
We’re facing a national crisis of sexual violence and harassment at school. The government and schools must take action now
Updates
- December 18, 2025The government has today (18th December 2025) published its long-awaited violence against women and girls (VAWG) strategy, following its ambitious man...
- October 24, 2025This week (22nd October 2025), the End Violence Against Women Coalition held our third annual Prevention Conference. With the theme “A Different World...
- July 15, 2025The Department for Education (DfE) has today (15th July 2025) published details of its new statutory Relationships, Sex and Health Education guidance ...
Make RSE mandatory for 16-18 year olds!
16-19 year olds experience the highest rates of domestic abuse of any age group, yet often aren’t given the RSE that is known to help young people to recognise and seek help with unhealthy relationships – despite being at the age that many will be having their first romantic and sexual relationships.
We’ve joined survivor-led campaign group Make It Mandatory, sexual health charity Brook and the Sex Education Forum to call for this vital education to be extended to 16-18 year olds.
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It’s #AboutTime things changed!
Girls and young women are facing sexual harassment and assault on an alarming scale. Almost a third of girls surveyed by EVAW don’t feel safe from sexual harassment in school, and 80% of girls think schools need to do more to tackle this, and support young people’s sex and relationships education.
Almost every girl I know has witnessed or experienced some form of sexual harassment
– Young person from EVAW’s focus group
Schools are failing in their duties to keep girls safe – causing girls untold harm and teaching boys that violence against women and girls is a normal and acceptable part of life. The impact of this inaction is devastating.
Online misogynist influencers promoting violence against women and girls and their worrying impact on boys and young men’s attitudes and behaviour. Schools and colleges are often left to deal with the aftermath of this. Addressing this issue in schools has never been more urgent.
A lot of systems in schools are so invalidating and completely downplay experiences of sexual harassment and assault
– Young person from EVAW’s focus group
Black girls and others who are marginalised are at the sharp edge of this abuse, with racism and other forms of discrimination compounding the abuse they face.
Girls deserve better. Schools, teachers, and the government must do better.
We successfully campaigned for Relationships and Sex Education to be mandatory in schools – but this is just the beginning of the change needed. Schools need to go much further and take proactive action to create a culture in which girls are safe and can thrive.
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