A new report published by the British government's Women and Equalities Select Committee reveals the scale and impact of sexual harassment and violence in schools.
According to police figures in England and Wales, one child is raped in school every day and in primary schools and three sexual assaults are reported to the police every school day.
"I never thought this would be part of my role as a teacher and as a parent it makes me feel very concerned that my child is at risk in a place that's supposed to be a safe environment," a teacher who wanted to remain anonymous told Sputnik. "At my school in London we frequently had to shut down Whatsapp groups to prevent images going viral."
The British government is accused of failing to collect information on the number of sexual assaults carried out in schools in England but despite the lack of data on the number of incidents when sexual violence or rapes take place, the parliamentary committee has been able to determine the scale of the problem through research, surveys and questionnaires.
Research carried out by Public Health Bristol City Council confirms the findings that sexual bullying and harassment is a 'widespread, regular and common problem.'
Evidence presented to the committee by Bristol City Council said "alarming proportions of young people claim they or a friend have had direct experience of sexual bullying and sexual harassment: from 29 percent who have experienced threats of rape."
Bristol City Council said the media, particularly violent computer games, music and pornography which have an influence of ideas around gender, sexual harassment and sexual bullying offered children "extreme and sexualised representations of males and females."
One teacher who submitted evidence to the committee said she had seen many "young girls sobbing and humiliated" in her office "because partially naked images have gone viral." Another testimony submitted by a lunchtime supervisor to the commitee reveals the severity of sexual violence and bullying in school playgrounds.
"In the year eight and seven playground I hear constant sexual language particularly from the boys. I have witnessed boys being rough with girls…The girls seem resigned to this treatment."
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The plight of two mothers has been published in the Times Educational Supplement where they "share their despair over the government's lack of action in tackling sexual violence in schools."
The anonymous article claims sexual assaults in schools in England have reached "epidemic" proportions. As two mothers, they have first hand experience.
"We are two mothers. Each of us has a daughter who has been raped by a classmate from their school. One of them was raped in her primary school in year two." [age six and seven]
"Our daughters aren't the only ones; there is an epidemic of sexual abuse perpetrated by other children in our schools and playgrounds."
"The Department for Education (DfE) knows these figures but has not made tackling sexual violence in our schools a priority. They clearly don't understand the devastating impact of rape on a child. We do because we live with it," the parent's say.
The mother's are accusing the DfE of ignoring the problem and not viewing the safeguarding of children as requiring urgent policy action.
A view shared by a teacher in an interview with Sputnik. "Until cases of peer on peer sexual bullying and harassment is more widely reported the Department for Education will be slow to respond."
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