According to schoolchildren who spoke to inspectors from Ofsted, sexual harassment and online sexual abuse are such a normal part of their daily lives that they no longer bother reporting them. Particularly affected are girls who complain of sexist name-calling, online abuse, upskirting, and unwanted touching in school corridors. Meanwhile, boys have been found to share nude pictures on WhatsApp and Snapchat "like a collection game". The "normalisation" of sexual harassment for young people in their schools, online, as well as other unsupervised spaces such as parks and house parties is highlighted in the report. Not only do teachers "consistently underestimate" the severity of the problem, but sex education in schools is also deemed to be out of touch with reality, forcing pupils to rely on media and their peers for information. Ofsted chief inspector of schools in England, Amanda Spielman, said she was shocked that many children and young people, particularly girls, deemed sexual harassment as a part of growing up, even in schools. Consequently, Ofsted conducts a review of sexual harassment and abuse in schools and colleges, visiting 32 unnamed schools and colleges, including independents, as well as state sectors. Nine out of 10 girls and half the boys who took part in the review indicated being sent unsolicited explicit pictures or videos, which was often a common experience. At least 92% of girls and three-quarters of boys complained of recurrent sexist name-calling. Alongside schools’ inspection, the Independent Schools Inspectorate was found to be "sometimes not robust enough" concerning sexual harassment. Based on the report, Ofsted hence urged headteachers to observe the assumption that sexual harassment was affecting their pupils, even where there were no complaints. They recommend that sex education should allow sufficient time to cover consent and the sharing of explicit content and are calling on the government’s online safety bill to take such findings into account in its review.

Sara expressed her concern that the schools not mentioned on Everyone’s Invited need to be the focus of attention. She revealed that some school heads are prohibiting their students from sharing their stories with the platform. Sara questioned why some headteachers are suppressing survivors, and why institutions’ reputation has been given more importance than victims of sexual abuse.

In response to the Ofsted report, the Department for Education has promised more support to schools in dealing with sexual abuse, and has strengthened safeguarding guidelines. The NSPCC helpline, established in April to aide children in reporting abuses in education, will continue to operate for four more months, until October. It has so far received 426 calls, and around 80 referrals have been passed on to external agencies, including the police and social services.

Education Secretary, Gavin Williamson, stated that sexual abuse in any form is not acceptable and no child should consider it as a regular part of their lives. Schools must be a safe environment, devoid of harmful and unaddressed behaviors.

General Secretary of School Leaders’ Union NAHT, Paul Whiteman, stressed that sexual harassment and violence is a menace that extends far beyond the school boundaries. Although schools can and should play their part in addressing this issue, they cannot do it alone. Government and relevant agencies must assume their respective roles in curbing the menace.

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Amy Fox is a 28 year old school blogger, who has been writing for over 10 years. She has been a student at the University of Utah for three years and is now a graduate student.