A recent survey reveals that students are not receiving enough education regarding the impacts of pornography and dangerous relationships, despite the increasing threat of online misogyny. The survey, conducted three years after the government’s implementation of relationships and sex education (RSE), shows that young people feel their education has not improved. Current teaching methods also fail to address modern issues. Lucy Emmerson, director of the Sex Education Forum, states that there is an urgent need to listen to young people and provide them with the education necessary for healthy sexual relationships. Though mandatory sex education has been introduced into schools, research conducted by Censuswide among 1,002 students in England shows that young people do not believe they are receiving the necessary lessons.
The findings show that 58% of 16 to 17-year-olds surveyed feel that power imbalances in relationships are either poorly taught or missed completely. The same percentage also believes that issues surrounding pornography are either lightly touched on or omitted entirely. Over half of those surveyed claim that teaching on healthy relationships and online relationships needs improvement, while 55% feel they need more education regarding boys’ and men’s behaviors towards girls and women. According to research conducted by the children’s commissioner for England, one in ten children had watched pornography by the age of nine. Meanwhile, 79% of those surveyed had viewed violent pornography, and one in three actively searched for depictions of sexual violence, including physical aggression, coercion, and degradation.
Emmerson emphasizes the importance of addressing this education gap and how sexual violence can be reduced through RSE. Children who receive quality RSE are more likely to report abuse, delay sex, engage in consensual sex, use contraception, and have fewer unplanned pregnancies. The UK government has pledged to review its mandatory guidance on relationships, sex, and health education in 2023. Emmerson urges the government to fund better sex education, sticking to its promise to do so. In 2019, the schools minister Nick Gibb stated that £6m had been allocated for high-quality teaching in RSE, but according to a written question by Sarah Champion MP in February, only £3.2m had been spent. A government spokesperson said that the remaining money was considered support costs. The government plans to release guidance on the education of sexual harassment, violence against women and girls, and sexual violence, along with an online safety bill.
Andrea Simon, the director of the End Violence Against Women coalition, states that their research shows that 80% of girls believe schools need to address sex and relationships education and tackle sexual harassment. According to Simon, schools are left with inadequate training and resources while being tasked with cleaning up messes created by companies profiting off misogynistic content.
