London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Aug 05, 2025

Everyone's Invited: Schools abuse helpline and review launched

Everyone's Invited: Schools abuse helpline and review launched

A helpline and immediate review into sexual abuse in schools have been set up by the government in response to thousands of allegations from students.

Ofsted will look at safeguarding in both state and independent schools.

The helpline will be run by the NSPCC to both support potential victims and provide advice to children and adults.

"Sexual abuse in any form is abhorrent and it is vital that these allegations are dealt with properly," Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said.

"While the majority of schools take their safeguarding responsibilities extremely seriously, I am determined to make sure the right resources and processes are in place across the education system to support any victims of abuse to come forward."

The debate about a culture of sexual abuse at schools has escalated in recent weeks after a website set up for victims to anonymously post their experiences gained more than 11,000 posts, some from children as young as nine.

Many of the allegations on the website refer to sexual harassment carried out against young women by young men at their school or university.

Wendy Mair, from the Everyone's Invited site, said they were "proud to have started a crucial conversation", but disappointed the education secretary had not contacted them before the announcement.

"We are encouraged to see that the government has responded and taken the first initial steps to review rape culture in all schools," she said, adding that she hoped the site's team will be included in carrying out the review.

"The testimonies being shared through Everyone's Invited are extremely upsetting, and underline the urgent need to tackle violence against girls," said NSPCC chief executive Sir Peter Wanless.

"This is a watershed moment thanks to those who have found the courage to speak out."

The helpline will be open from 09:00 GMT on Thursday to offer support and advice to children and adults who are victims of sexual abuse in schools.

This includes how to contact the police and report crimes, if they wish to, while parents and professionals can also get in touch.

Students have contacted the BBC criticising what they see as their school's failure to tackle incidents or acknowledge the wider issues.

Sarah, who is 18 and goes to a state school in London, said she had been "sexually harassed on numerous occasions" by students at a neighbouring private school.

She said she feels incredibly let down by what she saw as her school's "lack of response" to the recent discussions around women's safety.

"It's really been left to students to care for each other, often leading to major tensions within peer groups as people attempt to 'confront' certain students known for sexually inappropriate behaviour," she said.

What is Everyone's Invited?


In June 2020, Soma Sara, who is now 22, shared her experience on Instagram of what she calls "rape culture".

Within a week she had received and shared more than 300 anonymous responses of people with stories of "misogyny, harassment, abuse and assault".

The Everyone's Invited website now carries thousands of victims' testimonies, often from schools and universities.

Experiences range from being drugged and raped at parties to explicit images being shared over messaging platforms.

Another sixth former, from Kent, suggested there had been "lots of sexual assault allegations" made at her school, but that these had been played down.

"Before lockdown two we tried talking to the school and that has totally been ignored, and because of their 'prestigious' image they've been telling girls to keep quiet and to think of the accused's mental health," she said.

Last week, pupils at Highgate School in North London walked out of classes in protest at a perceived "rape culture", following the publication of accounts of alleged abuse.

One male ex-pupil told BBC Newsnight that girls were "hounded" for naked selfies at the school. The school's governing body said it was "truly sorry" and had commissioned an external review.

'More to do'


Ofsted will begin an immediate review of safeguarding policies in state and private schools, to determine whether guidance for schools around sexual harassment needs to be improved. It will conclude by the end of May

More than half of young women had been sexually harassed at their school, college or university, polling of 1,000 young women aged 14-21 last autumn suggested.

One in five said they had received unwanted sexual comments and 8% had been groped, according to the figures from girls' rights charity Plan International UK.

Conservative MP Maria Miller, former chairwoman of the Women and Equalities Select Committee, told BBC Breakfast there was "far more to do" on the issue.

"If we don't tackle it in our schools we leave young people leaving school thinking that is entirely right, that they're able to either sexually harass or be on the receiving end of sexual harassment," she said.

"And that's why we're seeing these behaviours going to our universities, our workplaces and beyond."

Ms Miller said new mandatory relationships education in England, and a forthcoming Online Harms Bill introducing age controls on online pornography, were "steps in the right direction".

"There is no doubt that schools can and should play a key role in this work, but this is a problem that reaches far beyond the school gates," Paul Whiteman, general secretary of head teachers' union NAHT, said.

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said the union welcomed the review and the helpline, adding: "Robust safeguarding is the number one priority of state and independent schools."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Elon Musk Receives $23.7 Billion Tesla Stock Award
Texas House Paralyzed After Democrats Walk Out Over Redistricting
Mexican Cartels Complicate Sheinbaum’s U.S. Security Talks
Mark Zuckerberg Declares War on the iPhone
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
Tesla Seeks Shareholder Approval for $29 Billion Compensation Package for Elon Musk
Nvidia is cutting prices on its RTX 50-series graphics cards after sales slowed and inventories piled up
Ghislaine Maxwell Transferred to Minimum-Security Prison Amid Ongoing DOJ Discussions
U.S. Tariffs Surge to Highest Levels in Nearly a Century Under Second Trump Term
Matt Taibbi Slams Media for Role in Russiagate Narrative
Pilots Call for Mental Health Support Without Stigma
All Five Trapped Miners Found Dead After El Teniente Mine Collapse
Ong Beng Seng Pleads Guilty in Corruption Case Linked to Former Singapore Transport Minister
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
Italy Fines Shein One Million Euros for Misleading Sustainability Claims
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
Declassified Annex Links Soros‑Affiliated Officials and Clinton Campaign to ‘Russiagate’ Narrative
UK's Online Safety Law: A Front for Censorship
Nationwide Protests Erupt in Brazil Demanding Presidential Resignation
Parents Abandon Child at Barcelona Airport Over Passport Issue
Mystery Surrounds Death of Brazilian Woman with iPhones Glued to Her Body
Bus Driver Discovers Toddler Hidden in Suitcase in New Zealand
Switzerland Celebrates 734 Years of Independence Amid Global Changes
U.S. Opens Official Investigation into Former Trump Prosecutor Jack Smith
Leaked audio of Canada's new PM Mark Carney admitting the truth about the Net Zero agenda: "We're gonna make a lot of money off of this."
China Enforces Comprehensive Ban on Cryptocurrency Activities
Absolutely 100% Realistic EVO Series Doll by EXDOLL (Chinese Company) used mainly for carnal purposes
World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab: "In this new world, we must accept... total transparency. You have to get used to it. You have to behave accordingly. But if you have nothing to hide, you shouldn't be afraid."
Meet Mufti Hamid Patel, head of Office for Standards in Education in Pakistan
George Soros tells the World Economic Forum: "President Trump is a con man and the ultimate narcissist, who wants the world to revolve around him."
Hamas are STARVING the hostages.
Decline in Tourism in Majorca Amidst Ongoing Anti-Tourism Protests
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
Poland Begins Excavation at Dziemiany After New Clue to World War II‑Era Nazi Treasure
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Threatens Canada with Tariffs Over Palestinian State Recognition
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Trump Sues Murdoch in “Heavyweight Bout”: Lawsuit Over Alleged Epstein Letter Sets Stage for Courtroom Showdown
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
J.K. Rowling Limits Public Engagements Citing Safety Fears
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
×