety Bill, and other interventions.

The LSPs that we met had varying levels of oversight and understanding of the issues for children and young people in their area. Some LSPs had been working closely with schools to track and analyse data from schools, and understood children’s experiences of sexual harassment and violence, including online. However, a small number told us that they were not aware that sexual harassment and violence, including online, in schools and colleges were significant problems in their local area. In light of what children and young people told us, they almost certainly are significant problems in every area. Gaining an overview of the issues requires effective joint working between LSPs and all schools and colleges, something that is not currently happening consistently. Some schools and colleges also reported that working across a number of local authorities presented challenges, as the level of support varied from area to area. Clearer guidance would help to overcome some of these difficulties, as would more learning and sharing of practice across LSPs , schools and colleges.

A review of Ofsted and Independent Schools Inspectorate ( ISI ) frameworks, training and handling of complaints found that safeguarding is generally well covered on inspection, inspectors are prepared, and complaints are generally dealt with well. However, there are improvements that can be made. As a result of this review, both Ofsted and ISI will update training, inspection handbooks and inspection practices where necessary to strengthen inspectors’ ability to inspect how schools and colleges are tackling sexual harassment and sexual violence, including online. Ofsted will follow up the publication of this report with a series of webinars and events for schools and colleges to discuss the findings of this review. ISI will also provide a series of webinars and events for schools about the findings of this review.

As a result of the findings of this review, we recommend the following.

Recommendations for school and college leaders

School and college leaders should create a culture where sexual harassment and online sexual abuse are not tolerated, and where they identify issues and intervene early to better protect children and young people.

In order to do this, they should assume that sexual harassment and online sexual abuse are happening in their setting, even when there are no specific reports, and put in place a whole-school approach to address them. This should include:

a carefully sequenced RSHE curriculum, based on the Department for Education’s ( DfE ’s) statutory guidance, that specifically includes sexual harassment and sexual violence, including online. This should include time for open discussion of topics that children and young people tell us they find particularly difficult, such as consent and the sending of ‘nudes’

high-quality training for teachers delivering RSHE

routine record-keeping and analysis of sexual harassment and sexual violence, including online, to identify patterns and intervene early to prevent abuse

a behavioural approach, including sanctions when appropriate, to reinforce a culture where sexual harassment and online sexual abuse are not tolerated

working closely with LSPs in the area where the school or college is located so they are aware of the range of support available to children and young people who are victims or who perpetrate harmful sexual behaviour

support for designated safeguarding leads ( DSLs ), such as protected time in timetables to engage with LSPs

training to ensure that all staff (and governors, where relevant) are able to:

better understand the definitions of sexual harassment and sexual violence, including online sexual abuse

identify early signs of peer-on-peer sexual abuse

consistently uphold standards in their responses to sexual harassment and online sexual abuse

Recommendations for multi-agency partners

Multi-agency partners should:

• work to improve engagement with schools of all types in their local area, tailoring their approach to what their analysis (produced in partnership with schools/colleges and wider safeguarding partners) indicates are the risks to children and young people in their local area

Recommendations for government

The government should:

take into account the findings of this review as it develops the Online Safety Bill, so it can strengthen safeguarding controls for children and young people to protect them from viewing online explicit material and engaging in harmful sexual behaviour using social media platforms

establish better coordinated arrangements between the Education and Skills Funding Agency ( ESFA ), Ofsted and ISI for how to deal with complaints that inspectorates receive about schools

strengthen the ‘Working together to safeguard children’ guidance to make the involvement of all state and independent schools and colleges with LSPs more explicit, including their engagement in multi-agency safeguarding audits

produce clearer guidance for schools and colleges to help them make decisions when there are long-term investigations of harmful sexual behaviour, or when a criminal investigation does not lead to a prosecution or conviction

review and update the definitions of sexual abuse, including peer-on-peer, to better reflect the experiences of children and young people

develop an online hub where all safeguarding guidance is in one place, with any updates clearly visible and ideally made in good time in the school year to aid planning

in partnership with others:

develop a guide that helps children and young people know what might happen next when they talk to an adult in school or college about sexual harassment and sexual violence, including online sexual abuse

develop national training for DSLs

develop resources to help schools and colleges shape their RSHE curriculum

launch a communications campaign about sexual harassment and online sexual abuse, which should include advice for parents and carers

Actions for the inspectorates

This review has identified a number of areas where Ofsted and ISI can sharpen practice and, in doing so, focus schools’ and colleges’ attention on this important area of their work.

Peer-on-peer sexual harassment and sexual violence, including online, have been considered during inspection as part of safeguarding in schools and colleges over the last few years. However, changes to government guidance and some inconsistencies in inspection documentation across education remits mean that updating of inspection handbooks is required. For example, from September, Ofsted’s inspection handbook for further education and skills will include the same references to peer-on-peer sexual abuse as the current school inspection handbook. Inspectors for Ofsted and ISI will also consider how well schools fulfil the new duties to deliver the compulsory RSHE curriculum.

For 2021/22 and beyond, Ofsted and ISI will work together to produce and jointly deliver further training on inspecting safeguarding in education settings, including looking at issues of peer-on-peer sexual abuse.

In line with our practice for schools, Ofsted will request that college leaders supply records and analysis of sexual harassment and sexual violence, including online, to inspectors. ISI will also specifically request for schools to provide the same records on notification of inspection, in addition to its current practice. There will be additional training for inspectors from both inspectorates to ensure that they record how they have followed up this information on inspection. Additionally, inspectors will hold discussions with single-sex groups of pupils where this helps to understand better a school’s or college’s approach to tackling sexual harassment and sexual violence, including online.

Definitions

In this report, we use the DfE ’s definitions of sexual abuse and peer-on-peer abuse. [footnote 3]

Peer-on-peer sexual abuse

The term ‘peer-on-peer’ sexual abuse includes:

sexual violence, such as rape, assault by penetration and sexual assault

sexual harassment, such as sexual comments, remarks, jokes and online sexual harassment, which may be stand-alone or part of a broader pattern of abuse

upskirting, which typically involves taking a picture under a person’s clothing without them knowing, with the intention of viewing their genitals or buttocks to obtain sexual gratification, or to cause the victim humiliation, distress or alarm

sexting (also known as ‘youth-produced sexual imagery’) [footnote 4]

There were a wide variety of behaviours that children and young people told us happen online. These include:

receiving unsolicited explicit photographs or videos, for example ‘dick pics’

sending, or being pressured to send, nude and semi-nude photographs or videos (‘nudes’)

being sent or shown solicited or unsolicited online explicit material, such as pornographic videos

Typical platforms for sharing material between peers tended to be WhatsApp or Snapchat.

‘Keeping children safe in education’ says that all staff should be aware that children are capable of abusing their peers and that they should be clear about their relevant policies and procedures to address peer-on-peer abuse.

We acknowledge that the term ‘peer-on-peer’ does not refer only to sexual abuse, but also to other forms of child-on-child abuse, such as bullying. The term ‘peer-on-peer abuse’ is helpful in focusing professionals’ attention on the fact that children can abuse other children. However, in the context of sexual abuse it could lead to professionals dismissing potentially harmful sexual behaviour as simply ‘developmental’, when there are power dynamics, age imbalances and other aspects that would warrant further investigation. In this report, we use the term ‘peer-on-peer’ while recognising its limitations.

Harmful sexual behaviour

When we refer to harmful sexual behaviour, we use the same definition as the DfE : [footnote 5]

Sexual behaviours expressed by children and young people under the age of 18 years old that are developmentally inappropriate, may be harmful towards self or others, or abusive towards another child, young person or adult.

When we refer to sexual harassment and sexual violence, including online, we use the definitions and the language of victim and perpetrator in the DfE ’s guidance. [footnote 6] We recognise that there are many different ways to describe children who have been subjected to sexual harassment and/or sexual violence. There are also many ways to describe those who are alleged to have carried out any form of abuse. Therefore, we are using the terms that are most widely recognised and understood. It is important to recognise that not everyone who has been subjected to sexual harassment and/or sexual violence, including online, considers themselves a victim or would want to be described in this way.

Any child or young person who exhibits harmful sexual behaviour may need a safeguarding response or intervention. Professionals should respond with interventions that address the behaviour of the perpetrator, while also providing an appropriate level of support. Professionals involved should be aware that harmful sexual behaviour may be an indicator that the child has been abused. [footnote 7] , [footnote 8]

It is also important to note that, although professionals’ awareness of the vulnerability of children and young people could be helpful, it could also contribute to stereotypes about how a victim and survivor of child sexual abuse should look or behave. This may run the risk of victims who differ from that picture being overlooked or unwilling to come forward for fear of not being believed. [footnote 9]

The following model is used to explain the continuum of sexual behaviours presented by children and young people, from normal to violent. Harmful sexual behaviour encompasses a range of behaviour, which can be displayed towards younger children, peers, older children or adults. It can occur online and offline or a mixture of both.

Figure 1. Definition: Sexual behaviours across a continuum

Source: Hackett, S, ‘Children, young people and sexual violence’ in ‘Children behaving badly? Exploring peer violence between children and young people’, 2010.

The DfE has published guidance for schools and colleges to help them to respond to sexual harassment and sexual violence, including online, between children. This explains that it is an offence for anyone to have any sexual activity with a person under the age of 16 and provides specific protection for children aged 12 and under who cannot legally give their consent to any form of sexual activity. The guidance acknowledges that professionals may be required to make complex decisions in situations of peer-on-peer sexual harassment and sexual violence, including online. It stresses the importance of effective training and clear policies for staff to help them take a considered and appropriate response.

Therefore, when schools and colleges [footnote 10] are made aware of sexual activity involving a child under the age of 13, they should always refer this to the police and children’s social care. They should use the statutory guidance and their professional curiosity to establish whether risk factors are present before making a decision on whether to engage external agencies if the children are aged 13 to 17.

What did we find out about the scale and nature of sexual abuse in schools?

What existing research and data tell us.

Data on this topic largely focuses on child sexual abuse in general, not specifically peer-on-peer. We know that issues of under-reporting and inconsistency in how professionals define harmful sexual behaviour mean that accurate data collection is difficult. [footnote 11] We explore the issues of under-reporting and data tracking in later sections of this report.

Nationally collected statistics show that there has been a sharp increase in reporting of child sexual abuse to the police in recent years. Figures that include all child sexual abuse cases show that the police recorded over 83,000 child sexual abuse offences (including obscene publications) in the year ending March 2020. [footnote 12] , [footnote 13] This is an increase of approximately 267% since 2013. Research estimates indicate that approximately one quarter of cases of all child sexual abuse involve a perpetrator under the age of 18. [footnote 14]

Although anyone can experience sexual harassment and violence, research indicates that girls are disproportionately affected. For example, 90% of recorded offences of rape in 2018–19 of 13- to 15-year-olds were committed against girls. [footnote 15] , [footnote 16] In the past year, girls aged between 15 and 17 reported the highest annual rates of sexual abuse for young people and children aged 25 and younger. [footnote 17]

It is hard to get an accurate picture of the scale and nature of sexual harassment and violence between children and young people in schools and colleges, as there is no centralised data collection of incidents and crime statistics are not published with a level of analysis to shed any light on this. It would be helpful if this information was available routinely.

In 2016, the Women and Equalities Select Committee highlighted a number of surveys reporting that girls were experiencing high levels of sexual harassment and sexual violence, including online, in schools and colleges. [footnote 18] Similarly, a survey of children and young people in 2017 found that over a third of female students at mixed-sex secondary schools have personally experienced some form of sexual harassment at school. [footnote 19]

Three sources of information that were available for this review are: published school exclusions data, [footnote 20] Ofsted complaints data and an FOI request made to the police in 2015 by the BBC.

Published school exclusions data shows:

In the 5 academic years to 2018/19, permanent exclusions for which the primary reason was sexual misconduct averaged 91 per year, 1.3% of all permanent exclusions.

Most of these permanent exclusions were from secondary schools. There are approximately 3,400 mainstream state-funded secondary schools, so, if evenly spread, this would mean on average around 2% of secondaries currently make a permanent exclusion for this reason in any given year.

While the total number of permanent exclusions increased during that period, there was no clear trend in the number of exclusions for sexual misconduct.

In the same 5-year period, suspensions for which the primary reason was sexual misconduct averaged 2,100 per year, 0.6% of all suspensions.

Again, most of these exclusions were from secondary schools. As stated above, there are approximately 3,400 mainstream state-funded secondary schools. So again, if evenly spread, this would mean on average 55% of secondaries currently make a suspension for this reason in any given year.

In the latest reported year (2018/19), suspension for sexual misconduct fell by 13% relative to the average of the previous 4 years.

Ofsted receives complaints from pupils and parents who have been unable to resolve complaints through local routes. Between September 2019 and March 2021, we received 291 complaints about schools that referred to peer-on-peer sexual harassment or violence, including online sexual abuse, out of 13,834 complaints (2% of the total). ISI reports that between the same dates, it received 37 complaints about schools that referred to peer-on-peer sexual harassment or violence, out of 618 complaints (6% of the total).

In 2015, the police responded to an FOI request and reported that nearly 4,000 alleged physical sexual assaults and more than 600 rapes in schools had been reported in the preceding 3 years. [footnote 21] Further discussions with the police showed that the data included incidents involving adults and may also include some incidents reported by schools but that took place outside school. The police have told Ofsted that this data should therefore not be taken as an estimate of sexual assaults and rapes by pupils in schools.

The scope of this review was such that we cannot say anything about which children and young people are most likely to be targeted for sexual harassment and/or violence or about which are most likely to abuse others.

What did children, young people and professionals tell us about sexual harassment and violence between peers and where did perceptions differ?

During our visits, we gathered the views of approximately 900 children and young people in focus groups. Of those, we surveyed just over 800 children and young people aged 13 and above about their perceptions of sexual harassment and sexual violence, including online sexual abuse.

