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
 Department for Education (2017) Policy statement: relationships
education, relationships and sex education, and personal,
social, health and economic education: Download pdf
 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
 NASUWT (2017) Sexual harassment rife in the workplace: Link
 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

Elizabeth Nassem