London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Jul 04, 2025

Leering, jeering and ‘dick pics’: UK report finds sexual harassment ‘normalised’ in schools

Leering, jeering and ‘dick pics’: UK report finds sexual harassment ‘normalised’ in schools

A government report has found that nine out of 10 schoolgirls in the UK know someone who’s been subjected to sexist abuse. The report blames a “normalised” culture of sexual harassment, but technology also plays a role.

The report, released by the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) on Thursday, found that sexual harassment, including online sexual abuse, has become “normalised” for children and teenagers in the UK’s schools.

Ofsted inspectors visited 32 schools and spoke to 900 students in April, and found that nine out of 10 girls said sexist name-calling and being sent unwanted explicit pictures or videos happened “a lot” or “sometimes.” An equal number of girls and half the boys surveyed said that explicit pictures – “dick pics” – were sent to them or their classmates regularly.


Three-quarters of girls said that they were pressured to send naked images of themselves, with one telling inspectors that boys “just won’t take no for an answer.” Nearly six in 10 said they or their female classmates had been photographed without their consent, and over half said these photographs were then circulated without their knowledge. Boys also said they were on the receiving end of such behaviour, but to a lesser extent than girls.

Students subjected to this harassment often don’t report it to teachers and staff, the report found, citing concerns about police involvement, reputational damage or worries that their complaint would go nowhere. This behaviour is apparently so commonplace that inspectors advised school staff to “act on the assumption” that it’s happening in their schools, even if students aren’t speaking up.

“This is a cultural issue; it’s about attitudes and behaviours becoming normalised, and schools and colleges can’t solve that by themselves,” Chief Inspector Amanda Spielman said. She recommended that the government do more to tackle online bullying and abuse, and advised schools to “maintain the right culture in their corridors.”

Some of the behaviour highlighted in the report is age-old: leering, jeering, unwanted touching and “pressure to do sexual things.” The majority of girls said that these issues occurred “a lot” or “sometimes” in their schools. Even two decades ago, Ofsted noted that bullying in schools often had a sexual component, and girls were frequently subjected to “innuendo or outright abuse” in the classroom. Surveys taken more than a decade ago found that sexual harassment in schools was “routing and unquestioned.”

What has changed since the early 2000s is the prevalence of smartphones and messaging apps. The latest Ofsted report specifically highlighted WhatsApp and Snapchat as the platforms most commonly used for sharing explicit material. Studies from around the world have linked smartphones with bullying, and Snapchat in particular has been highlighted as a problem app by the British government.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
Trump Administration Considers Withdrawal of Funding for Hospitals Providing Gender Treatment to Minors
Texas Enacts Law Allowing Gold and Silver Transactions
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
OpenAI Secures Multimillion-Dollar AI Contracts with Pentagon, India, and Grab
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Elon Musk Critiques Senate Budget Proposal Over Job Losses and Strategic Risks
Los Angeles Riots ended with Federal Investigations into Funding
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Education Secretary Announces Overhaul of Complaints System Amid Rising Parental Grievances
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Trump Ends Trade Talks with Canada Over Digital Services Tax
UK Government Softens Welfare Reform Plans Amid Labour Party Rebellion
Labour Faces Rebellion Over Disability Benefit Reforms Ahead of Key Vote
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Host Lavish Wedding in Venice Amid Protests
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
North Korea to Open New Beach Resort to Boost Tourism Economy
UK Labour Party Faces Internal Tensions Over Welfare Reforms
Andrew Cuomo Hints at Potential November Comeback Amid Democratic Primary Results
Curtis Sliwa Champions His Vision for New York City Amid Rising Crime Concerns
Federal Reserve Proposes Changes to Capital Rule Affecting Major Banks
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Trump Escalates Criticism of Media Over Iran Strike Coverage
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
Big Four Accounting Firms Fined in Exam Cheating Scandal
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
Australia's Star Casino Secures $195 Million Rescue Package Amid Challenges
UK to Enhance Nuclear Capabilities with Acquisition of F-35A Fighter Jets
×