Children and young people tended to talk to us about the issues that were the most common in their lives, which were typically sexual harassment and online sexual abuse. However, we are aware of the significant impact that sexual violence has on some children and young people’s lives and we heard several distressing examples from DSLs as part of this review. While this section focuses largely on what children and young people told us was most common, we do not want to minimise or ignore other experiences that children told us about. Where we can, we reference these experiences and use wider literature to supplement our findings where there are gaps.

The girls who responded to our questionnaire indicated that, in order of prevalence, the following types of harmful sexual behaviours happened ‘a lot’ or ‘sometimes’ between people their age:

Non-contact forms, but face-to-face:

sexist name-calling (92%)

rumours about their sexual activity (81%)

unwanted or inappropriate comments of a sexual nature (80%)

Non-contact forms, online or on social media:

being sent pictures or videos they did not want to see (88%)

being put under pressure to provide sexual images of themselves (80%)

having pictures or videos that they sent being shared more widely without their knowledge or consent (73%)

being photographed or videoed without their knowledge or consent (59%)

having pictures or videos of themselves that they did not know about being circulated (51%)

Contact forms:

sexual assault of any kind (79%)

feeling pressured to do sexual things that they did not want to (68%)

unwanted touching (64%)

These findings are strongly supported by existing research into harmful sexual behaviour between peers. [footnote 22] , [footnote 23]

Boys were much less likely to think these things happened, particularly contact forms of harmful sexual behaviour, as shown in the chart below:

Figure 2. These things happen ‘a lot’ or ‘sometimes’ between people my age (%)

Note: around 790 pupils answered the question for each type of harmful sexual behaviour. The number varies slightly by question because a few children and young people skipped some questions.

In the focus groups, many children and young people talked about teachers not ‘knowing the reality’ of their lives, or being ‘out of date’. In general, they reported much higher incidences of sexual harassment, online sexual abuse and bullying behaviours than teachers and leaders tended to be aware of.

In some schools, leaders’ estimation of the scale of the problem was more aligned with that of the children and young people’s perceptions than that of teachers. This may be explained by the fact that leaders and DSLs typically deal with confidential safeguarding cases. However, it does point to the need for development and training for all school staff on prevalence and what constitutes harmful sexual behaviour. For example, in one school, children and young people told us that the sharing of ‘nudes’ was widespread and that ‘body shaming’ and ‘slut shaming’ were also common. However, staff in this school thought that incidents largely happened outside school. One male member of staff said that there were ‘high levels of mutual respect’ between children and young people in school. Leaders were more aware of issues in the school, and the need to change what they referred to as the ‘rugby culture’, but this did not translate to all staff recognising the scale of the problem.

More positively, in some schools, staff and leaders’ perceptions of the extent of harmful sexual behaviour seemed to be fairly aligned with those of children and young people. This appears to be the case in schools where the topic has been – and continues to be – openly discussed and challenged, and where records of incidents are kept and analysed.

Generally, older teens (aged 16 and above) were more likely to say that sexual harassment and violence, including online, between peers was prevalent than younger teens (aged 13 to 15) were. For example, 79% of young people aged 16 to 17 and 86% of those aged 18 and above said that rumours about sexual activity occurred a lot or sometimes between peers compared with 61% of those aged 13 to 15. Similarly, 54% of those aged 16 and above said unwanted touching occurred a lot or sometimes, compared with 40% of 13- to 15-year-olds. While figures are high for both groups, this increase could suggest that sexual harassment and violence, including online, happen more as children and young people grow older, or that they become more aware of them.

In terms of sexualised language, children and young people told us that ‘slag’ and ‘slut’ were commonplace and that homophobic language was also used in school. Many felt that staff either were not aware of this language, dismissed it as ‘banter’ or simply were not prepared to tackle it. Many also commented that they would be wary of tackling their peers’ use of this language, even when they did not feel comfortable with such terms. Sometimes, children and young people themselves saw the use of derogatory language as ‘banter’ or ‘just a joke’. In one school, the girls spoke of lots of ‘cat calling’, often focused on their bodies, their hair colour, their size or whether they were wearing glasses. In another, girls said that boys used terms such as ‘flat, curvy or sick’ to describe them and girls found this derogatory. In another, children and young people reported boys giving girls marks out of 10 based on their physical appearance while they were travelling to and from school together.

Some children, young people and staff mentioned sexual and sexist comments happening in corridors. Some girls felt uncomfortable when boys walked behind them up stairs and in stairwells where people can see up their skirts from below. Boys in another school said that they felt anxious when walking behind girls or women, including out of school, as they did not want the girls to feel at risk, so tended to cross the road or move away. In another school, girls said that they were ‘touched up’ regularly in crowded corridors. Some named the areas of the college or school where they felt wary of being – either because they were out of sight of staff or because they felt uncomfortable with the people who ‘hang around’ there.

Other areas or situations were school-specific. For example, we heard cases of boys’ toilets with no locks, a swimming pool changing room where a single door meant that girls believed people could see them naked as they walked by, and a male teacher who gave girls compliments about their appearance.

Overall, children and young people tended to say that they felt physically safe at college or school, although there was a clear emotional impact on girls who experienced regular sexual harassment or other harmful sexual behaviour. This highlights the need for school leaders to take an approach to tackling sexual harassment and bullying behaviours that goes beyond tackling incidents in isolation. Given that children and young people talked in particular about sexual harassment happening in unsupervised spaces, such as in corridors between lessons, school leaders should identify where there might be ‘hot-spots’ of poor behaviour and act accordingly. When children and young people talked about feeling physically unsafe, this generally related to situations that occurred outside school.

Boys and girls sometimes, though not always, had different perspectives and concerns. In one school, for example, girls told us that sexual harassment was ‘a big deal’ but boys did not recognise that it was happening or identify it as abuse. Girls in this school described routine name-calling, sexual comments and objectification. Boys described jokes and compliments – but said that, for them, homophobia and racism were concerns. In another example, girls thought that things like sexist or sexualised language were common and that being asked to share inappropriate images happened regularly, but boys did not see this as an issue. Boys recognised some of the behaviours described but did not see them as widespread.

Some schools on our visits had existing LGBT+ pupil groups that were willing to speak to us. LGBT+ children and young people in those groups also reported a big gap between staff’s knowledge of incidents and their daily experience of harmful sexual behaviour. Homophobic and transphobic insults and bullying in corridors and classrooms and at social times were mentioned as issues in several schools. Some LGBT+ children and young people reported constant verbal abuse and occasional physical assault, which left them feeling physically unsafe. One teacher reported that she frequently heard both homophobic and sexist language but did not challenge this as she did not think she would be supported by other staff and her challenges would be disregarded. Literature on the experiences of LGBT+ young people also indicates that they are more likely to experience child sexual abuse and less likely to report sexual abuse than their peers. [footnote 24]

What did children, young people and professionals tell us about sexual abuse between peers online?

Previous research indicated that children and young people who are sending nudes and semi-nudes are in the minority. For example, research in 2017 indicated that 26% of young people had sent a nude image to someone they were interested in and 48% had received one of someone else. [footnote 25] However, more recent data on youth-produced sexual imagery for under-18s indicates that they are increasingly taking photos and videos of themselves to send to others. This includes incidents where they are groomed by adults to do so.

Data from the Internet Watch Foundation ( IWF ) shows a sharp increase in online sexual abuse images involving young people, which it partially attributes to a rise in the sharing of ‘self-generated’ content. [footnote 26] In the first 6 months of 2020, 44% of all child sexual abuse content dealt with by the IWF was assessed as containing self-generated images or videos, compared with 29% in 2019. The proliferation of online imagery makes it a challenge for researchers, multi-agency partners and schools to keep up, despite recent government guidance. [footnote 27]

Children and young people told us that online forms of sexual abuse were prevalent, especially being sent sexual pictures or videos that they did not want to see. The vast majority of girls said being sent sexual images, being coerced into sharing images, or having their images reshared were common. A significant proportion of boys agreed. In terms of definitions, being sent sexual pictures of images that children and young people do not want to see includes both explicit online material, such as pornographic videos, or self-generated images or videos, such as ‘dick pics’.

Images and videos were typically shared on platforms such as WhatsApp or Snapchat. Some DSLs told us that children and young people were sometimes added to large groups of peers on WhatsApp without their permission, where graphic material was shared without them properly knowing who they were interacting with.

Figure 3. These things happen ‘a lot’ or ‘sometimes’ between people my age (%)

Note: the number of both boys and girls who answered the question for each type of harmful sexual behaviour is around 790, and slightly different for each. This is because a few children and young people skipped some questions.

Although some school leaders defined online sexual harassment as ‘happening out of school’, we saw some clear evidence of how online sexual harassment has a significant impact on the normalisation of harmful sexual behaviour and unhealthy cultures within school. This was something that the victims’ groups we spoke to also highlighted. In one school, for example, children and young people told inspectors that ‘boys talk about whose “nudes” they have and share them among themselves – it’s like a collection game’. Many children and young people told inspectors that this behaviour was so commonplace that they just saw it as a ‘part of life’. One Year 12 student said, ‘The problem is that it’s so widespread it’s like playing whack-a-mole.’

Girls talked about boys being very persistent when asking for images – ‘they just won’t take no for an answer’ – some explained that if you block them on social media ‘they just create multiple accounts to harass you’. In one school, the girls spoken to by inspectors reported that some girls can be contacted by up to 10 or 11 different boys a night to be asked for nude/semi-nude images. Some children and young people thought that it was ‘ok’ and ‘acceptable’ to ask someone for a nude picture, but had been taught to think about who else might see the pictures apart from the original recipient, and not to share them further.

Some girls expressed frustration that there was not explicit teaching of what was acceptable and unacceptable behaviour. They felt that the need to educate peers had been left to them. One girl said: ‘It shouldn’t be our responsibility to educate boys.’ A minority of boys felt that gender stereotyping meant that they were being made to ‘feel guilty all the time’ and that they were being unfairly blamed for things they had not done. Nearly half of boys also said that being sent sexual images or videos they did not want to see was something that happened ‘a lot’ or ‘sometimes’ to them or their peers.

Research in this area indicates that, while most secondary school pupils recognise the harm that sexual approaches from adult strangers online bring, there is less clarity about what constitutes sexual harm within the context of peer relationships or existing online networks. [footnote 28] This shows the need for a whole-school approach that tackles sexual harassment and online sexual abuse proactively. This should include a well-sequenced RSHE curriculum, which incorporates time for open discussion of areas that children and young people tell us they are finding particularly difficult.

There is some evidence that suggests access to technology and the sharing of inappropriate images and videos are also issues in primary schools. For example, in one all-through school, leaders have identified a trend of cases in the primary school that are linked to social media. There is a no-phone policy in this school, so incidents are likely taking place outside school. Incidents cited include viewing pornography, requests to look up pornography websites and viewing inappropriate images on social media. There was an example from another school of children in Years 6 and 7 sending nudes.

Leaders we spoke to also highlighted the problems that easy access to pornography had created and how pornography had set unhealthy expectations of sexual relationships and shaped children and young people’s perceptions of women and girls. Evidence suggests that nearly half (48%) of 11- to 16-year-olds in the UK have viewed pornography. Of these, boys were approximately twice as likely as girls to have actively searched for it. [footnote 29] However, 60% of 11- to 13-year-olds who had seen pornography said their viewing of pornography was mostly unintentional. [footnote 30]

A recent survey of over 1,000 undergraduates found that one third said they have ‘learned more about sex from pornography than from formal education’. [footnote 31] While research indicates that most children and young people recognise that pornography is unrealistic, a high percentage of them reported that they had used pornography as a source of information to learn about sex and sexual relationships in the past 12 months (60% of young men and 41% of young women). This is problematic when research indicates that much pornography depicts men as aggressive and controlling and women as submissive and sexually objectified. [footnote 32]

Although there is insufficient evidence to demonstrate that viewing pornography leads directly to harmful sexual behaviours, there is evidence to suggest that young people appear to become desensitised to its content over time and that it can shape unhealthy attitudes, such as acceptance of sexual aggression towards women. [footnote 33] , [footnote 34] More frequent consumption of pornography is also associated with victim-blaming attitudes. For example, it may lead to the belief that if a woman is affected by alcohol or drugs, she is at least partly responsible for whatever happens to her. [footnote 35]

When children and young people talked to us about online sexual abuse, they did not use the terms that government guidance did. It can be difficult to address issues when the definitions are not up to date or are grouped unhelpfully. For example, ‘Keeping children safe in education’ uses the phrase ‘sexting’ for online sexual abuse. None of the children and young people we spoke to used this phrase and it appears to be out of date. In any future updates of government guidance, the full range of children and young people’s experiences should be reflected in the language used. Clearer categories of the types of sexual harassment and online sexual abuse would also be helpful for professionals.

What did children, young people and professionals tell us about sexual abuse outside school?

Children and young people in several schools told us that harmful sexual behaviour happens at house parties, without adults present, and that alcohol and drugs are often involved. In one school, leaders talked about parties that have happened when parents have left children and young people unsupervised and they ‘are allowed to see, do and hear what they want’. In another, governors talked about a culture of ‘affluent neglect’ and leaders said that some parents bought alcohol for their children to have at parties when they were away. It is important to note, however, that incidents of harmful sexual behaviour or unhealthy cultures were certainly not confined to ‘affluent’ children or young people.

An analysis of key words in the 2,030 publicly available testimonies on the Everyone’s Invited website found that a third (670) mentioned drugs or alcohol. Of these, words equating to ‘drunk’, ‘party’, alcohol or names of different types of alcohol and ‘drinking’ featured in the most testimonies. [footnote 36] These findings should be treated with caution as they are not representative. They do, however, give an insight into the experiences of some children and young people.

