Sexual violence and sexual harassment

What is sexual violence?

Keeping Children Safe in Education states when referring to sexual violence we are referring to sexual offences under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 as described below:

• Rape: A person (A) commits an offence of rape if: he intentionally penetrates the vagina, anus or mouth of another person (B) with his penis, B does not consent to the penetration and A does not reasonably believe that B consents.
• Assault by penetration: A person (A) commits an offence if: s/he intentionally penetrates the vagina or anus of another person (B) with a part of her/his body or anything else, the penetration is sexual, B does not consent to the penetration and A does not reasonably believe that B consents.
• Sexual assault: A person (A) commits an offence of sexual assault if: s/he intentionally touches another person (B), the touching is sexual, B does not consent to the touching and A does not reasonably believe that B consents.
• Causing someone to engage in sexual activity without consent: A person (A) commits an offence if: s/he intentionally causes another person (B) to engage in an activity, the activity is sexual, B does not consent to engaging in the activity, and A does not reasonably believe that B consents. (NOTE - this could include forcing someone to strip, touch themselves sexually, or to engage in sexual activity with a third party).

What is sexual harassment? 

Sexual harassment is unwanted behaviour of a sexual nature which, whether intended or not violates your dignity and/or creates an offensive environment. Sexual harassment can include words as well as actions and was defined in the Ofsted review of sexual abuse, June 2021, as, '...sexual comments, remarks, jokes and online sexual harassment, which may be stand-alone or part of a broader pattern of abuse.'  

Keeping Children Safe in Education states sexual harassment can include:

• Sexual comments, such as telling sexual stories, making lewd comments, making sexual remarks about clothes and appearance, and calling someone sexualised names
• Sexual "jokes" or taunting
• Physical behaviour, such as deliberately brushing against someone, and or interfering with someone's clothes. Schools and colleges should be considering when any of this crosses a line into sexual violence; it is important to talk to and consider the experience of the victim.
• Displaying pictures, photos or drawings of a sexual nature
• Upskirting (this is a criminal offence)
• Online sexual harassment, which may be standalone or part of a wider pattern of sexual harassment and or sexual violence.

It may include: 

• Consensual and non-consensual sharing of nude and semi-nude images and or videos
• Sharing of unwanted explicit content
• Sexualised online bullying
• Unwanted sexual comments and messages, including on social media
• Sexual exploitation, coercion and threats
• Coercing others into sharing images of themselves or performing acts they're not comfortable with, online

Part 5 of Keeping Children Safe in Education provides schools and colleges with detailed guidance about child-on-child sexual violence and sexual harassment, including responding to reports of abuse and protecting victims. It should be followed and referred to in the management of any cases. It states in Paragraph 454:

"Schools and colleges should be aware of the importance of making clear that there is a zero-tolerance approach to sexual violence and sexual harassment, that it is never acceptable, and it will not be tolerated. It should not be passed off as "banter", "just having a laugh", "a part of growing up" or "boys being boys"."

What is a Bystander Intervention Programme?

We are all bystanders, who witness events unfolding around us. Sometimes we recognise events as being problematic. When this happens, we decide to do or say something and become an active bystander (either in the moment or at a later stage). Social norms can be shifted to challenge undesirable behaviour by empowering people to become active bystanders.

The Bystander Intervention Programme is designed to help schools to tackle sexist language and sexual harassment in their settings. This programme includes staff CPD on challenging sexist language and lessons for KS2, 3 and 4 on inappropriate language, sexism, and the impact of sexual harassment. There are also lessons on becoming an active bystander. All lessons are fully resourced, free of charge and accompanied by detailed lesson plans.

The overall aim of the programme is to upskill our children and young people to become active bystanders so that they can safely intervene to stop the use of sexist language and prevent incidents of sexual harassment in their schools and wider communities.

