London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Jun 20, 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
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
UK Home Secretary Apologizes Over Child Grooming Failures
Trump Organization Launches 5G Mobile Network and Golden Handset
Towcester Hosts 2025 English Greyhound Derby Amid Industry Scrutiny
Gary Oldman and David Beckham Knighted in King's Birthday Honours
Over 30,000 Lightning Strikes Recorded Across UK During Overnight Storms
Princess of Wales Returns to Public Duties at Trooping the Colour
Red Arrows Use Sustainable Fuel in Historic Trooping the Colour Flypast
Former Welsh First Minister Addresses Unionist Concerns Over Irish Language
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
France Bars Israeli Arms Companies from Paris Defense Expo
King Charles Leads Tribute to Air India Crash Victims at Trooping the Colour
Jack Pitchford Embarks on 200-Mile Walk to Support Stem Cell Charity
Surrey Hikers Take on Challenge of Climbing 11 Peaks in a Single Day
UK Deploys RAF Jets to Middle East Amid Israel-Iran Tensions
Two Skydivers Die in 'Tragic Accident' at Devon Airfield
Sainsbury's and Morrisons Accused of Displaying Prohibited Tobacco Ads
UK Launches National Inquiry into Grooming Gangs
Families Seek Closure After Air India Crash
Gold Emerges as Global Safe Haven Amid Uncertainty
Trump Reports $57 Million Earnings from Crypto Venture
Trump's Military Parade Sparks Concerns Over Authoritarianism
Nationwide 'No Kings' Protests Challenge Trump's Leadership
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Trump's Anti-War Stance Tested Amid Israel-Iran Conflict
Germany Holds First Veterans Celebration Since WWII
U.S. Health Secretary Dismisses CDC Vaccine Advisory Committee
Minnesota Lawmaker Melissa Hortman and Husband Killed in Targeted Attack; Senator John Hoffman and Wife Injured
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
×