Some children, young people and leaders also identified parks as places where sexual harassment and violence took place.

In a minority of schools, children, young people and leaders talked specifically about cultural factors that contributed to boys’ harmful sexual behaviour. One Year 12 boy talking about other boys told inspectors: ‘Essentially, they only spend time with boys, then hit puberty and start going to parties with booze and drugs and girls, and they don’t know how to handle it. And some of the boys are very wealthy and have never been told “no” before.’ In another school, girls similarly told inspectors that some of the boys had a sense of entitlement and had never ‘been told no’. They talked about a sense of ‘male superiority’ in the school. In another school, children and young people said that harmful sexual behaviours occurred outside school at parties but that victims did not want to disclose it because of the ‘power and money culture’ within which they live. As one girl put it, ‘victims do not want to commit social or career suicide’. These findings point to the power dynamics that are often present where there are sexual harassment and sexual violence, including online. These dynamics and social hierarchies are present across all school types.

Not many children and young people spoke about sexual abuse in relationships, although in one school they mentioned that incidents sometimes occurred between peers in established relationships, where ‘things go too far’ or ‘go over the line’. Some children and young people also talked about wanting to know more about issues around consent in established relationships. Textual analysis of the publicly available testimonies on the Everyone’s Invited website indicates that, where a relationship to the perpetrator is named, around two thirds of the testimonies say that the perpetrator was known to them and around a fifth was a boyfriend. [footnote 37] Evidence suggests that early experience of dating and relationship violence is associated with subsequent adverse outcomes, such as suicidal behaviours, other mental health problems and low educational attainment. [footnote 38]

Girls talked about feeling uncomfortable because of behaviour from peers on bus journeys (including school buses), where they said they experienced the kind of sexual harassment and bullying behaviour that happened in school. Girls in one school, for example, said that boys often made ‘rape jokes’ on the school bus. More widely, some children and young people said they did not feel safe from strangers on trains or in parks, alleys, car parks and side streets. Some girls in particular said that feeling unsafe in these situations was pervasive. One girl said that a man had deliberately brushed her younger sister’s leg recently and another girl had told her sister to get used to it as ‘this is what happens’. Younger girls aged 12 to 13 in another school said that they felt uncomfortable walking through town in their uniforms. Evidence from other research also indicates that this is an issue. A recent survey of girls and young women aged 13 to 21 found that more than half have felt unsafe walking home alone and had experienced harassment or know someone who has, and nearly half feel unsafe using public transport. [footnote 39]

How does the current system of safeguarding listen to the voices of children and young people?

In this section, we outline what children and young people told us about why they do not speak to adults about sexual harassment and sexual violence, including online. We also share the practices that we identified in schools that both enable and act as barriers to children and young people telling adults about their experiences.

On our visits, we found that children and young people rarely speak to adults about sexual harassment and sexual violence, including online, even though they told us that sexual harassment and online sexual abuse are prevalent in their daily lives.

The reasons why children and young people significantly under-report sexual abuse are well documented. Although research indicates that one of the main reasons for this is a misplaced sense of shame and embarrassment, there are many other complex factors at play. For example, children and young people may have a fear of social exclusion by peers, worry about how adults will react, and feel that once they talk about abuse, the next steps will be out of their control. [footnote 40] Research also indicates that children and young people are even less likely to tell someone about abuse when it is perpetrated by peers. [footnote 41]

Research indicates that, even when some children and young people attempt to tell someone about abuse, they are not always listened to or believed. For example, NSPCC research on young adults who experienced abuse and family violence as a child found that 80% had to make more than one attempt to tell someone about the abuse before they were listened to and taken seriously. Ninety per cent of the young people who told someone had a negative experience at some point, mostly where those they told had not responded appropriately. [footnote 42] Our joint targeted area inspection into child sexual abuse in the family also found that some groups of children, such as boys, disabled children and children from some minority ethnic groups face greater barriers to talking about abuse and are less likely be believed when they do. [footnote 43] The ‘Beyond referrals’ research into harmful sexual behaviour in schools found that, even where schools had provided a range of ways for children and young people to talk to staff about peer abuse, there remained significant barriers to them reporting abuse. [footnote 44]

On our visits, we found that professionals still rely too much on children telling someone about abuse instead of recognising other indicators, such as emotional or behavioural changes. We also found this in our joint targeted area inspection on the theme of child sexual abuse in the family.

In some schools we visited, teachers recognised that they needed to do much more than rely on children and young people’s verbal reports of sexual violence or sexual harassment, including online. In these schools, they had taken steps to create a culture where it is clear what acceptable and unacceptable behaviour is for staff, children and young people. Teachers were encouraged to log indicators of concern on a centralised recording system so that DSLs could ‘build a picture’ and decide whether further investigation was required.

Professionals’ and victims’ groups we spoke to also said that it is rare that children and young people talk about abuse as a ‘one-off’ and that this may be a process that happens over time. Victims’ groups we spoke to also considered that children and young people are much more likely to talk about abuse when secure and trusting relationships have been developed within a supportive culture.

Who, if anyone, do children and young people talk to about sexual harassment and violence?

Most children and young people we surveyed told us they would feel able to tell someone about their experiences of sexual harassment or sexual violence, including online (either inside or outside school). In order of most likely to least likely, they said they would tell:

a parent or carer

another family member

an adult at their school or college

a helpline/charity

someone else, including a social worker, coach or religious leader

Most of the children and young people said they would feel most comfortable talking to friends, something that was also highlighted in our discussions with victims’ groups. This emphasises the importance of schools teaching acceptable and unacceptable behaviours, with clear guidance and support, so that children and young people can support each other to bring issues to trusted adults.

The children and young people we asked said that, if they were to talk to an adult, it would be a parent or someone in their family. Lower numbers of children and young people said they would talk to adults in their school. When children and young people said they would talk to someone in school about sexual harassment and sexual violence, including online, they tended to identify senior staff. Research indicates that when children and young people do tell a professional about these issues, it is most likely to be a teacher or leader at their school. [footnote 45] This highlights the importance of training leaders and teachers on good practice in this area and supporting children to bring issues to trusted adults. It also shows that taking time to build trusting relationships with children and young people can help them talk about abuse.

Inspectors found that, in more than half of the schools they visited, procedures were clear and safeguarding teams were visible and known to children and young people. Children and young people were aware of the procedure for reporting concerns and, in this respect, schools were supporting them to tell them about sexual harassment and sexual violence, including online sexual abuse. However, staff, children and young people told us that, even with this good practice, children and young people do not always report incidents for a variety of reasons.

This illustrates that schools cannot rely on children talking about sexual harassment and sexual violence, including online abuse. Just having clear procedures and visible staff are not sufficient to support children and young people to talk about these issues.

What prevents children and learners from reporting sexual harassment and violence?

Children and young people in the surveys and focus groups told us that there is a range of barriers that prevent them from talking about sexual abuse and harassment, including online. These included:

worry that what happened next would be out of their control

worry that they would be branded by their peers as a ‘snitch’ who got a peer into trouble

worry that they would be ostracised from friendship groups

worry that there would be damage to their reputation, for example through sexual rumours being circulated about them

feeling that they would not be believed

feeling that they might be blamed for doing things they were told not to do, for example sending nudes, even if they were pressured to do so

feeling that nothing would be done

feeling that things were so commonplace ‘there’s no point’ in raising it

feeling embarrassment and shame when talking to someone from a different generation about sex

The most common reason that the children and young people who answered our survey gave for not reporting an experience was not knowing what would happen next. Victims’ groups also told us that a poor response by professionals can leave children and young people feeling out of control. In one school, the DSL was aware of this issue and had educated children and young people about what would happen if they told someone about abuse, emphasising how children’s best interests were at the heart of any investigation. In the same school, the DSL took the time to develop a trusting relationship with a victim of sexual violence. This helped the victim get to the point where they could talk about the incident fully to the school, the police and other multi-agency partners.

In focus groups, children and young people told us that deciding whether to report an incident depends on the perceived severity of the incident. For example, children and young people thought they would be listened to if they reported ‘serious’ incidents but would be less likely to report what they see as ‘common’ incidents, such as ‘being asked for nudes’ and ‘comments from boys in corridors’. This is largely because they feel that some of the incidents are so commonplace ‘there’s no point’ reporting them. Some forms of sexual harassment and online sexual abuse have become so normalised for children that they do not see the point in reporting and challenging this behaviour.

Some children and young people talked about previous incidents that have been reported, which in their view had ‘come to nothing’. Consequently, they did not believe that the school would do anything if they did report abuse, especially if incidents took place outside school. Some DSLs told us that, at times, this view was compounded when criminal investigations did not lead to a prosecution or conviction. DSLs also told us that the confidential nature of investigations left some victims or children and young people perceiving that ‘nothing had been done’. Again, this led to them thinking that there was little point in telling someone about abuse.

Schools and multi-agency partners need to strike the right balance. Over-criminalisation of children and young people is not desirable or helpful. This means that, when dealing with peer-on-peer abuse, multi-agency partners, including the police, may decide to provide intervention and support for the perpetrator. They may find this the best way of preventing further abuse, instead of criminalising the child. However, this can sometimes lead to the victim feeling that agencies have not responded appropriately. Furthermore, as safeguarding investigations must be confidential, it can also feel to some children and young people as though nothing has been done, when in reality action has been taken.

Our visits found that, in a minority of schools, there were unhealthy cultures that prevented children and young people from talking to adults about sexual harassment and online sexual abuse. They did not think anything would be done as a result. In these schools, many children and young people talked about not being believed. They also thought that teachers were willing to condone sexualised name-calling and harassment. Worryingly, one governor reported that ‘blokeish banter’ was just part of growing up. This is in line with previous research on the topic, where children and young people reported that some teachers dismiss sexual harassment as ‘banter’ or ‘messing around’. [footnote 46] , [footnote 47]

Reputational damage and social consequences

In more than half of schools, children and young people said worry about ‘reputational damage’, for example being ostracised from a social group or damage to a sexual reputation, stopped them reporting. They were also worried about being labelled as a ‘snitch’ who got their peers into trouble. Some said that by the time incidents were shared on social media it was too late for leaders to address reputational damage. As one pupil put it, although leaders were trying to help, they ‘wouldn’t be able to – it’d be too late’. Feedback from victims’ groups also supported this finding.

In these discussions, it was clear that, while their sense of embarrassment and shame was a common reason for not reporting, children and young people also weighed up other complex issues. This included the social consequences for them if they did report, relative to the severity of the incident. Previous research on this topic identified that, when children and young people did talk about sexual harassment and sexual violence, including online, this resulted in social isolation and the victim being stigmatised and harassed by peers. [footnote 48]

Some children and young people had a clear desire for justice, but this was at odds with others who told us that harsh sanctions for their peers put them off talking to an adult about abuse. These children and young people told us that sometimes the consequences of reporting abuse have been so ‘punitive’ for the perpetrator that, rather than acting as a ‘deterrent’ to harmful sexual behaviour, the result is to ‘put off’ children and young people from reporting incidents. They were also worried about police involvement. They said that they would prefer a pastoral and supportive approach without the immediate threat of police involvement.

Some children and young people told us that their perceptions of the behaviour policy can be a barrier to reporting incidents to staff if, in their view, the policy is ‘unfair’. These children and young people do not feel confident that staff would ‘deal with things sensitively’. Some said that school leaders are not as interested in their ‘personal well-being’ as they are in the ‘outward appearances’ of the school.

This highlights the complexity for schools and multi-agency partnerships in managing peer-on-peer sexual harassment and sexual violence, including online. Children and young people need to feel confident that staff will respond in a proportionate and fair way to incidents. They also need to be told the different potential consequences of reporting. Schools need to have a range of responses to different forms of behaviour and intervene in a proportionate way at the right time.

We are aware of some research that explores how schools tackle sexual harassment and sexual violence, including online. [footnote 49] However, the terms of reference of this review did not include a consideration of which systems of consequences deter children and young people from future harmful sexual behaviour. It is an area that warrants further research.

We recognise that it can be challenging for school leaders to get their approach right and that, sometimes, what children and young people say they want is not necessarily in line with what statutory guidance requires. Schools are often the place that parents, children and young people turn to first in cases of sexual violence before going to the police. Professionals must follow statutory guidance. But they also have a responsibility to explain to children and young people what will happen if they do report abuse. Better dialogue in schools about the different forms of behaviours and likely responses to such behaviours may mean children feel better informed to make decisions about reporting. Ultimately, it is for schools (with the support of multi-agency partners where relevant) to decide the appropriate course of action.

Reaction from adults and worry about what would happen next

Some children and young people told us that they felt that if they did tell an adult about abuse, they could be ‘blamed or not taken seriously’. These children and young people were worried that they would be judged and would feel embarrassed by the inevitable questioning.

Being blamed or parents finding out were the third and fourth most common reasons that children and young people who answered our survey gave for not talking about harmful sexual behaviour. In the focus groups, they said being worried about their parents finding out would be a reason for them not to talk to an adult about abuse. This was especially the case where drugs and alcohol were involved. Some also said that they feared they would be blamed for doing something they had explicitly been told not to do, for example sending nudes, even when they had been pressured into doing so. They were also worried they would have to show images to staff members and that they would feel embarrassed and ashamed when talking to someone from a different generation about sex.

These findings emphasise the need for adults, including parents, to be better educated and informed about sexual harassment and sexual violence, including online, between peers. It is also vital that adults are supported by professionals to provide appropriate, non-judgemental responses to children and young people who talk about abuse. Children and young people need reassurance and open discussion in schools about what they can expect, and what will happen if they do need to report concerns. They also need trusted adults they can talk to.

