Assault and harassment of schoolgirls has become “so commonplace” it is not always reported, headteachers warned today.
Girls are facing so much unwanted male attention that some have become “fatigued” by it, while others do not want to “make a fuss” by reporting it, they said.
Teachers urged pupils to report all incidents to the police, as many schools held emergency assemblies to address the killing of Sarah Everard, saying girls have been left in “genuine fear”.
Gill Cross, deputy head of Streatham and Clapham High School, said: “Girls are sometimes targeted on the commons and on London buses.
“We are pretty sure that some men travel at the same time that school children are on buses with a view to assaulting them ‘casually’ if they can. Our girls have had men try to show them pornographic videos on their phones and schoolboys have tried to ‘ping’ their bra straps. Unfortunately, this is a common occurrence for young women.”
She added: “One of the most important things is that the girls feel that they can and should report offences against them.”
Fionnuala Kennedy, headteacher of Wimbledon High School, said “cat-calling” happens so regularly that schoolgirls “get very fatigued by it”.
She today held a school assembly to speak to girls about safety and all Year 10 girls will have a special session with The Rap Project, which raises awareness of rape and sexual assault.
She said: “Girls are feeling genuine fear and anger. Women should be able to walk freely in the streets wherever they want. But you also have a duty of care to the girls to educate them about how to look after themselves.”