There are over one hundred schools and colleges in Norfolk involved in the programme and almost 15,000 students have been trained to be active bystanders. The programme is helping education settings to eradicate the use of sexist language and reduce incidents of sexual harassment.

Bystander interventions are based on taking people through the different stages required to move from inaction to action. For this to happen, the bystander must:

• Notice and be aware of the event
• See the event or behaviour as a problem
• Feel responsible and motivated to act
• Have the necessary skills to be able to intervene safely and effectively

How does the programme help schools address sexual harassment and the use of sexist language?

The programme promotes a whole school approach to tackling sexual harassment and the use of sexist language by providing the following resources:

• Staff CPD: The Bystander Programme provides schools and colleges with fully resourced staff CPD which highlights the importance of challenging sexist language. Similarly, the CPD suggests strategies to use to help staff tackle incidents of sexual harassment. 
• RSHE curriculum: Fully resourced lessons and lesson plans designed to engage and inform children and young people about the impact of sexist language and sexual harassment (lessons are age appropriate) 
  • Fully resourced lessons and lesson plans for primary aged children which focus on inappropriate and harmful language
  • Fully resourced lesson and lesson plan on training children and young people to be active bystanders

The programme empowers children and young people by providing them with skills to become active bystanders enabling them to safely intervene to prevent incidents of sexist language and sexual harassment. It encourages children and young people to speak up and be heard.

What impact has the Bystander Programme had in Norfolk?

• 116 schools/colleges in Norfolk have introduced the programme
• 14000 children and young people have been trained to become active bystanders
• 2200 members of staff have received the CPD
• Staff report an increased confidence to challenge the use of sexist language
• Staff and students report an increased knowledge of sexual harassment and its impact
• Staff evaluations of the programme suggest a decrease in the amount of sexist language heard
• Confidence from staff and students that the programme will result in fewer incidents of sexual harassment

Resources

General

• Training notes for trainers in schools (Word doc, 35 KB)
• Bystander Programme CPD for communities (Powerpoint, 7 MB)
• Bystander Programme CPD for schools and colleges (Powerpoint, 11 MB)

Primary schools

• Lesson 1 plan: Inappropriate language - Primary schools (Word doc, 18 KB)
• Lesson 1 presentation: Inappropriate language - Primary schools (Powerpoint, 1 MB)
• Lesson 1 resource: - Inappropriate language - Primary schools: practical scenarios (Word doc, 14 KB)
• Lesson 2 presentation: Poster design activities about zero tolerance - Primary schools (Powerpoint, 1 MB)
• Lesson plan: Active Bystander training - Primary schools (Word doc, 21 KB)
• Lesson presentation: Active Bystander training - Primary schools (Powerpoint, 2 MB)
• Lesson resource: Active Bystander training - Primary schools: 5Ds cards (Word doc, 13 KB)
• Lesson resource: Active Bystander training - Primary schools: practical scenarios (Word doc, 13 KB)

Secondary schools

• Sample letter to parents and carers about the programme (Word doc, 13 KB)
• Lesson 1 plan: Sexism and sexist language - Secondary schools (Word doc, 27 KB)
• Lesson 1 presentation: Sexism and sexist language - Secondary schools (Powerpoint, 1 MB)
• Lesson 1 resource: Sexism and sexist language - Secondary schools: Word list (Word doc, 13 KB)
• Lesson 2 plan: Impact of sexism and sexist language - Secondary schools (Word doc, 19 KB)
• Lesson 2 presentation: Impact of sexism and sexist language - Secondary schools (Powerpoint, 5 MB)
• Lesson 2 resource: Impact of sexism and sexist language - Secondary schools: practical scenarios (Word doc, 13 KB)
• Lesson plan: Active Bystander training - Secondary schools (Word doc, 20 KB)
• Lesson presentation: Active Bystander training - Secondary schools (Powerpoint, 4 MB)
• Lesson resource: Active Bystander training - Secondary schools: 5Ds cards (Word doc, 13 KB)