Understanding confidentiality

Pupils’ concerns about confidentiality can be a barrier to reporting. Children and young people know that schools cannot always keep everything confidential and may need to share information with other agencies. But they want assurance that there are some things that are ‘not to be passed on’. Children and young people do not always know ‘what will be done with the information’. They are also worried that responses such as a whole-school assembly would just set the ‘rumour mills going’ and could undermine the anonymity of those involved.

While all the professionals we spoke to highlighted the need for confidentiality when a child reports sexual harassment and/or violence, including online abuse, some children and young people gave examples of how they could be made aware that an investigation was ongoing. As one pupil put it, ‘sometimes if you report something in school everybody quickly knows about it. A teacher takes you out of a lesson. Everyone is like, “What was that about?” when you come back into the classroom’. Confidentiality may also be compromised if a pupil speaks to a friend first, as many told us they would, or if an incident is shared on social media before the child or young person has spoken to an adult about it.

In light of this, all schools should take a whole-school approach to tackling sexual harassment and online sexual abuse because it is likely that they are underestimating the scale of the problem. This should include speaking to children, and listening to their views and experiences and using these to inform a preventative approach to sexual harassment and sexual violence, including online sexual abuse.

What does good practice look like?

There are several good practice models that encourage children and young people to tell someone about abuse. The ‘Beyond referrals’ project includes several recommendations to help schools develop an environment where children and young people can talk to professionals about abuse. These recommendations include:

engaging students in small-group sessions to discuss different forms of harmful sexual behaviour

mapping the school and out-of-school spaces to identify where harmful sexual behaviour takes place

using a curriculum-based approach to tackle a culture where reporting is perceived as ‘snitching’ [footnote 50]

The project also highlights the following as important:

children having a trusting and positive relationship with an individual staff member

children being aware of previous positive experiences of school responses

teachers showing that they respect students, listen and respond subtly

having staff with a specialist role not linked to teaching or behaviour

This last point was raised by some children and young people on our visits. They were worried that they would get into trouble if they spoke to the DSL when this individual had a dual role as the deputy headteacher for behaviour. Some schools we visited countered this by having a small number of trained staff who can deal with safeguarding matters in collaboration with the DSLs . However, we recognise that in some schools, especially small ones, it is not possible to manage this. Schools should consider the DSL ’s role carefully, including how children and young people may perceive it. They should try to avoid any negative associations that might compound children’s misplaced sense of shame, embarrassment or ‘being in trouble’.

The NSPCC has also developed guidance for professionals to support children and young people when they talk about abuse. This highlights the importance of:

demonstrating to a child that you are listening

putting a child in charge of the conversation

reassuring a child and showing empathy [footnote 51]

The recent guidance from the UK Council for Internet Safety outlines some good practice in dealing specifically with incidents of youth-produced sexual imagery. [footnote 52]

In our visits, we found promising practice that places the voices of children and young people at the heart of the approach to safeguarding. For example, one school had held ‘listening events’ to help children and young people share worries and speak to adults in a safe environment. Another school used an anonymous questionnaire to ask children and young people what the issues for their age group were and what language they used when discussing sexual harassment and online sexual abuse. Responses were built into staff training and helped build a culture where children and young people, leaders and teachers had a shared understanding of what sexual harassment and sexual violence, including online, were. One leader explained:

So often, nobody is talking to young people about these things – including or especially their parents. These conversations are awkward so there has almost been a tacit agreement not to have them. This means that we risk not knowing what young people do, or think, and how what they do is affecting them.

In some schools, we also found evidence of how RSHE lessons had helped children and young people’s understanding of these issues. This had led to a culture where children and young people felt able to talk to someone about sexual harassment and sexual violence, including online, or to raise concerns about their peers. The victims’ groups we spoke to also outlined the importance of creating this kind of supportive and open culture.

In some schools, leaders were reflecting on the testimonies on the Everyone’s Invited website to critically evaluate and strengthen their processes. For example, in one school, there was a ‘changing the narrative’ pupil group. The group sensitively gathered information from other children and young people, talked about issues and informed leaders of their findings. In another school, leaders were trialling different reporting methods such as private messages through Teams chat. There was a whole-school approach to educating children and young people and encouraging them to come forward, delivered through assemblies, tutor time, posters and leaflets. They were also actively engaging parents and alumni to discuss concerns and address them where possible.

While it is too early for leaders to talk about the impact of such initiatives, children and young people in these schools told us that they can see that leaders are trying to respond in positive ways to the Everyone’s Invited testimonies. They told us that they feel confident in talking about sexual harassment and sexual violence, including online, when there is a positive and open school culture.

To what extent do schools know about sexual abuse? When they do know, how do they respond?

In this section, we outline schools’ understanding of the prevalence of sexual harassment and sexual violence, including online, and how they respond when they do know about it. We also share what approaches schools are taking to tackle these issues and where there are still gaps.

Responding to incidents

There were many examples where incidents of sexual violence were dealt with appropriately and school policies and statutory guidance such as ‘Keeping children safe in education’ were informing practice. Examples of practice in these schools often included:

involving other agencies where appropriate

providing support for all children and young people involved (victims and perpetrators) through pastoral teams and professional counselling

informing and working with parents

However, our visits highlighted some inconsistencies in responses where professionals had interpreted guidance differently. There was also variability in DSLs ’ understanding of which incidents needed be referred to the police and children’s social care, meaning that some historical incidents that should have been referred were not. Some of the schools in our visits used different mechanisms to strengthen their own decision-making processes. For example, they were part of wider networks of DSLs or would call on the local authority to ‘sense check’ decisions when unsure.

In around two fifths of the schools visited, inspectors noted that leaders had recently adapted either their safeguarding protocols, systems for monitoring or staff training on harmful sexual behaviours. This was in reaction to the Everyone’s Invited website.

As we outlined earlier, many professionals tended to underestimate the scale of sexual harassment and online sexual abuse. DSLs and leaders in schools assessed the extent of the problem more accurately than teachers, although they acknowledged that reported incidents of sexual harassment and sexual violence, including online were the ‘tip of the iceberg’, as one DSL put it.

Furthermore, some schools were dealing with incidents of sexual harassment and sexual violence, including online, in an isolated way, without considering the context and wider safeguarding risks. This meant that they were not considering factors such as:

whether other children and young people were at risk

whether there were spaces in or outside school where children and young people were at particular risk

where power dynamics in peer relationships were creating unhealthy cultures

In these schools, incidents were dealt with reactively instead of proactively. In some cases, we found evidence that behaviours were not monitored well enough following an incident.

In addition, in about a quarter of schools, sexual harassment such as inappropriate sexualised language was not always addressed and identified early enough. In other instances where school leaders were aware of the problem, there was a limited and ineffective response to support children with this issue. Children and young people reported to inspectors that this behaviour had become normalised in their schools.

In one positive example, a group of girls raised issues with the headteacher after the Sarah Everard case about the normalisation of harmful sexual behaviour, which they felt needed to be addressed. Leaders updated the RSHE curriculum following this. The girls reported that, since this intervention, there had been a reduction in unwanted sexual language. The boys in this school also said they appreciated the changes to the curriculum and would like more time to discuss these kind of issues as they are so important.

Recent government advice for those in education on how to tackle the sharing of nudes and semi-nudes talks specifically about how individual case management impacts on school-wide culture: [footnote 53]

Individual incidents of peer abuse and sexual behaviour (the sharing of nudes and semi-nudes can fall under this category) can lead to unhealthy or damaging cultures within the school community. How these incidents – including incidents of ‘low level’ harmful sexual behaviour – are responded to directly affects the culture of the school. If handled poorly, an unsafe and unhealthy set of norms can be created which enable peer-on-peer abuse and this can also prevent other children and young people from disclosing. It must be recognised that the individual case management can affect school-wide culture, peer response and all children’s ability to speak out.

The government’s expectation of schools and colleges and how they should respond to all forms of sexual harassment and violence is clearly set out in advice and guidance. [footnote 54] Ofsted has also previously written about peer-on-peer abuse and how education providers should respond. [footnote 55]

It is a concern that this review has identified that many instances of sexual harassment, including the pressure to share nudes and the sharing of youth-produced sexual imagery without consent, are going unrecognised or unchallenged by school staff. We are especially concerned that for some children and young people this is so commonplace that they see no point in raising it as a concern with staff.

How schools perceive their responsibility in the context of sexual harassment and sexual violence, including online sexual abuse

Schools are in a difficult position when it comes to navigating responsibility and subsequent decisions when there is an incident of harmful sexual behaviour that occurs between peers outside school. When they are made aware of incidents, schools have a duty to inform multi-agency partners and work with them to prevent further abuse and ensure that children and young people are safe. In the schools we visited, it was clear that schools were following the guidance in this respect.

However, some leaders talked to us about how hard it is to take decisions when investigations are ongoing over a significant period of time or when the police do not have the basis to act. They reported feeling left with difficult decisions to make, such as whether to separate the peers when criminal investigations did not lead to a prosecution or conviction.

Leaders in some schools said they were unclear about the scope of their safeguarding responsibilities and about how and when they could intervene. They reported some of the challenges they faced as:

supporting children and young people to trust professionals enough to talk about harmful sexual behaviour that happened outside school

parents’ lack of understanding about what their children were doing outside school

their ability to protect children and young people outside school, for example when parties take place with parents’ consent and incidents happen there

the role of exclusion when there has been a serious incident of sexual violence and how this intersects with any criminal investigation and action (some leaders say that this has caused them great anxiety and further guidance on it would be welcome)

how they could help children and young people to be safe when using rapidly changing social media outside school

While recognising these challenges, it is interesting to note the different approaches of some school leaders. Clearly, if children are at risk, whether within or outside the school gates, schools have a responsibility to work with multi-agency partners to share information where appropriate and refer children on for support and protection. However, it is important to note that, while sometimes multi-agency work may continue, the ‘aftermath’ of any investigation is often left with school leaders, who have little guidance to support their decision-making. Some leaders also talked about how difficult it was to make effective decisions when police and other lengthy multi-agency investigations were ongoing.

In-school approaches to address sexual harassment and violence

In the schools we visited, leaders told us that they used a wide variety of sanctions for perpetrators of sexual harassment and sexual violence, including online sexual abuse. They intended these to be proportionate and to take account of individual circumstances. Examples included fixed-term exclusions, detentions, internal referrals and removal of privileges. Schools also included parents and carers as part of any response. Some children and young people were moved permanently to a different class or form. Some leaders said they found it more difficult to issue sanctions for incidents taking place outside school than inside school because they consider that their behaviour policy does not apply to these incidents.

Some children and young people, particularly girls, believe that sanctions are often not tough enough or that the wrong person is sanctioned. In one school, for example, girls felt that boys who pressured others to send ‘nudes’ were punished less than the girls who sent the images. In another, girls felt that the lack of severe sanctions meant that the harmful sexual behaviour continued. This suggests that, in some schools, the threat of being caught and punished is a much weaker influence on behaviour than an underlying culture where sexual harassment and online sexual abuse can thrive. In some schools, inspectors noted that children and young people did not seem to know enough about the range of sanctions that could be used and that this seemed to affect children and young people’s willingness to talk to adults about sexual harassment and sexual violence, including online sexual abuse.

In addition to sanctions, many schools told us that they offered support to the victim and the perpetrator to prevent future incidents and tackle any underlying causes of harmful sexual behaviour. This included counselling, pastoral support, educative approaches and the involvement of families, social care and external agencies, such as child and adolescent mental health services and specialist services. Many schools recognised the importance of family involvement and the need to support parents and carers. In some schools, leaders said they would appreciate more support services for perpetrators of harmful sexual behaviour, especially at an early stage, when inappropriate and problematic behaviours are first identified.

The extent to which leaders evaluate whether sanctions and/or interventions are effective varies, as does the evidence of ongoing monitoring of children and young people who have perpetrated harmful sexual behaviour. For example, in one school, records state that perpetrators should have received education following an incident. But there was no evidence that this happened or what the content was. In other schools, leaders reported checking regularly with victims and perpetrators to ensure that support systems were having the desired effect.

Staff training and development

Most staff receive annual safeguarding training, which includes updates on ‘Keeping children safe in education’. This training aims to ensure that staff understand the latest guidance, and there were examples where it included an understanding of different forms of harmful sexual behaviour.

In most schools we visited, leaders understood the continuum of harmful sexual behaviours, but not all of them appeared to have shared this understanding with all staff. For example, only a handful of schools had provided detailed training for staff on the continuum of harmful sexual behaviour and how to address the context behind incidents of harmful sexual behaviour, such as peer group dynamics or unsupervised spaces where poor behaviour occurred. Where this training was in place, it was part of a wider school ethos and long-term strategy for preventing abuse. Evidence from previous research indicates that this is the most effective way to tackle sexual harassment and sexual violence, including online. [footnote 56]

Most staff training on harmful sexual behaviours tended to be piecemeal. This was often because it was incorporated into training on other important aspects of safeguarding. For example, in one school, information on peer-on-peer abuse was confined to one slide in a much longer presentation on safeguarding. In a few schools, there was no training on peer-on-peer sexual harassment and sexual violence, including online. These schools expected staff to read the guidance instead.

It is important that, in any school, governors have a good understanding of sexual harassment and sexual violence, including online, so that they can provide the right level of support and challenge for school leaders and DSLs . In just over a quarter of the schools we visited, inspectors reported that governors had some sort of safeguarding training, although it was not always clear that this included specific training on harmful sexual behaviour. Evidence indicates that there are gaps in governors’ knowledge of online safety issues in particular. [footnote 57] Around a quarter of the schools we visited had a specific safeguarding governor, and some of those met regularly with the DSL . In around a third of the schools, inspectors highlighted that governors are involved in reviewing incidents, safeguarding logs, behaviour logs or procedures related to harmful sexual behaviour. This could be to help identify wider patterns, or to check that school policies and procedures have been adhered to. Our visits indicate that governors could receive better training and be more involved in tackling harmful sexual behaviours.

