Sexual violence across further education, skills and lifelong learning must be eradicated, the Women’s Leadership Network (WLN) has said. 

The network says that while safeguarding teams and local initiatives do important work, more needs to be done to end the toxic behaviours and attitudes that replicate rape culture in places of education and employment. 

Last month, in response to Everyone’s Invited, Ofsted published a review of sexual abuse in schools and colleges. 

It found that sexual harassment, including online sexual abuse, had become “normalised” for children and young people.

Ofsted: Heads must assume sexual harassment occurs

Sexual harassment: Colleges have responsibility to act

Background: Ofsted review into sex abuse welcomed by colleges

‘Pervasive realities of rape culture and power relationships’

However, in a statement, the WLN says there needs to be recognition that sexual harassment and violence may also occur from a member of staff to a student, student on staff, and staff on staff.

The network said: “Ofsted appears to be concerned only with sexual harassment and violence, and online sexual abuse, between learners who are children or young people. Contrary to this, we recognise the pervasive realities of rape culture, power relationships and that sexual harassment and violence may be staff on student, student on staff and staff on staff.”

It added: “As the only organisation in post-16 FE, skills and lifelong learning with a specific goal of increasing intersectional gender equality, we say #EnoughIsEnough. We amplify the voices of the 51,000-plus who bravely shared their testimonies. We demand a whole sector feminist-trauma-informed response to end sexual violence.

“We do not dismiss or diminish the important work done through safeguarding and local initiatives. Still, we need to do more to end the toxic behaviours and attitudes that replicate rape culture. We must own our duty to eradicate sexual harassment and violence, deal with trauma experienced by students and staff, work with others to support and give voice to survivors, empower them to be part of the solution and deal with perpetrators.” 

NUS findings on sexual violence in further education

In 2019, the National Union of Students (NUS) published its report, titled Sexual Violence in Further Education: A study of students’ experiences and perceptions of sexual harassment, violence and domestic abuse in further education. It found that 75 per cent of respondents had had at least one unwanted sexual experience and 33 per cent of sexual harassment took place at their college. Meanwhile, 20 per cent of college-based sexual harassment was experienced during class while 87 per cent took place at college but not during class.

The study also found 9 per cent of unwanted sexual comments were received from a figure of authority (such as a boss or tutor) and this group was also responsible for 4 per cent of incidents where respondents had been  pressured into a relationship and threatened for being sexually uncooperative.

The WLN says “too little action” took place after the report and is today launching a campaign to end sexual violence in FE.

The network is calling for:

• Research into levels of sexual violence experienced by staff and students across all types of provision.
• The changes to national education policy needed to deliver intersectional gender equality, and the responsibilities of government and providers to protect all women and girls.
• Funding that reflects the scale, urgency and imperative to eradicate sexual violence.
• A whole-sector approach, including: accountable leadership; safe, supported sharing of incidences and data; trauma-informed policies and practices; survivor-informed solutions; and effective dissemination and replication of the most impactful actions.
• Sector-designed and delivered training to bring about the zero-tolerance culture and behavioural changes needed to sustain the eradication of sexual violence.

Kirsti Lord, deputy chief executive of the Association of Colleges, said: “Colleges strive to create a culture of safety, respect and consent in which every student can learn, live and be themselves. That culture is vital and as educators they recognise the responsibility they have to change our society by educating the next generation.

“Colleges want students and staff to be confident to report sexual abuse or harassment, knowing that it will be taken seriously: the 2019 NUS report identified that 57 per cent of respondents did not report sexual abuse or harassment as they did not feel the incident was serious enough, and 20 per cent because they did not know who to tell. There is clearly work to do to empower both staff and students to communicate their feelings and concerns about other people’s behaviours and in educating all around healthy relationships, respect and consent.

“Colleges are already working hard on this and will be reviewing their practice in light of the Ofsted review of sexual abuse in schools and colleges and take learning from others. They are committed to providing safe, respectful and inclusive communities for both students and staff and making sure the cultural changes happen across every institution and in society more widely.”

A DfE spokesperson said: “Sexual abuse in any form and in any setting is completely unacceptable. Following Ofsted’s review into sexual abuse in school and colleges, we are developing additional support to help teachers in schools deliver the statutory relationships, sex and health education effectively and confidently, we are supporting teachers and education leaders to better recognise sexual harassment and abuse and we are also strengthening safeguarding guidance. 

“We are working with colleges and FE sector representative bodies to better understand how to raise awareness of healthy relationships among students and what further support students and teachers need to identify, report and address issues on sexual harassment and how good practice can be disseminated across providers to facilitate sector-led learning and improvement.”