MP proposes new law to make Relationships and Sex Education mandatory to 18

Alistair Strathern MP has today (17th June 2026) sponsored a Private Member’s Bill that would make Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) a mandatory requirement for all young people up to the age of 18 so that those in further education would no longer face a postcode lottery in provision.

This Bill follows the survivor-led campaign group Make It Mandatory’s petition that called for RSE to be mandated to 18, which gathered over 106,000 signatures and brought important attention to teenage victims of domestic abuse.

Campaign partners End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAW), Make It Mandatory, Sex Education Forum and Brook are delighted that Alistair Strathern MP will now take this forward in Parliament.

16-19 year olds most at risk of domestic abuse

Government data shows that 16-19-year-olds face the highest rates of domestic abuse, yet mandatory RSE currently ends at 16, precisely the age at which young people are having some of their first romantic and sexual relationships and statistically become most at risk of abuse. 

In April 2026, the first domestic abuse related suicide in a child under 18 was reported. Yet at precisely this age, the law stops requiring schools and colleges to teach them how to recognise coercive control or discuss what a healthy relationship looks like.

With 600,000 students in further education each year, this legislation cannot wait.

Over 60 organisations have already backed the campaign for RSE to 18. The urgency of action is clear: last week, 62 organisations wrote to the Department for Education stressing the need for prevention to be prioritised following the multiple rapes in Fordingbridge.

The proposed Bill from Alistair Strathern MP would help to close this gap. As Chair of the Labour Group for Men and Boys, Alistair is keenly aware of the need for this legislation. Given the support we know this has from the Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson and the wider government, we are hopeful that this Bill will be taken up by Parliament and made into law.

Extending Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) to young people in post-16 education would contribute to the prevention of violence against women and girls (VAWG) and the government target to halve VAWG in a decade.

Alistair Strathern MP said:

“For too long, children in further education have missed out because of gaps in provision of Relationships and Sex Education. At a time when the worst corners of the internet are preying on teenagers, with their own harmful takes on what makes a healthy relationship, we surely owe young people far better than this.

My bill will put this right and make it mandatory for all settings to give children the space, support and advice they need as they navigate this formative stage.

With 16-19-year-olds facing the highest rates of domestic abuse of any age group, the real world consequences of failing to act couldn’t be clearer.”

Faustine Petron, Founder of Make it Mandatory, said:

“For many years I have campaigned for mandatory relationships and sex education to be extended to all children and young people up to the age of 18. As someone who experienced an abusive relationship I know how important such a change could be, to so many young people. It is wonderful that Alistair has sponsored this bill, we now need government to honor its commitment to me and the bereaved families who support this campaign by taking it forward and ensuring it becomes law, as we know all too well that it has the potential to change and save lives.”

Janaya Walker, Interim Director to End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAW), said:

“The End Violence Against Women Coalition has been calling on governments to prioritise preventing VAWG for decades. Recent cases of sexual violence and abuse of young people have shown the unbearable cost of inaction on prevention for women and girls. Another cohort of students will be entering into further education this autumn, and we have a responsibility to take every possible step to prevent them from experiencing violence and abuse. We welcome the government’s commitment to make RSE mandatory for all 16-18 year olds, and call on them to deliver on this promise with the urgency it demands.”  

Lucy Emmerson, Chief Executive at Sex Education Forum, said:

“It makes complete sense to extend Relationships and Sex Education to further education because this is the time when many young people will be starting their first romantic and sexual relationships. Having reliable information about healthy relationships provided by trusted adults is proven to help prevent harm. There is overwhelming support for mandating RSE up to 18 years old, and this move is backed by leaders in education, safeguarding, health and wellbeing and by colleges and young people themselves.” 

Helen Marshall, Chief Executive at Brook, said:

“We know from speaking to young people that extending mandatory RSE up to the age of 18 will empower them to navigate the realities of sex and relationships. While we welcome the government’s commitment to make RSE mandatory for 16–18-year-olds, the lack of clarity around how and when this will be implemented leaves hundreds of thousands of young people in limbo, without access to the education they need to keep themselves and others safe. We urge the government to deliver on this commitment at the earliest opportunity, helping to protect young people from violence and abuse and ensuring they have the knowledge and skills to build healthy relationships.”

Key Statistics

• Over 2 million women and girls aged 16+ experience domestic abuse in 2025 (ONS,2025) 
• Girls aged 15 to 19 and boys aged 10 to 14 are most likely to be victims of sexual offences, according to police-recorded crime figures (ONS, 2025).
• 2 women a week are killed by a man in England and Wales (Killed Women).
• 72% of girls under 18 reported experiencing some form of emotional partner abuse and 31% of girls and 16% of boys reported experiencing some form of sexual partner violence (The Children’s Society, 2020)
• The 2025 Youth Endowment Fund survey of 11,000 13–17-year-olds found that 2 in 5 teenagers in England and Wales have experienced emotional or physical abuse in the past year.
• Young people aged 15 to 24 years are the most likely to be diagnosed with the most common types of STI (WEC Report, 2024).
• The average age of first sexual intercourse is 16 years old (Natsal-3)
• 79% of young people have accessed violent pornography by the age of 18 (Office of the Children’s Commissioner, 2023)
• 16–19-year-olds face the highest rates of domestic abuse than any other age group (ONS,2024).
• Social media was the joint highest influence on student mental health (82%) equal to home circumstances (AoC 2024). Other influences include drugs and alcohol misuse (62%) and gender identity (62%).

ENDS