For far too many teenagers - and especially girls and young women - sexual harassment and violence in relationships are disturbingly common experiences.

Research from the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) on children’s experiences of violence, published earlier this year, found that over the previous 12 months one in seven teenage children had seen acts of sexual violence online.

Even more shocking was that one in 12 teenage girls had been the victims of sexual assault.

Even at school, while they’re trying to learn, children are being exposed to attitudes that can underpin this kind of violence.

For example, last year, in Ofsted research, the vast majority of girls said that sexist name-calling or being sent unwanted, explicit pictures and videos happened either “a lot” or “sometimes”.  

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

Relationships and sex education: tackling violence

There is an extensive amount of evidence showing that relationships and sex education (RSE) can make a significant contribution to tackling violence in relationships.  

Released in mid-December, new research from the YEF, drawing on 16 existing studies, shows that evidence-led RSE, which sets out the intention of reducing experiences like emotional abuse, sexual violence, stalking or harassment, can reduce violence by almost a fifth (17 per cent).

With this comprehensive study, we wanted to see how else RSE can benefit young people, not just through the more traditional focus on young people’s health and tackling sexually transmitted infection rates or the number of teenage pregnancies.

As such, with this new research, we now have significantly more information on the wider benefits of evidence-led RSE - particularly the ways in which RSE changes young people’s behaviour and attitudes, promotes respect for one another and helps to develop their emotional wellbeing.

This should give us reason to be optimistic about the role that RSE can play in keeping young people safe.

The skills to keep young people safe

So why does it work? Broadly, there are three reasons.

First of all, RSE helps young people to explore attitudes associated with what is “normal” or “healthy” in a relationship, and challenge the stereotypes about gender that can underpin certain kinds of violence.

For example, the idea that boys and men should be unemotional and resolve conflict with anger, or that women should meet the needs of other people before their own.

Secondly, RSE helps children to develop important skills around communication and conflict resolution, which mean they’re less likely to become involved in violence.

Finally, RSE can help children spot early warning signs of an unhealthy relationship, while also giving them knowledge about where they can go if they’re worried about their own safety or that of a friend.

So are all children getting this kind of education?

More must be done

It’s true that governments in England and Wales have recognised the evidence-based argument for RSE - and teaching about healthy relationships and online safety is compulsory in both education systems.

But that isn’t yet translating in the classroom.

Recent research from the Sex Education Forum showed that, one year on from statutory status in English schools, close to three in 10 (28 per cent) of 16- to 17-year-olds hadn’t learned about “how to tell if a relationship is healthy” at school.

In the same study, 37 per cent of children said that they did not learn anything about “power imbalances in relationships”, while one in five (22 per cent of) young people rated the quality of RSE as “bad” or “very bad”.

It really shows the importance not just of having legislation that makes the subject compulsory, but delivering evidence-led RSE in full.

That’s why, as part of YEF’s new Toolkit update - which is free to access - we’ve looked at the RSE research and drawn out tips on how to make sure that the content you’re covering in RSE is as effective as possible. These include:

• Using games, role play and discussion to engage young people.
• Taking time to develop good relationships between the teachers or external facilitators and the young people taking part, so that they’re comfortable taking part, asking questions and sharing their ideas.
• Making sure you’ve got enough time, and a large enough classroom space, to make the most of interactive sessions (which could include physical activities or theatre).
• Tackling the idea that “violence doesn’t happen here”. Putting an engagement plan in place, for teachers, parents and other members of the school community, can help to address any perceptions about the need for this type of RSE, and help to build support for the sessions or lessons.  

The importance of confident RSE educators

Overall, the research summarised by YEF found that violence is more likely to be prevented if lessons are delivered by trained and confident teachers or facilitators, with a good knowledge of issues that affect young people.

It helps them to create a better relationship with children and young people, because they’re comfortable discussing complex issues related to relationships, sex and different forms of violence. 

Making sure you have a clear behaviour policy in place and supporting teachers to use it also helps, so that they know how to confidently respond to any disruptive behaviour (including sexist, anti-LGBTQ+ or other prejudiced responses) from a young person taking part.  

It’s also important to make sure that lessons consider the ages of the young people taking part and are inclusive of sexual identities and disabilities.

Through resources like the YEF Toolkit and the Sex Education Forum’s guidance and advice, we can make sure that every child gets the evidence-led education they deserve.

If we get it right, we have a huge opportunity to make our society safer, especially for women and girls.

Lucy Emmerson is chief executive of the Sex Education Forum and Jon Yates is executive director of the Youth Endowment Fund