The reality of sexual assault in the 21st-century
Image Source, Gayatri Malhotra (Unsplash)
In an anonymous online survey I conducted on over 1,300 16-20-year-old girls across the UK, over 80% had experienced some form of sexual assault. Over 61% of these offences happened to young girls during their school years. These shocking yet relatively unsurprising statistics formulate two key questions:
Why are the statistics so high in schools?
What needs to be done to prevent these incidents from happening?
Before I investigate this issue and what must change, here are some harrowing yet truthful answers to the questions posed.
What would you consider to be sexual assault?
Any inappropriate touching without consent.
An act that has taken place without consent.
Any sexual contact that is non-consensual.
What do you think can be done to raise awareness of sexual assault?
Educating men and boys.
Educating people on the mental impact sexual assault can have, both in the long term and short term.
Increased media attention.
‘Girls are passive towards sexual assault as they accept it’. Do you agree with this statement? Please explain your answer.
I disagree. Sometimes girls appear passive because they are afraid of telling someone or don’t want to relive the trauma.
Not at all- it’s something women have had to deal with, they get told to change their behaviour when education towards men on the matter is little to none.
Yes, it’s been normalised within our society. The phrase “boys just being boys” is used as an acceptable excuse way too much.
Girls are just too scared to say the truth out of fear of judgement and the feeling of embarrassment.
It is evident from these answers that the issue is largely society’s fault. It is, however, vital to recognise that not all men take advantage of women, and men are also victims and survivors of unwanted sexual attention. Anyone can experience assault.
Sexual assault is defined as “unwanted sexual activity, with perpetrators using force, making threats or taking advantage of victims not able to give consent”, according to the American Psychological Association. Whilst this is the standard definition, the survey highlighted people’s personal definitions.
Most answers were similar, including ‘anything that is sexual and unwanted’ as well as ‘anything that happens after someone says no’ and ‘the continuation of unwanted vulgar comments.’ Whether standard or personal, the one thing that strikes up in every definition is the lack of consent.
Having attended an all-girls school, our consent education was geared towards saying no. But not what no means. My education led me to believe that in a mixed/boys school, consent lessons would teach the importance of the word no. This anonymous study, however, revealed that many UK schools treat consent as a taboo. Individuals stated consent wasn’t taught in their schools which is one of the main reasons sexual assaults occur.
One person said, ‘educate boys on the meaning of no’, with another individual saying, ‘the sex-ed curriculum needs to change and fast. The lack of education surrounding assault and consent is causing so many girls to be too scared to speak up’.
Arguably, the lack of education from a young age is increasing the number of sexual attacks. With UK children attending school from age four, it becomes the key place for learning and development. It is the setting in which children are taught right and wrong, so a lack of education surrounding sexual assault and consent makes the topic taboo.
UK high school students spend approximately 714 hours in school per year. Whilst primary is the place for initial development, high school sees students settle into their innate selves, with their knowledge of right and wrong already developed. With this in mind, the lack of attention given to consent during a pupil’s older years again shows the education system contributes to sexual attacks. Students are not taught the meaning of no in a sexual context or that pressuring someone into a sexual act is sexual assault. They are also not taught the damaging implications of the reality of sexual assault.
For society to progress and for sexual assaults to decrease, the school curriculum must alter. Whether it’s ensuring that there are classes surrounding consent or setting up support networks for sexual assault survivors, the school curriculum needs to reform to help lower the frightening statistics.
Increased media attention could raise awareness of the issue by investigating the truth of assault and informing individuals of the penalties to help combat it. With sexual assault awareness month in April, you mainly see and read stories of that nature during that month. However, despite raising awareness of the issue, many stories are published to increase readership and ensure that the news organisation is kept relevant.
With the media, a constant mass source of information for most, the lack of stories investigating the truth behind sexual assault almost diminishes its severity. It presents sexual assault as only relevant during April. By alerting people to the penalties (which must be stricter) and how sexual assault experiences genuinely damage people, the media could play a massive role in decreasing numbers.
Damaging societal norms prevent individuals from speaking about their experiences and create a perceived passivity among women and young girls.
In 2021, Rape Crisis England and Wales recorded that five out of six women who experience rape do not report the event, while four out of five men avoid doing the same. Over 40% found the incident embarrassing, with 38% saying it would be humiliating to report it. Society has taught women to suffer in silence, with the infamous “boys will be boys” statement too often used as an excuse.
When I posed the statement, ‘girls are passive towards sexual assault as they accept it,’ to the 1311 girls who took part in the survey, the majority disagreed while acknowledging society has silenced them. In other words, although they want to do something about it and express their opinions, they are subject to a lack of societal interest. Therefore they are unable or unlikely to discuss it on a large platform where change can be forged.
One girl said, “many women I know, including myself, actively try to stop it progressing, but when you’re the weaker individual, you end up giving up the fight”.
Whilst many women “discuss sexual assault with anger and disgust”, it is often only to close friends or loved ones, as many “accept it as life” and “don’t want to cause a scene out of fear”.
In recent years through increased social media usage, the online community has served as a positive, safe place for women to express experiences whilst acquiring support. The MeToo movement, initially created by Tarana Burke, successfully created an online platform (largely on Twitter) for sexual assault survivors to display their reality. This has resulted in a support community, allowing women worldwide to unite and raise awareness on this issue.
Whilst it should be recognised that there is an increased knowledge on sexual assault, not enough is being done to raise awareness about the after-effects. Additionally, societal norms have contributed to the rise in the perceived passivity of girls. Discussing sexual assault using damaging phrases such as “boys will be boys” almost teaches girls, particularly those of a younger, more impressionable age, that assault is something to simply tolerable. This shouldn’t be the case.
Whilst “boys will be boys”, girls should not have to walk out in fear of attack and assault. Women are not objects and should not be treated as such. Society must teach the reality of sexual assault whilst also ensuring there is adequate support for girls who may have experienced any form of assault.
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If you require support due to any of the issues raised in this piece, here are some people who may be able to help:
Your local doctor
Rape Crisis helpline: 08088029999
NHS 111
Contraceptive Clinic
by Brooke Heneghan
(also published in Bloom I06)
Follow Brooke’s Instagram
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