Sexual Bullying in School

Summary of the Research

Outline

Research into sexual bullying primarily focuses on the sexual bullying of females by male perpetrators. Such maltreatment is often referred to as ‘sexual harassment’. There is also increasing focus on homophobic bullying by heterosexual pupils against pupils who are LGBT. A study by a teacher’s union, NASUWT, has recently examined the sexual harassment of teachers. Research which has investigated pupil culture has explored females and pupils as both targets and perpetrators of sexual bullying. It has highlighted the importance of understanding normalised practices of pupils in relation to sexual bullying in order to encourage the development of healthy relationships throughout their lifespan.

Sexual Harassment of Females by Males

There is a wealth of research on the sexual bullying of females by males. The Women and Equalities committee (WEC) reported that a number of large scale surveys find girls consistently reporting high levels of sexual harassment and sexual violence in schools and colleges. Below are statistics which highlight the problem:

  • Forty-five percent of teenage girls have had their bottom or breasts groped against their will and 37% hear ‘slag’ used often or all the time (National Union of Teachers, NUT 2007).
  • Sixty-four percent of girls aged 13-21 had experienced sexual violence or sexual harassment at school or college in the past year. This included 39% having their bra strap pulled by a boy and 27% having their skirts pulled up within the last week (Girlguiding's Girls' Attitudes Survey 2017).
  • Almost a quarter (24%) of female students and 4% of male students at mixed-sex schools have been subjected to unwanted physical touching of a sexual nature while at school (UK Feminista 2017).
  • Although some girls reported that they felt pressured by boys to send them nude images through sexting, boys did not report that they feel coerced to send girls nude images of themselves (Jorgensen et al 2018).
  • The sexual harassment of females has been found to erode school engagement such as missing school or class; alienate students from teachers, for example students felt that their teacher did not care for them; and adversely affected their grades (Gruber and Fineran 2016).

Gender and sexuality: The victimisation of LGBT pupils

Children who are LGBT are more likely to be bullied because of their sexuality than heterosexual children. Below are some statistics:

  • Approximately half of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender pupils are bullied for being LGBT in Britain’s schools (Stonewall 2017).
  • Eighty-six percent of pupils hear the phrases ‘that’s so gay’ or ‘you’re so gay’ in school (Stonewall 2017).
  • Sexual minority male students have been found to be at greater risk of being threatened or injured with a weapon, not going to school because of safety concerns and being bullied than heterosexual students (O’Malley 2014).
  • Nine in ten secondary school teachers say students are bullied, harassed or called names for being perceived to be lesbian, gay or bi. Twenty-seven percent of trans people have attempted suicide (Stonewall 2014).

Sexual Harassment against Teachers

NASUWT (2017) studied the sexual harassment of teachers. One in five teachers (20%) said they had been sexually harassed at school by a colleague, manager, parent or pupil since becoming a teacher. Nearly a third (30%) of those who have been sexually harassed have been subjected to unwanted touching, while two thirds (67%) have experienced inappropriate comments about their appearance or body. Forty-two percent of victims did not report the incidents of sexual harassment.

The culture of sexual bullying: Boys and girls as perpetrators and targets

Although research shows that sexual bullying is most often carried out by boys against girls, the NUT (2007) found that girls are increasingly directing abusing at other girls and boys. Duncan’s (1999) research focuses on and girls as both targets and perpetrators of sexual bullying which he argues is commonplace in schools. He asserts that the key to understanding and alleviating bullying lies in the culture rather than the unrelated aberrations of a few individuals. He states that males experience similarly sexually offensive language to females such as ‘wanker’ and ‘dickhead’. Both boys and girls reported being sexually ‘touched up’ against their will. A common form of attack against boys was dekegging where a group of boys and/or girls pull down his trousers and underpants.

Duncan (1999) also found boys in year seven felt humiliated by girls and boys because of their lack of sexual development. A small clique of popular girls sabotaged the boys’ natural choices of romantic partners in order to maintain power in their peer group. However, any evidence of boys’ romantic feelings to girls was purged by the male group and seen as ‘gay’. McGuffey and Rich (1999) also found that children as young as ten were already quite well versed in the practice of hegemonic masculinity: Athletic and competitive males established a hierarchy where they were at the top, while ‘non-masculine boys’ (who cried easily or played with girls) and most girls were marginalised and stigmatised. Duncan argues (1999) that many boys are set leave school with a sexual identity disfigured by years of homophobic and misogynist training, and many girls with years of sexual denigration and low self-esteem. The culture of sexual bullying prevents healthy attitudes towards sexuality, gender and the celebration of difference.

Relationships Education

The government laid an amendment to the Children and Social Work Bill in 2017 that relationships education, and relationships and sex education will be mandatory in schools. They intend to focus on: different types of relationships, including friendships, family relationships, and, at secondary school, intimate relationships; how to recognise, understand and build healthy relationships, including self-respect, boundaries and consent; how relationships may affect health and wellbeing; and sex, sexual health and sexuality in secondary schools (Department for Education 2017).

Future Research

Further research should focus how males and females can be both targets and perpetrators of sexual bullying. It should examine children’s experiences of sexual bullying and normalised practices in school. By understanding children’s normalised practices interventions can be developed to work with pupils to challenge these and develop healthier relationships. Sexual bullying can be further examined in children with learning difficulties and disabilities, in single-sex schools and in working-class, middle-class and privileged schools. It would also be advantageous for further research to investigate pupil and staff interactions and where bullying of a sexual nature might be present in order to manage it better.

References

  • Duncan, N. (1999) Sexual Bullying: Gender Conflict and Pupil Culture in Secondary Schools. Oxon: Routledge.
  • Girlguiding (2017) Girls’ Attitudes Survey: Download pdf
  • Gruber, J. and Fineran, S. (2016) Sexual harassment, bullying and school outcomes for high school girls and boys, Violence Against Women, 22 (1), 112-133.
  • Jørgensen, C.R., Weckesser A., Turner, J and Wade, A. (2018) (In press) Young people’s views on sexting education and support needs: findings and recommendations from a UK-based study, Sex Education.
  • McGuffey, C.S., & Rich, B.L. (1999). Playing in the gender trangression zone: Race, class, and hegemonic masculinity in middle childhood, Gender & Society, 13 (5), 608-627.
  • National Union of Teachers (2007) NUT Policy Statement on Preventing Sexual Harassment and Bullying: Download pdf
  • UK Feminista (2017) ‘It’s just everywhere’: A study on sexism in schools and how to tackle it, UK Feminista: Download pdf
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  • Olsen, E.O., Kann, L., Vivolo-Kantot, A., Kinchen, S. and McManus, T. (2014) School violence and bullying among sexual minority high school students, 2009-2011, Journal of Adolescent Health, 55, 432-438.
  • Stonewall (2014) The Teachers’ Report: homophobic bullying in Britain’s schools in 2014, London: Stonewall.
  • Stonewall (2017) School Report: The experiences of lesbian, gay, bi and trans pupils in Britain’s schools, London: Stonewall.
  • Women and Equalities Committee (2015) The scale and impact of sexual harassment and sexual violence in schools: Link