Alarming Reports of Sexual Abuse in UK Primary Schools Prompt Calls for Early Sex Education
Recent anonymous testimonies reveal disturbing incidents of sexual abuse and harassment reported at 1,664 primary schools across the UK, sparking urgent calls for age-appropriate sex education for children under nine. The website Everyone’s Invited, hosting these accounts, details experiences of harassment ranging from groping to rape, with one chilling report involving a victim as young as five.
A 12-year-old survivor described being abducted and assaulted at the age of 10 while walking to school, highlighting the severe impact of such trauma on young children. Sophie Lennox, a spokesperson for Everyone’s Invited, emphasized the need to educate children earlier, stating that the current age of nine is too late for introducing crucial topics on relationships and consent.
Education leaders, like Daniel Kebede from the National Education Union, agree, noting that inappropriate behaviors have pervaded school environments, often learned from older siblings and social media. The government responded by acknowledging the need for comprehensive relationship and health education, reinforcing that all students must feel safe in schools.
United Kingdom