Training and development for DSLs

Being a DSL requires regular training and additional support to help with the emotional impact of the role and the expertise that is required. In some schools, we saw good practice. DSLs were engaging fully with the LSPs and forming support networks locally with other DSLs . They had protected time on timetables, opportunities for supervision and regular training from LSPs . However, some DSLs talked about a lack of high-level training at LSP level in how to address, manage and follow up on allegations of a serious sexual nature.

Some DSLs said it was hard to keep up with guidance, and that publishing updates before the summer holidays instead of September would allow them to plan staff inset days in September accordingly. The Home Office’s ‘Tackling child sexual abuse strategy’ includes a commitment from the DfE to provide high-quality resources on addressing child sexual abuse. [footnote 58] These will be held on a digital support platform for DSLs . Once released, this should help to upskill professionals and help with some of the training needs that DSLs identified.

Learning from incidents

Inspectors noted there were inconsistencies in how staff were defining and recording instances of sexual abuse, including recording of discussions with multi-agency partners and the outcome of referrals. Without an agreed and shared system of recording, schools are limiting their ability to track and monitor concerns and appropriately plan their response to sexual harassment and violence in order to reduce risk. Some schools had systems in place for recording incidents, but they did not all then analyse the data and information to identify any patterns or trends that could inform their response.

A few schools had enhanced systems in place to record concerns and track patterns of behaviour. These, together with systems to gather information about pupils’ concerns, for example through surveys, gave schools a better understanding and oversight of issues. DSLs were able to build a better picture of low-level changes in behaviour or incidents that may indicate a response is required, either at pupil, peer group or school level, instead of just referring on to multi-agency partners. These schools used the RSHE curriculum and assemblies, for example, to address concerning patterns of behaviour.

How are schools successfully delivering the new RSHE curriculum and how can they be supported further?

The terms of reference of this review asked us to consider the new RSHE curriculum. However, the disruption of the last year means that schools’ ability to plan and deliver the new curriculum will have been significantly affected. Most children and young people talked about their previous experience of RSHE and PSHE , which we know does not necessarily address how the curriculum will support them in future. Where we can, we point to how schools and colleges are implementing the new RSHE curriculum and where they can be supported further. The DfE ’s research into schools that adopted the RSHE curriculum early also provides insights. [footnote 59] We recognise that RSHE is just one part of a whole-school approach to tackling sexual harassment and sexual violence, including online. Other factors, and the role of parents, are also vital.

Our visits identified a number of issues that meant that children and young people were not getting the quality of education in this subject that they should be. These included weak implementation of RSHE , poor teacher subject knowledge, and significant gaps in curriculum coverage. The children and young people we spoke to were seldom positive about their RSHE and PSHE lessons. They felt that the quality of the input varied according to who was teaching them and that the lessons were not relevant to their daily experiences and the reality of their lives. Some teachers also talked about not feeling prepared to teach outside their subject specialism and receiving resources too late to prepare for sessions.

In half of the schools visited, leaders had developed an RSHE curriculum. This commonly involved expertise from a trained RSHE / PSHE lead in planning and organising the curriculum. Inspectors viewed detailed planning in these schools that showed clear examples of a strong curriculum narrative. Emphasis was placed on the importance of respect and prioritised teaching about consent and healthy relationships. Concepts were generally sequenced and interwoven in an ‘age and stage’ manner, allowing for content to be revisited and built on in further depth at appropriate points in children and young people’s learning. Many leaders spoke knowledgeably about the content of their RSHE curriculum.

However, inspectors also noted that in many of these schools, despite a well-planned curriculum, there were often constraints in place that impacted on its implementation. Similar to our findings in other subjects, [footnote 60] some of the main weaknesses in the delivery of RSHE were linked to the lack of subject knowledge that teachers had on topics like consent, healthy relationships and sharing of sexual images.

In a few schools, planning was almost non-existent. Leaders did not value the importance of the subject. In others, leaders were confident in the delivery of some areas of PSHE , such as cyber-bullying and respecting differences, but were less assured when it came to including relationships and sex education. This meant that, in many of these schools, teachers were not teaching about consent, healthy relationships and the use of sexual imagery. These findings reflect the picture from our last PSHE subject survey. [footnote 61] In that report, we found some schools focused on the mechanics of reproduction and not enough on understanding healthy sexual relationships.

In a few schools, teaching about sexual relationships was covered in science or, in faith schools, religious education lessons, but this did not commonly address same-sex relationships. Some children and young people noted that RSHE lessons were not inclusive enough and only focused on heterosexual relationships. In a few schools, planning was piecemeal. Inspectors found that these schools treated it as a tick-box process to ensure that some coverage was provided over all the statutory requirements. It is a concern that in a few schools, children and young people told us that they had learned more about sexuality ‘from social media than from school’ or had got their education about relationships from their peers and social media.

In around half of the schools, teachers, who were often expected to deliver content through tutorial time, had not received any formal training on RSHE . Several teachers reported that resources for the lesson were sent late, sometimes too late for them to look through fully before having to teach the lesson. Others expressed resentment that they had to teach relationships and sex education beyond their own subject specialism. As children and young people from the focus groups suggested:

It’s like a task that teachers have to do, they don’t take it seriously, so it’s not a good environment to learn about it. How can any of us take it seriously if they don’t? You can tell they don’t want to do the PowerPoint. It’s always stuff we’ve done before anyway.

This meant they were less keen to discuss sensitive issues and speak to them about sexual harassment and sexual violence, including online. They were unsure what the reactions of less confident teachers would be.

Many leaders confirmed that staff were generally not very confident to deliver the curriculum in areas related to sexual harassment and sexual violence, including online. On this basis, there was in-school variation in the consistency of how RSHE was delivered. Children and young people from the same schools reported both positive and negative experiences, depending on teachers’ level of subject knowledge and confidence. These findings indicate that additional resources to support non-subject specialists to teach RSHE would be beneficial for schools to help them successfully implement the new RSHE curriculum.

In some schools, leaders did not regularly or systematically check on the effectiveness and impact of teaching. This meant they were unaware that some staff lacked knowledge or confidence in delivering content. Leaders also did not seek feedback from children and young people. This left them unaware that children and young people were not getting the rich discussion required to fully understand complex concepts, such as consent.

In some of the schools with a more secure curriculum plan, leaders tended to alleviate this variation in teachers’ expertise by allocating discrete curriculum time to RSHE , rather than delivering it through a class tutor system. Leaders in these schools had carefully considered which staff should deliver the RSHE curriculum and provided appropriate training, rather than placing expectations on all staff. They also invited trusted external speakers with specialist knowledge to talk to children and young people and delivered aspects of the curriculum through assemblies. However, some mentioned that aligning speakers’ availability with the curriculum was tricky. One school also used external speakers to hold remote sessions on aspects of the RSHE curriculum for parents, carers and their children.

Some leaders told us that finding space in the timetable for RSHE was problematic. The actual hours set aside for it were sometimes minimal and did not meet the requirements set out in the curriculum plan to teach content fully. Therefore, teachers and tutors often struggled to cover the curriculum in the detail in which it had been planned. Several children and young people also identified that the time planned for RSHE was not always valued, particularly by some teachers, and was often ‘taken for other things’. This was particularly the case for older children and young people who had other pressures, such as revision or catch-up interventions.

Children and young people were generally concerned that the curriculum did not take account of their level of maturity. They felt that they could deal with more challenging content than teachers realised. This was particularly raised as an issue in the teaching of issues around consent. Older children and young people accepted that teaching about consent through analogies made sense in younger years. But this became jarring and patronising for them when the same or similar content was repeated in their later years of school. Some said that the popular ‘cup of tea’ consent video could only go so far.

Year 6 pupils we spoke to had a good understanding of friendships and relationships. However, in one faith school, the Year 6 children said they were taught about being a good friend in an indirect way (through religious teachings) and would value something more direct.

When planning the RSHE curriculum, it is essential that schools work closely with parents and carers to talk them through areas covered, address any gaps in their understanding and equip them with the confidence to be able to have open discussions with their children. Research indicates that there is a particular gap in parents’ understanding of issues around online sexual abuse. Many parents are interested in learning more about the issue through schools and online resources. They also want more support in understanding how to talk about these issues with their children. [footnote 62]

How well are multi-agency safeguarding arrangements working?

We held discussions with 12 LSPs to seek their views on how well multi-agency safeguarding arrangements to tackle sexual harassment and violence were working between LSPs , schools and colleges. We did not review the work of the LSPs as part of this thematic review. This section reflects their views, alongside the views of school and college leaders.

Some LSPs we spoke to took a strategic approach to tackling sexual harassment and sexual violence, including online. For some, this was part of wider work on peer-on-peer abuse and extra-familial safeguarding. These LSPs reported that they had been working closely with schools and colleges to collate and analyse data on sexual harassment and sexual violence, including online. They could speak fluently about the experiences of children and young people, ranging from criminal cases to sexual harassment. They reported working closely with schools and colleges through the multi-agency audits and had systems in place to understand children and young people’s experiences. They were aware that some of these issues were so common that may become somewhat normalised, a view that was also supported by the victims’ groups we spoke to.

However, not all LSPs took this approach. A small number of LSPs told us that sexual harassment and sexual violence, including online, in schools and colleges were not significant problems for children and young people in their area. It was not clear whether this was because a clear assessment had been made or because they were underestimating the problems. Given what children and young people have told us about the prevalence of sexual harassment and online sexual abuse in their lives, it is likely to be the latter.

We were presented with a mixed picture of partnership working from schools, colleges and LSPs . There were examples of LSPs reporting effective engagement with a range of schools and colleges, including local authority, academy, independent and faith schools. But this was not the case in all areas. LSPs told us that some schools and colleges do not always engage as fully with them as they are required to as a ‘relevant agency’. For example, LSPs reported that independent schools may commission outside training rather than accessing partnership training, which makes it hard for them to know and understand what is being delivered in these schools and harder for the schools to link into an early help offer. Some LSPs also reported that independent schools may be less likely to complete audits commissioned by the LSP . They described this as a ‘significant barrier’ to their ability to have oversight of safeguarding practices in these schools, and to provide support where it is needed. However, some LSPs did report effective working relationships with independent schools as a result of proactive and persistent strategic partnership arrangements.

Some schools and colleges have reported to us, in previous inspections and as part of these visits, that they struggle to engage with LSPs and get the support they need. This may be why some are choosing to commission training elsewhere. One DSL at an independent single-sex school we spoke to also emphasised that while a network of other DSLs in the LSP was helpful more broadly, it was particularly useful to be part of a network of DSLs from other corresponding single-sex independent schools in the local area to help identify patterns and trends of behaviour and intervene early.

In the current guidance, once the LSP names a school or college as a ‘relevant agency’, that places the school or college under a duty to cooperate with the LSP arrangements. However, some LSPs raised concerns that changes to ‘Working together to safeguard children’ did not make clear how the engagement of schools and colleges as ‘relevant agencies’ should work in practice. They were concerned that leaving LSPs to reach their own conclusions on how best locally to engage individual institutions was too vague. Therefore, the wording in the statutory guidance could be made more explicit so that it clearly outlines the relationship between LSPs and schools and colleges, and their individual responsibilities.

Both LSPs and some DSLs said that centralised training for DSLs from LSPs was useful. They used this training to then train others in schools and colleges on how to identify and address sexual harassment and sexual violence, including online. They also identified training and meetings as being routes for helping schools/colleges to develop a preventative approach. LSPs also highlighted the importance of DSLs having enough time and support from school and college leaders to enable them to engage in partnership planning, training and meetings.

Where arrangements were working well, LSPs found that they provide a forum for the sharing of information, such as patterns and trends in emerging local risks to children and young people. This can then inform clear preventative approaches within individual schools and colleges that take account of local risks. Some of the schools and colleges we spoke to also talked about how helpful their LSP and local authority were, not just for helping with specific cases, but also for the training and networks they provided.

However, some school and college leaders told us it was a challenge for them to access the right information or support from multi-agency partners as it can vary across local authorities. Some also mentioned the difficulties of having different thresholds across different areas. This becomes a particular challenge when their school or college population comes from a wide area, such as schools in London, independent schools and some faith schools. LSPs also recognised that it was important that schools and colleges had clear support from them on how to manage sexual harassment and sexual violence, including online. They recognised that it was their responsibility to ensure that school and college leaders are supported to understand local thresholds and pathways for referral into services.

Inspection is a critical lever in the accountability system. It provides a ‘point in time’ snapshot of an education provider, including its approach to tackling sexual harassment and sexual violence, including online. Inspection evidence can be aggregated to provide insights at a system level and to influence behaviour. While it provides broad assurance, the inspection model is not designed or resourced to investigate or address specific incidents in schools and colleges. If the government wishes to support schools to develop their approach to tackling sexual harassment and violence, it will need to employ a range of approaches, of which inspection is just one.

Statutory guidance sets clear expectations for schools and colleges to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people. Generally, school and college leaders tell us that the guidance is clear, although they would appreciate all guidance being in one easily accessible place and updates to be made in good time before the school year starts so they can plan training accordingly. The phrasing in ‘Working together to safeguard children’ could also be updated to explicitly state that all types of schools and colleges are expected to be one of the ‘relevant agencies’ that LSPs need to engage with and that multi-agency audits should be completed regularly.

There is a gap in guidance for how schools and colleges should respond when there are lengthy investigations or no prosecution or conviction. Some school and college leaders also want clearer guidance on where their responsibilities start and end, for example with incidents of harmful sexual behaviour that happen outside school. Developing clearer guidance in this area would help school and college leaders assure parents, children and young people that they are making decisions in their best interests and in line with guidance.

