Why schools struggle to address sexual harm: new research calls for broader cultural change

Why schools struggle to address sexual harm: new research calls for broader cultural change 

Professionals working in education, policing and safeguarding are often falling back on narrow, behaviour-focused definitions of “harmful sexual behaviour” that ignore the real-life social pressures young people face, according to new research from the University of Surrey. 

Although professionals are often attuned to wider cultural dynamics of sexual harm, like gender norms and misogyny, the study found that their insights are lost within the safeguarding system that prioritises individualised responses, such as reporting, behaviour management and exclusions. 

This can lead to missed opportunities to intervene holistically and a system that quietly expects girls to tolerate abuse while boys are pressured into silence. 

The study found that young people were often navigating coercion, image-sharing, and harassment in an environment where professionals were uncertain how to act – especially when incidents didn’t fit into a neat legal category. For example, girls described being pressured into sex through emotional manipulation or being publicly humiliated by peers, while professionals expressed discomfort categorising such cases as assault even when consent had clearly been violated, due to institutional ambiguity or fear of escalation. 

The research, published in The Journal of Sexual Aggression, based on interviews with nine teenagers and 23 frontline professionals working in policing, education and safeguarding across southeast England, found that  while many professionals recognised how gender norms, peer dynamics and digital cultures shape sexual harm, institutional constraints and risk-averse frameworks meant these insights were often caved into narrow assessments of trauma, vulnerability or misconduct.  

Dr Emily Setty, co-author of the study and Associate Professor in Criminology at the University of Surrey, said: 

 “We are calling for what has been termed a “both/and” approach to safeguarding. Of course, incidents of sexual harm often need immediate action to address behaviour, ensure safety and uphold consequences, but these measures alone will not shift the deeper attitudes and dynamics that allow harm to recur. Alongside existing disciplinary processes, professionals and policymakers should invest in preventative and relational work that addresses the underlying causes: gendered double standards, peer norms and the pressures of digital culture. This means creating space for young people to explore the complexities of relationships and consent, and supporting staff to reflect on their own assumptions, blind spots and the “grey areas” they encounter. By combining swift responses to incidents with longer-term cultural change, we can move from simply managing cases to building environments where harmful behaviours are less likely to take root in the first place.” 

Researchers argue that the term “harmful sexual behaviour” has become too focused on labelling individuals as perpetrators or victims, and fails to capture the broader, ongoing nature of sexual harm. They propose a move towards recognising “sexual harm” as something relational and systemic — influenced by inequality, institutional blind spots and digital life.  

[ENDS] 

• Dr Emily Setty is available for interview, please contact mediarelations@surrey.ac.uk to arrange.   

• The full paper is available in The Journal of Sexual Aggression