Tackling Misogyny and Sexual Harassment in Schools Needs More Than Guidance. It Needs Action.

Our Streets Now, a youth-led organisation working directly with schools to end sexual harassment, welcomes the government’s recognition of the urgent need to tackle misogyny in education but warns that bold words must be backed by proper training, funding, and skilfully held conversations if the new RSHE guidance is to have real impact.

‘Online misogyny is a symptom, not the cause. RSHE must give young people the tools to question harmful gender norms in every part of their lives.’ - Charli Keely, Head of Campaigns Our Streets Now. 

‘Our Streets Now welcome changes that push RSHE closer to where it needs to be: survivor-informed, rooted in prevention, and reflective of the realities young people face. But guidance alone won’t protect students. We need clear expectations, national investment, and proper support for teachers if we want RSHE to do more than tick boxes.’ - Charli Keely, Head of Campaigns

Age Limits 

The removal of prescriptive age limits is a welcome shift, but Our Streets Now warns that this flexibility must not translate into silence or delay.

‘Removing the previously planned age limits is very encouraging. Having conversations with young people based on their experience rather than age is key to preventing harm. However, without clear expectations on age limits, schools may underestimate just how early young people are exposed to online harm, and delay the conversations until it’s too late.’ - Issy Warren, Head of Programmes 

Funding, Training & Staff Support 

‘The updated guidance is welcome, but without proper training, resources, and funding for RSHE, we risk repeating the same inconsistent implementation we saw when the subject first became statutory.’ - Issy Warren, Head of Programmes 

Our Streets Now highlights that many teachers still don’t receive appropriate RSHE training and sometimes only discover they’re delivering this education when it appears on their timetable. 

Online World

‘The online world isn’t going anywhere, and neither is the influence it has on young people. We need lessons that empower pupils with critical thinking skills to recognise online harm, and talk to trusted adults about their concerns.’ - Issy Warren, Head of Programmes 

Misogyny didn’t begin with the internet. If we only teach young people to spot it in pornography or social media, we miss the harmful gender norms they may be absorbing from parents, peers, or mainstream media, including song lyrics and films. RSHE needs to build real critical thinking skills that help pupils recognise misogyny wherever it shows up. 

Public Sexual Harassment 

Our Streets Now called for the law to change in 2023 through the Protection from Sex-Based Harassment in Public Act. While its commencement is delayed, Our Streets Now welcomes the RSHE guidance’s explicit inclusion of staying safe in public spaces both online and offline. 

‘Talking about safety in public spaces remains essential, especially when we know that 1 in 3 girls have experienced public sexual harassment while wearing their school uniform. But these conversations must go beyond safety planning, which too often slips into victim-blaming, instead of challenging the behaviours that cause the harm.’ - Charli Keely, Head of Campaigns