To assess whether the current safeguarding framework and guidance for Ofsted and ISI inspectors were strong enough, we carried out an internal review of:

both inspection frameworks and Ofsted’s schools and further education and skills inspection handbooks

evidence bases gathered on inspection of 108 schools and colleges, including state-funded schools, independent non-association schools that Ofsted inspects and independent schools that ISI inspects

safeguarding guidance and training for inspectors of both inspectorates, with a particular focus on peer-on-peer harmful sexual behaviour

We also reviewed our previous handling of complaints about schools and colleges that focused on peer-on-peer sexual harassment and sexual violence, including online. This included complaints about the non-association independent schools that we inspect. You can find further details of this internal review in the methodology .

ISI also carried out a similar review of complaints it has received that focused on sexual harassment and sexual violence, including online, which it shared with the review team.

Frameworks, handbooks, guidance and training

The review looked at our ‘Inspecting safeguarding’ guidance, which covers early years, education and skills settings. [footnote 63] It found that this clearly outlines how inspectors should inspect how well schools and colleges respond to peer-on-peer abuse, such as sexual harassment and sexual violence, including online. Since the introduction of the education inspection framework ( EIF ) in September 2019, the school inspection handbook has also made specific reference to peer-on-peer abuse. All inspectors were trained on how to consider such abuse during inspection earlier that year. The handbook was updated recently to reflect the government’s changes to guidance on RSHE . All school inspectors have received mandatory training on what this means for inspection practice.

However, the review also found that, although Ofsted’s education inspectors are trained using ‘Inspecting safeguarding’, the further education and skills inspection handbook does not specifically refer to sexual violence and sexual harassment, including online. We will therefore update it to include this.

ISI inspects independent schools’ compliance with The Independent School Standards Regulations. [footnote 64] ISI reports on the extent to which the independent school standards are being met. The ISI inspection framework provides for 2 types of routine inspection: regulatory compliance only or educational quality with focused compliance. Both inspection types always consider whether the school meets the expected independent school standards in welfare, health and safety. These standards include whether a school is meeting the statutory standards, which includes safeguarding expectations as set out by the government. Although the independent school standards do not make explicit reference to peer-on-peer sexual violence and harassment, they require the school’s leaders to actively promote the well-being of the pupils. Leaders must also follow all statutory guidance relating to safeguarding, which includes peer-on-peer abuse. When inspecting compliance with the relevant standards, ISI inspectors record whether the school’s safeguarding policy sets out its response to peer-on-peer abuse and whether it includes procedures to minimise the risk of peer-on-peer abuse.

In the visits we did as part of this review, inspectors found that talking to single-sex groups was an effective way to gather evidence about sexual harassment and violence. Therefore, both Ofsted and ISI will make it explicit to inspectors that they should do this during future inspections wherever possible. This will help inspectors to understand how a school’s or college’s approach to tackling sexual harassment and sexual violence, including online, is working.

The review of Ofsted’s training showed that all school and further education and skills inspectors were trained in 2018 and 2019 on peer-on-peer abuse. This included sexual harassment and sexual violence, including online. The training is covered in different modules for education and social care inspectors. For example, further education and skills inspectors do not complete the same training as school inspectors.

ISI provided Ofsted with a chronology of training since 2017. It also showed us examples of its inspector training materials relating to safeguarding and peer-on-peer abuse. Most training was mandatory. Some was optional, such as a workshop on peer-on-peer abuse delivered at a conference held for all ISI inspectors in January 2019. Training materials referenced government statutory guidance on safeguarding, including guidance relating to peer-on-peer abuse, sexual harassment and violence. ISI reported that it held follow-up discussions to make sure that inspectors understood the implications for inspection activity.

For 2021/22 and beyond, Ofsted and ISI will work together to produce and jointly deliver further training on inspecting safeguarding in education settings. This will include issues of peer-on-peer abuse.

State-funded and independent schools and colleges have to implement statutory guidance. This should ensure that they have a common approach to safeguarding, including peer-on-peer abuse. Ofsted and ISI will continue to work together to prioritise a consistent standard of inspection practice in this area.

Previous inspections

We reviewed the evidence bases for 93 inspections under Ofsted’s EIF . The inspections all took place between September 2019 and March 2020, when routine inspections were suspended due to the pandemic.

The review found that evidence bases demonstrated that inspectors have a good knowledge of ‘Keeping children safe in education’. They use this knowledge to determine the questions they will ask on inspection. Scrutiny of inspection evidence found that inspectors had explored children and young people’s experiences of sexting and upskirting, and what school and college staff had done in response.

Following notification of a school inspection, school leaders are asked to present their records and analysis of sexual violence and sexual harassment, including online, in school by 8am on the first day of the inspection. This is set out as a requirement in our school inspection handbook.

In September 2019, when this requirement was brought in, we expected to see a substantial flow of evidence about these issues, given that there was already considerable information about their prevalence in schools. In fact, this has not been the case. It is surprising that, in the inspections we looked at for the review, only 6% of schools gave evidence of sexual violence and sexual harassment, including online, in response to the request. Forty-six per cent of the schools provided a nil return. These figures may reflect the gap between staff’s and children and young people’s knowledge and perceptions, as discussed earlier. The remaining 48% of schools neither provided information nor a statement that there was no relevant information. In most of the inspections where no information was provided, inspectors did not record how they followed up with leaders to determine whether a nil return was an accurate picture.

As a result, we cannot yet say that EIF inspections are sufficiently assessing the extent and nature of sexual harassment and sexual violence, including online, between peers in schools. We will mandate that, in future, inspectors should follow up and record schools’ responses to the request. We will quality assure future evidence bases to make sure that this happens. We will also reiterate this through inspector training.

The requirement for leaders to provide records and analysis of sexual violence and sexual harassment, including online, is not currently in our further education and skills inspection handbook. We will amend this. In future, on notification of college inspections, leaders will be asked to supply this information to inspectors. Inspectors will also be mandated to follow this up with college leaders. ISI will also ask for this information from schools on notification.

The review also found that inspectors seek evidence from a variety of sources to triangulate their findings about safeguarding. For example, they speak to staff, children and young people, governors, senior leaders, support staff and external colleagues such as local authority representatives. When a safeguarding issue emerges on inspection, they follow it up.

Furthermore, the scrutiny of Ofsted inspection evidence shows that when inspectors have focused on the PSHE curriculum (known as a ‘deep dive’) in EIF inspections, they examine relationships and sex education very effectively. However, unless there is a deep dive into PSHE , there is little time on inspection to look closely at a school’s or college’s approach to creating a culture of safeguarding around peer-on-peer sexual harassment and violence. Inspection resource constraints limit the number of deep dives to 3 or 4 per inspection. Ofsted’s inspectors cover a sample of curriculum areas rather than every subject in depth. It is therefore not possible to review PSHE fully on every inspection.

We also reviewed 15 evidence bases of ISI inspections. We found that they included appropriate consideration and clear evaluation of how well schools managed their procedures and policies related to safeguarding and handling complaints. The review also found careful pre-inspection planning and appropriate recording of evidence in relation to the independent school standards. However, the inspection evidence did not always identify how the curriculum developed children and young people’s understanding of acceptable and unacceptable behaviours. It also did not always show how inspectors cross-referenced leaders’ and pupils’ views with other evidence, such as record-keeping. In a few evidence bases, inspectors appeared to give weight to the views of leaders, who responded that reporting systems and effective pastoral care were in place, rather than to those of pupils, where a significant minority had concerns.

Handling of complaints about schools that refer to peer-on-peer sexual harassment and violence

A review of Ofsted’s handling of complaints about schools we inspect found that they are dealt with comprehensively. We also review annually how we handle them. All complaints about independent schools were referred on to the DfE , and those about colleges to ESFA . When a complaint about a school or college refers to sexual abuse, we may notify the local authority for a maintained school or ESFA for an academy, free school or college. We may also inspect immediately or use the information to inform the school’s or college’s next routine inspection.

When ISI receives complaints about the schools it inspects, it currently refers to the DfE only those that relate to the independent school standards. ISI has told us that all complaints about sexual abuse are referred to the DfE . ISI has recently reviewed its policy and from September 2021, all complaints (whether they refer to the independent school standards or not) will be referred to the DfE .

The DfE , in collaboration with ESFA , Ofsted and ISI , may wish to review how complaints are handled.

As a result of this review, both Ofsted and ISI will update training and inspection handbooks where necessary. This will strengthen inspectors’ ability to inspect how schools and colleges are tackling peer-on-peer sexual harassment and sexual violence, including online.

This rapid thematic review has revealed how prevalent sexual harassment and online sexual abuse are for children and young people. It is concerning that for some children, incidents are so commonplace that they see no point in reporting them. This review did not analyse whether the issues are more or less prevalent for different groups of young people, and there may well be differences, but it found that the issues are so widespread that they need addressing for all children and young people. It recommends that schools, colleges and multi-agency partners act as though sexual harassment and online sexual abuse are happening, even when there are no specific reports.

Methodology

This review has a limited scope, constrained both by the terms of reference given to Ofsted by government and also the time constraints. The findings from our visits are not fully representative of schools or colleges across England.

Our sample sizes are also not big enough to draw any conclusions about the protection of children from minority ethnic groups or those with special educational needs and/or disabilities ( SEND ). Reporting of sexual abuse by these children is thought to be even less common. Further research into the prevalence, experiences and outcomes for these children is crucial.

Visits to schools and colleges

We carried out 32 2-day visits to schools and colleges in April and May 2021. The inspection team had at least one female inspector as part of each visit. ISI inspectors shadowed Ofsted’s inspectors on 13 visits. Before the visits, both ISI and Ofsted inspectors received 2 days of refresher safeguarding training with a specific focus on peer-on-peer sexual harassment and violence.

In selecting the research sample, we sought to include some schools where concerns have been reported. We identified these through complaints made to Ofsted or the publicly available Everyone’s Invited testimonials. We also included others to provide a more balanced cross-section of school/provider types. We sought to ensure a mix of independent and state-funded schools, as well as covering different geographical locations. Given the focus on adequacy of current inspection models, the sample was also weighted in favour of schools/colleges inspected since September 2019. The overall small sample size does not make it possible to compare and contrast different types of schools. But it gives confidence that where we saw patterns of behaviours or experience, they were not limited to one particular type.

The sample included:

14 state-funded schools

14 ISI -inspected independent schools

2 Ofsted-inspected independent schools

2 FE colleges

The majority of the schools were secondary schools or all-through schools. Two were state-funded primary schools.

In one visit, we identified serious safeguarding failures. Inspectors ended the visit and we carried out an initial inspection under section 8 (‘no formal designation’). This led to a full inspection. Findings from the early part of the visit are used in this report.

Focus groups with children and young people

In the visits, we held up to 4 focus groups with children and young people on each visit. These lasted for 45 minutes. In total, we had over 125 focus groups with approximately 900 children and young people participating. Parents were given an ‘opt out’ letter if they did not want their child to take part. Inspectors also gave children and young people the option not to take part on the day. Leaders highlighted where it would not be appropriate for us to talk to children and young people due to ongoing investigations or additional context. Inspectors spoke to the children and young people in single-sex, same-age groups. Where there was an existing LGBT+ pupil group, we asked whether members would like to speak to us. We made time to do so where they agreed.

Activities that inspectors led children and young people through in the focus groups included the following:

colouring in/marking areas on a map of their school according to how safe/unsafe parts of the school were, discussing this among the group as they did so

answering a short questionnaire about the prevalence of sexual abuse among their peers and who they would speak to, if anyone, if they were the victim of abuse or harassment (we did this with those in Year 9 and above only)

choosing from 4 scenarios to use to talk hypothetically about what might be said/done among their peer group in different situations, as well as who they might speak to/tell

explaining what they are taught in school/college about relationships and sex and whether they thought it was enough/well taught

Inspectors summarised the conversations from each focus group and collated the questionnaires, both of which were analysed by the research team.

Discussions with school and college staff

As part of each visit, inspectors spoke to:

the headteacher/principal

the behaviour lead

the lead for PSHE and/or RSHE

2 groups of staff

Inspectors looked at records of sexual harassment and sexual abuse; behaviour records; policies for safeguarding, behaviour, equal opportunities and staff conduct; and the policy and curriculum documentation for PSHE and RSHE .

Inspectors collated all the evidence from each visit, which was analysed by the research team.

Focus groups with multi-agency partners

From our list of 32 schools and colleges, we identified 12 LSPs with whom we held 45-minute focus groups. Each group had a representative from children’s social care, the police and health partners. The discussions were framed around the terms of reference for the review covering the 2 multi-agency safeguarding questions, from the partners’ perspectives:

How well are safeguarding guidance and processes understood and working between schools, colleges and LSPs ?

Does working between schools, colleges and LSPs , including local authority children’s social care, the police, health services and other support, need to be strengthened?

The information from these focus groups was analysed by the research team and triangulated with the perspectives from schools themselves.

Victim/survivor focus groups

Ten individuals from 6 organisations spoke to Ofsted to share their experiences and views from a survivor/victim perspective.

Everyone’s Invited testimonies

As of 6 April 2021, there were 2,340 testimonies publicly available on the Everyone’s Invited website. We extracted this text using web scraping.

Our text analysis then focused on the 2,030 testimonies thought to relate to young people of school or further education age in England. For example, we excluded testimonies that referred to universities or to other countries. The testimonies were analysed using computer-based learning techniques, including key-word searches and topic modelling. This was complemented by textual analysis of 250 random testimonies, which were read in full.

Data from these was recorded, including:

• what the incident was
• where it happened
• the characteristics of the victim and their relationship to the perpetrator
• the response to the incident
• the incident’s impact on the victim

The intention of this analysis was to identify common themes and build a broad picture of the experiences young people are reporting.

Ofsted and ISI complaints

Between September 2019 and March 2021, Ofsted received 291 complaints against schools and colleges about peer-on-peer sexual abuse. All were logged as safeguarding concerns.

