Rape culture pervasive in 1,600 UK and Ireland schools

An investigation has revealed that rape culture exists in over 1,600 primary schools in the UK and Ireland. The campaign group Everyone’s Invited published a list of 1,664 schools where children aged five to 11 reported experiences related to sexual harassment and violence. The report highlighted that many children under seven display signs of misogynistic behavior. It found that harmful gender norms and inappropriate comments influence young students from as early as nursery. Additionally, more than 60% of teachers reported that children under nine had encountered pornography. Several disturbing testimonies from students were included in the report. One account described a young girl being attacked in a school bathroom while another revealed a boy offering money for the rape of a classmate. In both cases, children felt their concerns were trivialized by adults. The charity behind the report is advocating for relationship and sex education to start in early childhood. Founded by Soma Sara, a survivor of sexual abuse, the group aims to address the issue of sexual violence in schools. Teachers reported feeling unprepared to handle these serious situations. Many had only limited training to help them respond effectively to cases of sexual violence. A report from the National Police Chiefs’ Council also indicated a significant rise in child sexual abuse and exploitation cases in recent years. Overall, the findings suggest that rape culture has become a serious issue in primary schools, influenced by children’s access to harmful online content.