London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Feb 22, 2025

Pornography causing backward step in boys' respect for girls, say victims and teachers

Pornography causing backward step in boys' respect for girls, say victims and teachers

Messaging apps like Snapchat see girls sent abusive messages by boys of their age, and they feel unable to report them.

A woman who was sexually abused and raped as a child has waived her right to anonymity to speak out against the harmful affects of easily-accessible pornography.

Dandy Doherty says she was sexually abused at the age of 11 and raped at the age of 15 - and that her abusers were the same age as her.

She is one of many to contribute to the website Everyone's Invited, but she's waived her anonymity because she feels inaction by schools and parents has "trickled down" to create an abuse culture.

Everyone's Invited - testimonies uploaded to the site have prompted multiple police reports of abuse


More than 14,000 allegations have now been made by school pupils on the website, which is gathering testimonies of sexual violence and abuse.

"Consent needs to be talked about from very young age," says Dandy.

"Pornography needs to be talked about from a very young age.

"It's not inappropriate to talk to a 10-year-old about sex, it's inappropriate for a 10-year-old to be watching fake sex online and thinking that that's what's normal.

"That's the bad part. It shouldn't be uncomfortable to have this conversation."

"I was sexually assaulted, for the first time at 11 ,12, 13 by boys aged 11, and 12 and 13," she continues.

"I didn't say anything about that at the time, I didn't have the words for it. I didn't understand it.

"I didn't know that sexual assault was a thing - after I was raped, I looked it up."

On Thursday, the National Education Union (NEU) debated the issue at its virtual annual conference.

General secretary of the NEU Mary Bousted told Sky News the behaviour of schoolchildren has been "corrupted" and "gone back" due to social media and access to pornography.

She said: "It's become 'that's the way things are', and teachers in our service said they were unsure about how to deal with it and 'if I stopped and dealt with it all the time, I would never get any teaching done'.

"So, we need a national programme to help schools tackle this behaviour."

Dr Bousted added: "I think we've gone back in this respect.

"I think the way girls are treated on social media, I think the fact that so many boys watch porn, that really has corrupted the way boys and girls think about each other.

"It's lowered girls' expectations for how they should be treated by boys and its enabled too many boys to think that girls are just objects."


Pupils themselves are now asking questions about when behaviour crosses from natural sexual curiosity into abuse.

The landscape of interaction is ever-changing. Schools and parents are struggling to keep up with new forms of communication online.

A new Instagram account called Screen Grab Them invites victims to post abusive texts and Snapchats they have received, which show that all too often, the harassment is blatant.

The messages include threats of rape, often when a boy's advances are turned down.

There are also derogatory conversations.

In one, a girl is told: "Love I'm afraid to say it, but no-one is gonna rape u."

She replies asking: "Are you literally saying that I would be privileged for someone to rape me?"

He says: "No - you would be lucky."

Abusive messages of this kind are shared on many social media apps popular with youngsters


Ofsted has announced it will visit "a sample of schools and colleges where cases have been highlighted" as part of its emergency review.

Ofsted chief executive Amanda Spielman told Sky News: "I have such a big concern about the fact that so many of these young people have felt unable to tell their school what's been happening to them.

"We need to understand these disincentives to reporting because many of these schools think that they have good routes - people that children can trust who they can talk to - and yet somehow, it's not, it's not always adding up.

"So how do we make sure the pieces add up to something that gives young people the confidence to report and to talk about these things."

Young women like Dandy hope that by recounting their darkest childhood memories, tomorrow's children won't have to experience what they did.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Prison Officer Sentenced for Inappropriate Conduct with Inmate
Good News: Senate Confirms Kash Patel as FBI Director
Officials from the U.S. and Hungary Engage in Talks on Economic Collaboration and Sanctions Strategy
James Bond Franchise Transitions to Amazon MGM Studios
Technology Giants Ramp Up Lobbying Initiatives Against Strict EU Regulations
Alibaba Exceeds Quarterly Projections Fueled by Growth in Cloud and AI
Tequila Sector Faces Surplus Crisis as Agave Prices Dive Sharply
Residents of Flintshire Mobile Home Park Grapple with Maintenance Issues and Uncertain Future
Ronan Keating Criticizes Irish Justice System Following Fatal Crash Involving His Brother
Gordon Ramsay's Lucky Cat Restaurant Faces Unprecedented Theft
Israeli Family Mourns Loss of Peace Advocate Oded Lifschitz as Body Returned from Gaza
Former UK Defense Chief Calls for Enhanced European Support for Ukraine
Pope Francis Admitted to Hospital in Rome Amid Rising Succession Speculation
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, at the age of 83, Declares His Retirement.
Whistleblower Reveals Whitehall’s Focus on Kabul Animal Airlift Amid Crisis
Politicians Who Deliberately Lie Could Face Removal from Office in Wales
Scottish Labour Faces Challenges Ahead of 2026 Holyrood Elections
Leftwing Activists Less Likely to Work with Political Rivals, Study Finds
Boris Johnson to Host 'An Evening with Boris Johnson' at Edinburgh's Usher Hall
Planned Change in British Citizenship Rules Faces First Legal Challenge
Northumberland Postal Worker Sentenced for Sexual Assaults During Deliveries
British Journalist Missing in Brazil for 11 Days
Tesco Fixes Website Glitch That Disrupted Online Grocery Orders
Amnesty International Critiques UK's Predictive Policing Practices
Burglar Jailed After Falling into Home-Made Trap in Blyth
Sellafield Nuclear Site Exits Special Measures for Physical Security Amid Ongoing Cybersecurity Concerns
Avian Influenza Impact on Seals in Norfolk: Four Deaths Confirmed
First Arrest Under Scotland's Abortion Clinic Buffer Zone Law Amidst International Controversy
Meghan Markle Rebrands Lifestyle Venture as 'As Ever' Ahead of Netflix Series Launch
Inter-Island Ferry Services Between Guernsey and Jersey Set to Expand
Significant Proportion of Cancer Patients in England and Wales Not Receiving Recommended Treatments
Final Consultation Launched for Vyrnwy Frankton Power Line Project
Drug Misuse Deaths in Scotland Rise by 12% in 2023
Failed £100 Million Cocaine Smuggling Operation in the Scottish Highlands
Central Cee Equals MOBO Awards Record; Bashy and Ayra Starr Among Top Honorees
EastEnders: Four Decades of Challenging Social Norms
Jonathan Bailey Channels 'Succession' in Bold Richard II Performance
Northern Ireland's First Astronaut Engages in Rigorous Spacewalk Training
Former Postman Sentenced for Series of Sexual Offences in Northumberland
Record Surge in Anti-Muslim Hate Crimes Across the UK in 2024
Omagh Bombing Inquiry Concludes Commemorative Hearings with Survivor Testimonies
UK Government Introduces 'Ronan's Law' to Combat Online Knife Sales to Minors
Metal Detectorists Unearth 15th-Century Coin Hoard in Scottish Borders
Woman Charged in 1978 Death of Five-Year-Old Girl in South London
Expanding Sinkhole in Godstone, Surrey, Forces Evacuations and Road Closures
Bangor University Announces Plans to Cut 200 Jobs Amid £15 Million Savings Target
British Journalist Charlotte Peet Reported Missing in Brazil
UK Inflation Rises to 3% in January Amid Higher Food Prices and School Fees
Starmer Defends Zelensky Amidst Trump's 'Dictator' Allegation
Zelensky Calls on World Leaders to Back Peace Efforts in Light of Strains with Trump
×