In order for Ofsted to consider a complaint against a school as a ‘qualifying complaint’, it must meet certain legislative requirements:

• it must be made in writing
• it must not be a prescribed exception (that is, a concern for which another statutory agency has responsibility for handling)
• it must be a prescribed description (leadership and management, standards of education being achieved, quality of education, how far the education meets the needs of pupils, social, spiritual, moral and cultural development and well-being of pupils)
• it must have been through the local complaints routes

For this report, we reviewed 16 complaints that we chose to meet the following criteria:

they contained an element of alleged sexual abuse, harassment or violence

they came from all Ofsted regions

they involved maintained schools and academies, pupil referral units ( PRUs ), independent schools and colleges

they allowed us to sample complaints about child serious incident notifications, local contextual information, qualifying and non-qualifying complaints and 11A investigations

they were retained for the next inspection, resulted in inspections being brought forward or resulted in a no formal designation inspection under section 8

Between September 2019 and March 2021, ISI reports that it received 37 complaints against schools about peer-on-peer sexual abuse and that all were logged as safeguarding concerns and referred to the DfE .

Review of inspection evidence bases

Ofsted reviewed 93 evidence bases, the majority of which were from inspections carried out between September 2019 and March 2020. This covers the period when the EIF was in place and pauses when routine EIF inspection activity ceased. Another 16 evidence bases from Ofsted-inspected residential special schools and boarding schools were also reviewed. We sampled evidence bases from across all 8 Ofsted regions. We included those from inspections of primary, secondary and special schools and PRUs . Within this sample, there were 30 independent school inspections, 20 emergency inspections and 10 standard inspections.

Ofsted also reviewed ISI evidence bases from 15 inspections that took place between October 2018 and December 2020.

Literature review

The literature that fed into this report covered a broad range of topics, including:

statistics of child peer-on-peer sexual harassment and violence, including the prevalence for children with protected characteristics or from different socio-economic backgrounds, such as LGBT+ or minority ethnic children and young people

definitions of child sexual abuse, including peer-on-peer sexual harassment and violence

barriers that prevent children and young people talking about abuse and good practice

online sexual abuse

pornography

preventative measures in schools

Parent focus groups

Ofsted carried out one focus group with state-school parents and another with independent school parents. The number of parents participating was too small to draw conclusions but we used their comments as part of the wider evidence base for this report.

List of stakeholders we spoke to as part of the review

Reference group members.

Chief Constable Simon Bailey (NPCC lead on child protection)

Geoff Barton (Association of School and College Leaders)

Tom Bennett ( DfE behaviour advisor)

Professor Chris Bonell (Faculty of Public Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine)

Dame Rachel de Souza (Children’s Commissioner)

Hilary Garratt (Deputy Chief Nursing Officer for England, NHS)

Sarah Hannafin/James Bowen (National Association of Head Teachers)

David Hughes (Association of Colleges)

John Jolly (ParentKind)

Ian Keating (Local Government Association)

Julia Lagoutte/Rowan Davies (Mumsnet)

Michele Lawrence/Wendy Nicholson (Public Health England)

Charlotte Ramsden (Association of Directors of Children’s Services) Julie Robinson (Independent Schools Council)

Andrea Simon/ Denise Ugur (End Violence Against Women Coalition)

Russell Viner (Professor in Adolescent Health, University College London and former President, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health)

Peter Wanless (NSPCC)

Vanessa Ward ( ISI )

Other stakeholders

DfE ministers

Officials from DfE , No 10 and Home Office

Dame Vera Baird (Victims’ Commissioner)

Dan Bell (Men and Boys Coalition)

Mary Bousted (National Education Union)

Leora Cruddas/ Steve Rollett (Confederation of School Trusts)

Helen Earner (Charity Commission)

Anna Glinski (Centre for Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse)

Jonny Gutteridge (Male Survivors Trust)

Amelia Handy (Rape Crisis England)

Emma Hardy MP

Nicole Jacobs (Domestic Abuse Commissioner)

Emma James (Barnardo’s)

Dr Jenny Lloyd (University of Bedfordshire)

Amy Norton (Office for Students)

Jess Phillips MP

Patrick Roach (National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers)

Soma Sara/ Wendy Mair (Everyone’s Invited)

Wes Streeting MP

Gail Tolley (London Borough of Brent)

Colin Walker (Safeline)

Bibliography

AR Beech, IA Elliott, A Birgden and D Findlater, ‘The internet and child sexual offending: a criminological review’, in ‘Aggression and Violent Behavior’, Volume 13, Issue 3, 2008, pages 216 to 228.

AJ Darling, S Hackett and K Jamie, ‘Female sex offenders who abuse children whilst working in organisational contexts: offending, conviction and sentencing’, in ‘Journal of Sexual Aggression’, Volume 24, Issue 2, 2018, pages 195 to 213.

A Phippen and E Bond, ‘UK schools online safety policy & practice assessment 2020’ , SWGfL, February 2020.

A Phipps, J Ringrose, E Renold and Ca Jackson, ‘Rape culture, lad culture and everyday sexism: researching, conceptualizing and politicizing new mediations of gender and sexual violence’ , in ‘Journal of Gender Studies’, Volume 27, Issue 1, 2018, pages 1 to 8.

A Wood, ‘Sexuality and relationships education for people with Down syndrome’, in ‘Down Syndrome News and Update’, Volume 4, Issue 2, 2004, pages 42 to 51.

‘Action to end child sexual abuse and exploitation. A review of the evidence’ , UNICEF, 2020.

‘BBC Three survey - Porn: what’s the harm?’ , BBC, 10 April 2014.

‘BBFC research into children and pornography’ , British Board of Film Classification, September 2019.

‘Beyond referrals: levers for addressing harmful sexual behaviour in schools’ , Contextual Safeguarding Network, July 2020.

C Lemaigre, E Taylor and C Gittoes, ‘Barriers and facilitators to disclosing sexual abuse in childhood and adolescence: a systematic review’ , in ‘Child Abuse and Neglect’, Volume 70, 2017, pages 39 to 52.

C Ricardo, M Eads and G Barker, ‘Engaging boys and young men in the prevention of sexual violence: a systematic and global review of evaluated interventions’ , Sexual Violence Research Initiative, 2011.

C Smith and F Attwood, ‘Lamenting sexualization: research, rhetoric and the story of young people’s “sexualization” in the UK Home Office review’, in ‘Sex Education’, Volume 11, Issue 3, 2011, pages 327 to 337.

‘Child sexual abuse’ , Barnardo’s, 2021.

‘Child sexual abuse’ , Rape Abuse and Incest National Network, 2021.

‘Child sexual abuse in England and Wales: year ending March 2019’ , Office for National Statistics, January 2020.

‘Child sexual abuse in residential schools: a literature review independent inquiry into child sexual abuse’ , Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, November 2018.

‘Child sexual abuse in the context of schools’ , Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, December 2020.

‘County lines exploitation: applying “All Our Health”’ , Public Health England, February 2021.

‘County lines violence, exploitation and drug supply’ , National Crime Agency, November 2017.

‘COVID-19 series: briefing on local areas’ SEND provision’ , Ofsted, October 2020.

‘Curriculum for Wales guidance’ , Welsh Government, February 2020.

D Allnock and P Miller, ‘No one noticed, no one heard’ , NSPCC, 2013.

D Buckingham, R Willett, S Bragg and R Russell , ‘Sexualised goods aimed at children: a report to the Scottish parliament Equal Opportunities Committee’ , 2010.

D McNeish and S Scott, ‘Key messages from research on children and young people who display harmful sexual behaviour’ , Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse, July 2018.

‘Digital romance’ , Brook and the National Crime Agency’s Child Exploitation and Online Protection Command, December 2017.

E Martellozzo, A Monaghan, JR Adler, J Davidson, R Leyva and MAH Horvath, ‘I wasn’t sure it was normal to watch tt…’ , NSPCC, 2016.

E Runarsdottir, E Smith and A Arnarsson1, ‘The effects of gender and family wealth on sexual abuse of adolescents’ , in ‘International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health’, Volume 16, Issue 10, 2019, article 1788.

E Rutger Leukfeldt, J Jansen and WP Stol, ‘Child pornography, the internet and juvenile suspects’, in ‘Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law’, Volume 36, Issue 1, 2014, pages 3 to 13.

F Attwood and C Smith, ‘Investigating young people’s sexual cultures: an introduction’, in ‘Sex Education’, Volume 11, Issue 3, 2011, pages 235 to 242.

F Briggs and R Hawkins, ‘Low socio-economic status children are disadvantaged in the provision of school-based child protection programmes’, in ‘British Journal of Social Work’, Volume 26, Issue 5, 1996, pages 667 to 678.

GT Mundakel, ‘What is the prevalence of physical and sexual abuse in patients with Down syndrome?’ , May 2020.

‘Girls’ attitudes survey 2018’ , Girlguiding UK, 2018.

‘Girls’ attitude survey 2020’ , Girlguiding UK, 2020.

‘Guidelines for medico-legal care for victims of sexual violence’ , World Health Organization, 2003.

H Baker, P Miller, E Starr, S Witcombe-Hayes and C Gwilym, ‘Let children know you’re listening’ , NSPCC, July 2019.

H Beckett, C Warrington and J Montgomery Devlin, ‘Learning about online sexual harm’ , Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, November 2019.

H Bentley, A Fellowes, S Glenister, N Mussen, H Ruschen, B Slater, M Turnbull, T Vine, P Wilson, S Witcombe-Hayes, S Allardyce, G Fairchild, C Hamilton-Giachritsis, J Lloyd, S Meader, ESetty and S Thomas, ‘How safe are our children?’ , NSPCC, 2020.

H Siddique, ‘Child sexual abuse in schools often an open secret, says inquiry’ in ‘The Guardian’, 17 December 2020.

‘Harmful sexual behaviour: statistics briefing’ , NSPCC, 2021.

‘Help after rape and sexual assault’ , NHS.

‘How remote education is working for children and young people with SEND ’ , Ofsted, March 2021.

‘How to report rape and sexual assault’ , The Metropolitan Police.

I Bryce and K Glasby, ‘Child sexual abuse in the context of disability’, in ‘Child sexual abuse: forensic issues in evidence, impact, and management’, edited by I Bryce and W Petherick, Elsevier Academic Press, 2020, pages 137 to 158.

‘Inspecting safeguarding in early years, education and skills’ , Ofsted, September 2019.

‘It’s just everywhere – sexism in schools’ , UK Feminista and National Education Union, January 2019.

J Krohn, ‘Sexual harassment, sexual assault, and students with special needs: crafting an effective response for schools’ , in ‘University of Pennsylvania Journal of Law and Social Change’, Volume 17, Issue 29, 2014.

J Lloyd, J Walker and V Bradbury, ‘Harmful sexual behaviour in schools: a briefing on the findings, implications and resources for schools and multi-agency partners’ , University of Bedfordshire, June 2020.

J White, ‘Investigation into an allegation about Jimmy Savile at an unnamed children’s home in Bournemouth’, Bournemouth Borough Council, October 2014.

J Wigmore, ‘Recognising & acting on signs of “County lines” child exploitation: a case study’, Niche Health and Social Care Consulting Ltd, November 2018.

K Lampard and E Marsden, ‘Themes and lessons learnt from NHS investigations into matters relating to Jimmy Savile: independent report for the Secretary of State for Health’ , Department of Health and Social Care, February 2015.

‘Keeping children safe in education’ , Department for Education, January 2021.

L Clark, ‘The trouble with boys: what lies behind the flood of teenage sexual assault stories? Rape and sexual assault’ , in ‘The Guardian’, 27 February 2021.

L Jones, MA Bellis, S Wood, K Hughes, E McCoy, L Eckley, G Bates, C Mikton, T Shakespeare and A Officer, ‘Prevalence and risk of violence against children with disabilities: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies’ , in ‘The Lancet’, Volume 380, Issue 9845, 2012, pages 899 to 907.

L Papadopoulos, ‘Sexualisation of young people review’, Home Office, 2010.

L Radford, ‘Rapid evidence assessment: what can be learnt from other jurisdictions about preventing and responding to child sexual abuse’ , Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, 2017.

L Radford, S Corral, C Bradley, H Fisher, C Bassett, N Howat and S Collishaw, ‘Child abuse and neglect in the UK today’ , NSPCC, 2011.

L Sinko, M Munro-Kramer, T Conley and D Saint Arnault, ‘Internalized messages: the role of sexual violence normalization on meaning-making after campus sexual violence’, in ‘Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment and Trauma’, Volume 30, Issue 5, 2021, pages 565 to 585.

‘Letting children be children’ , Department for Education, June 2011.

‘LGBTQ youth and sexual abuse: information for mental health professionals’, National Child Traumatic Stress Network Child Sexual Abuse Collaborative Group, 2014.

‘Longitudinal study of young people in England cohort 2, wave 1’ , Department for Education, November 2014.

‘Longitudinal study of young people in England cohort 2, wave 2’ , Department for Education, July 2016.

M Daher, ‘World report on violence and health’ , in ‘Journal Medical Libanais’, Volume 51, Issue 2, 2003, pages 59 to 63.

M Friedman, MP Marshal, TE Guadamuz, C Wei, CF Wong, E Saewyc and R Stall, ‘A meta-analysis of disparities in childhood sexual abuse, parental physical abuse, and peer victimization among sexual minority and sexual nonminority individuals’ , in ‘American Journal of Public Health’, Volume 101, Issue 8, 2011, pages 1481 to 1494.

M Hidalgo, LM Kuhns, S Kwon, B Mustanski and R Garofalo, ‘The impact of childhood gender expression on childhood sexual abuse and psychopathology among young men who have sex with men’, in ‘Child Abuse and Neglect’, Volume 46, 2015, pages 103 to 112.

ML Walters, J Chen and MJ Breiding, ‘The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS): 2010 findings on victimization by sexual orientation’, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, January 2013.

