From 2021 to Now, What’s Changed in 5 Years of Working in Schools?

It’s the question we are most often asked. Are things getting better or worse? Are we winning the battle against rising misogyny online? Here’s what I’ve seen since I first started delivering sexual violence workshops in 2021…

Everything feels more polarised, and more divisive

On one hand, we see so many kids engaged with feminism and social justice, in ways that didn’t feel so prominent 5 years ago. Many have heard of Laura Bates, or intersectionality. They’ll make connections between their experiences and a wider culture of inequality, or they’ll openly discuss their queer identity, ‘coming out’ to us in the session. 

On the other hand, the number who have decided we are ‘against them’ before we’ve even begun is growing. It seems more acceptable to openly express homophobia, misogynistic views of women or that ‘she was asking for it’ (or something along those lines). The rise of far right politics means racism, anti-migrant views and transphobia are brought into the classroom ever more frequently. 

There’s a bigger gap between what adults and young people think

Here we are really seeing the influence of the online world. Adults are both more unaware of what their children are consuming online, and professionals are often out of touch when it comes to their proposed solutions. Most ideas focus on banning smartphones (feels like victim-blaming children rather than holding tech companies to account) or using assemblies to terrify kids away from the internet (when has this type of approach ever worked with teenagers?). 

We mustn't let our fear as adults be so loud that we stop listening to what support young people actually want from us. You can read more about our approach to talking about the online world in our guide to the new RSHE curriculum here. 

More knowledge, similar levels of empathy

A big win is that students are much more likely now to be able to define sexual harassment, to name racism or xenophobia and to know the law on consent. But, there doesn’t often seem to be much emotional buy in or awareness that this is relevant to them. It’s one thing to know what harassment means, but quite another to start critically reflecting on your own behaviour, or the jokes and ‘banter’ you laugh along with. Young people of all genders need to meaningfully empathise with those who experience sexual violence and understand that they have the power to make a difference. 

Read more about our work in schools here