N Hillman, ‘Sex and relationships amongst students’ , Higher Education Policy Institute, April 2021.

‘New laws to protect victims added to Domestic Abuse Bill’ , Ministry of Justice, Home Office, The Rt Hon Robert Buckland QC MP and Victoria Atkins MP, March 2021.

‘Operation Hydrant Statistics’ , National Police Chiefs’ Council, April 2021.

P Gilligan and S Akhtar, ‘Cultural barriers to the disclosure of child sexual abuse in Asian communities: listening to what women say’ , in ‘British Journal of Social Work’, Volume 36, Issue 8, 2006, pages 1361 to 1377.

‘Permanent and fixed-period exclusions in England’ , Explore Education Statistics, July 2020.

‘Pornography, young people, and preventing violence against women’ , Our Watch, 2020.

‘Premature sexualisation: understanding the risks’, NSPCC, March 2011.

‘Preventing child sexual abuse & keeping children safe’ , NSPCC, 2021.

‘Protecting children from harm’ , Children’s Commissioner, November 2015.

‘ PSHE in schools: strengths and weaknesses’ , Ofsted, May 2013.

R Duschinsky and M Barker, ‘Doing the möbius strip: the politics of the Bailey review’, in ‘Sexualities’, Volume 16, Issues 5 to 6, 2013, pages 730 to 742.

R Fyson, ‘Young people with learning disabilities who sexually abuse: understanding, identifying and responding from within generic education and welfare services’, in ‘British Journal of Learning Disabilities’, Volume 35, Issues 3, 2007, pages 181 to 186.

R Meiksin, J Crichton, M Dodd, GS Morgan, P Williams, M Willmott, E Allen, N Tilouche, J Sturgess, S Morris, C Barter, H Young, G Melendez-Torres, B Taylor, H Luz McNaughton Reyes, D Elbourne, H Sweeting, K Hunt, R Ponsford, R Campbell and C Bonell, ‘A school intervention for 13- to 15-year-olds to prevent dating and relationship violence: the project respect pilot cluster RCT’, in ‘Public Health Research’, Volume 8, Issue 5, 2020, pages 1 to 338.

‘Rape and sexual offences – chapter 6: consent’ , Crown Prosecution Service, 2017.

‘Rape monitoring group digests’ , Rape Monitoring Group, 2019.

‘Relationships education, relationships and sex education (RSE) and health education’ , Department for Education, November 2019.

‘ RSHE : school practice in early adopter schools research report’ , Department for Education, May 2021.

S Chaudhari, ‘Bolton reports a rise in sexual misconduct cases in the classroom – as Ofsted prepares to visit schools and colleges where such allegations have been made’ in ‘The Bolton News’, 27 April 2021.

S Dube, RF Anda, CL Whitfield, DW Brown, VJ Felitti, M Dong and WH Giles, ‘Long-term consequences of childhood sexual abuse by gender of victim’, in ‘American Journal of Preventive Medicine’, Volume 28, Issue 5 2005, pages 430 to 438.

S Kaiser, I Choudhury, R Knight and E Gibson, ‘Engagement report: engagement with support services for ethnic minority communities’ , Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, April 2021.

S Hackett, ‘Children and young people with harmful sexual behaviours’, Research in Practice, 2014.

S Hackett, J Phillips, H Masson and M Balfe, ‘Individual, family and abuse characteristics of 700 British child and adolescent sexual abusers’, in ‘Child Abuse Review’, Volume 22, Issue 4, 2013, pages 232 to 245.

S Livingstone, J Davidson, J Bryce, S Batool, C Haughton and A Nandi, ‘Children’s online activities, risks and safety: a literature review by the UKCCIS Evidence Group’ , UK Council for Internet Safety, October 2017.

S Smallbone, WL Marshall and R Wortley, ‘Preventing child sexual abuse: evidence, policy and practice’, Routledge, 2008.

‘Safeguarding children from sexual abuse in residential schools’ , Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, April 2020.

‘School report: the experiences of lesbian, gay, bi and trans young people in Britain’s schools in 2017’, Stonewall, 2017.

‘Sexting: how to respond to an incident’, UKCCIS, 2016

‘Sexual assault and the LGBTQ community’ , Human Rights Campaign.

‘Sexual harassment and sexual violence in schools’, House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee, September 2016

‘Sexual harassment in the workplace’ , House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee, July 2018.

‘Sexual offences’ , Crown Prosecution Service, 2017.

‘Sexual violence and sexual harassment between children in schools and colleges’ , Department for Education, May 2018.

‘Sexuality’ , National Down Syndrome Society, 2021.

‘Sharing nudes and semi-nudes: advice for education settings working with children and young people’ , Department for Education, December 2020.

‘Statistics briefing: child sexual abuse’ , NSPCC, 2021.

‘Supporting SEND ’ , Ofsted, May 2021.

The Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 .

‘The Internet Watch Foundation: annual report 2019’ , The Internet Watch Foundation, April 2020.

‘The multi-agency response to child sexual abuse in the family environment: joint targeted area inspections (JTAIs)’ , Ofsted, Care Quality Commission, HM Inspectorate of Probation, and HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services, February 2020.

‘The relationship between pornography use and harmful sexual behaviour’ , The Behavioural Architects for the Government Equalities Office, February 2020.

‘Tool kit for addressing consent and associated myths for prosecuting advocates in rape trials’, Crown Prosecution Service.

‘What consent looks like’ , Rape Abuse and Incest National Network, 2021.

‘Understanding sexual behaviour in children’ , NSPCC, 2021.

V Hollis and E Belton, ‘Impact and evidence series children and young people who engage in technology-assisted harmful sexual behaviour. A study of their behaviours, backgrounds and characteristics’ , NSPCC, 2017.

V Tobin and K Delaney, ‘Child abuse victimization among transgender and gender nonconforming people: a systematic review’ , in ‘Perspectives in Psychiatric Care’, Volume 55, Issue 4, 2019, pages 576 to 583.

‘What is peer-on-peer abuse?’ , Ofsted, October 2019.

Y Xu and Z Yong, ‘Prevalence of childhood sexual abuse among lesbian, gay, and bisexual people: a meta-analysis’, in ‘Journal of Child Sexual Abuse’, Volume 24, Issue 3, 2015, pages 315 to 331.

Print or save to PDF

To print this content you can:

• use the ‘Print this page’ button under the Contents menu
• right-click or secondary click on the page and choose ‘Print’ in the menu
• press Ctrl + P on a Windows keyboard or Command + P on a Mac

You can also use these options and change the printer destination to save the content as a PDF.

Instructions may vary depending on which internet browser you use, such as Internet Explorer or Google Chrome, and the type of device you use, such as a phone or laptop. You can find your print and save options in your browser’s menu.

In one visit, we identified serious safeguarding failures. Inspectors ended the visit and we carried out an initial inspection under section 8 (‘no formal designation’). This led to a full inspection. Findings from the early part of the visit are used in this report.  ↩

‘Keeping children safe in education’ , DfE , January 2021.  ↩

While adults tend to refer to ‘sexting’, we are aware that some children and young people consider this to mean ‘writing and sharing explicit messages with people they know’ rather than sharing youth-produced sexual images, including sending ‘nudes’ and ‘semi-nudes’.  ↩

S Hackett, ‘Children and young people with harmful sexual behaviours’, Research in Practice, 2014.  ↩

‘Sexual violence and sexual harassment between children in schools and colleges’ , Department for Education, December 2017.  ↩

‘Individual, family and abuse characteristics of 700 British child and adolescent sexual abusers , Simon Hackett and others, 2013.  ↩

‘Key messages from research on children and young people who display harmful sexual behaviour’ , Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse, Di McNeish and Sara Scott, July 2018.  ↩

‘Tackling child sexual abuse strategy’ , Home Office, January 2021.  ↩

This review included a sample of 2 colleges. Where there are findings that specifically relate to differences in schools and colleges, we refer to them separately but where findings are common across both, we use schools.  ↩

The report ‘Protecting children from harm’ estimates that only 1 in 8 offences comes to the attention of statutory authorities: ‘Protecting children from harm’ , Children’s Commissioner, November 2015.  ↩

Due to the way this data is collected and different sexual offences are defined, these figures do not capture certain sexual offences committed against 16- and 17-year-olds, such as rape.  ↩

‘Protecting children from harm’ , Children’s Commissioner, November 2015.  ↩

‘How safe are our children?’ , NSPCC Learning, 2020.  ↩

In our visits, we talked to groups of boys and girls and LGBT+ groups, where there was an existing group that was happy to speak to us. We predominantly use the language of ‘children and young people’ and ‘girls and boys’ in the report to recognise that girls are disproportionately more likely to experience sexual abuse than boys but have highlighted the experiences of LGBT+ children and young people where it is appropriate and data is available.  ↩

‘Child abuse and neglect in the UK today’ , Radford, L and others, NSPCC, 2011.  ↩

‘Sexual harassment and sexual violence in schools’ , Women and Equalities Committee, September 2016.  ↩

‘It’s just everywhere’ , UK Feminista and NEU, 2017.  ↩

‘Permanent and fixed-period exclusions in England’ , Explore Education Statistics, July 2020.  ↩

‘School sex crime reports in UK top 5,500 in three years’ , BBC News, September 2015.  ↩

‘Sexual harassment and sexual violence in schools’ Women and Equalities Committee Report, September 2016.  ↩

‘Beyond referrals: levers for addressing harmful sexual behaviour in schools’ , Contextual Safeguarding Network, July 2020.  ↩

Yin Xu and Yong Zheng, ‘Prevalence of childhood sexual abuse among lesbian, gay, and bisexual people: a meta-analysis’, in ‘Journal of Child Sexual Abuse’, Volume 24, Issue 3, 2015, pages 315 to 331.  ↩

‘Digital romance’ , Brook and the National Crime Agency’s Child Exploitation and Online Protection Command, December 2017.  ↩

‘The Internet Watch Foundation: Annual Report 2019 , The Internet Watch Foundation, April 2020.  ↩

‘Sharing nudes and semi-nudes: advice for education settings working with children and young people’ , Department for Education, December 2020.  ↩

‘Learning about online sexual harm’ , Helen Beckett and others, November 2019.  ↩

Martellozzo, E. and others, ‘I wasn’t sure it was normal to watch it: a quantitative and qualitative examination of the impact of online pornography on the values, attitudes, beliefs and behaviours of children and young people’, Middlesex University, 2016.  ↩

‘BBFC Research into Children and Pornography’ , British Board of Film Classification, September 2019.  ↩

‘Sex and relationships amongst students , Nick Hillman, Higher Education Policy Institute, April 2021.  ↩

‘Pornography, young people, and preventing violence against women’ , Our Watch, 2020.  ↩

‘The relationship between pornography use and harmful sexual behaviour’ , The Behavioural Architects for the Government Equalities Office, February 2020.  ↩

This analysis only used the testimonies thought to relate to young people of school or further education age in England. For instance, it excluded testimonies that referred to universities or other countries. See the methodology at the end of this report for more information.  ↩

Further details on our analysis of Everyone’s Invited testimonies can be found in the methodology.  ↩

‘Global and regional estimates of violence against women: prevalence and health effects of intimate partner violence and non-partner sexual violence’ , World Health Organisation, 2013.  ↩

‘Girls’ Attitudes Survey 2018’ , Girlguiding UK, 2018.  ↩

‘Child sexual abuse in England and Wales: year ending March 2019’ , ONS, January 2020.  ↩

Allnock, D. and Miller, P. ‘No one noticed, no one heard: a study of disclosures of childhood abuse.’ , NSPCC, 2013  ↩

‘A multi-agency response to child sexual abuse in the family environment’ , Ofsted, Care Quality Commission, HM Inspectorate of Probation, and HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services, February 2020.  ↩

Allnock, D. and Miller, P., ‘No one noticed, no one heard: a study of disclosures of childhood abuse.’ , NSPCC, 2013.  ↩

‘Girls’ Attitudes Survey 2014’ , Girlguiding UK, 2018.  ↩

‘Sexual harassment and sexual violence in schools’ , Women and Equalities Committee Report, September 2016.  ↩

‘Harmful sexual behaviour in schools: a briefing on the findings, implications and resources for schools and multi-agency partners’ , Jenny Lloyd and others, University of Bedfordshire, June 2020.  ↩

Baker, H. and others, ‘Let children know you’re listening: the importance of an adult’s interpersonal skills in helping to improve the child’s experiences of disclosure.’ , NSPCC, 2019.  ↩

‘Sharing nudes and semi-nudes: advice for education settings working with children and young people’ , UK Council for Internet Safety, December 2020.  ↩

‘Sharing nudes and semi-nudes: advice for education settings working with children and young people’ , Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, December 2020.  ↩

‘What is peer-on-peer abuse?’ , Ofsted, October 2019.  ↩

‘UK schools online safety policy and practice assessment 2020’ , Prof Andy Phippen and Prof Emma Bond, February 2020.  ↩

‘ RSHE : school practice in early adopter schools research report’ , DfE , May 2021.  ↩

A series of reviews by Ofsted looking at the research evidence currently available about different curriculum subjects: ‘Curriculum research reviews’ .  ↩

‘ PSHE in schools: strengths and weaknesses’ , Ofsted, May 2013.  ↩

‘Children’s online activities, risks and safety: A literature review by the UKCCIS Evidence Group’ , Prof Sonia Livingstone and others, UK Council for Internet Safety, October 2017.  ↩

‘Inspecting safeguarding in early years, education and skills’ , Ofsted, September 2019.  ↩

The Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 .  ↩

Is this page useful?

• Yes this page is useful
• No this page is not useful

Help us improve GOV.UK

Don’t include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details.

To help us improve GOV.UK, we’d like to know more about your visit today. Please fill in this survey (opens in a new tab) .