Sexual harassment between students: how schools respond

Sexual harassment between students is one form of child-on-child abuse. It is unwanted conduct of a sexual nature. Keeping children safe in education (KCSIE) 2026 says it can happen online or offline, and inside or outside school.

KCSIE is statutory guidance for schools in England. It puts no legal duty on schools elsewhere, but many international schools use it as a reference. The International Task Force on Child Protection (ITFCP) also publishes expectations for school communities that accrediting bodies can use.

Any child can be targeted. KCSIE says girls are more likely to be the victims and boys more likely to cause harm. It also says children with disabilities face a higher risk.

Your staff should be able to spot these forms, in person and online:

• Sexual comments, stories, jokes and sexualised nicknames
• Remarks about a child's clothing, body or appearance
• Deliberately brushing against someone, or interfering with their clothes
• Grabbing, pulling down trousers, flicking bras or lifting skirts
• Showing sexual pictures, photos or drawings
• Upskirting, which means taking a picture under someone's clothing without permission
• Unwanted sexual messages, images or pressure to share nudes

KCSIE warns against dismissing sexual harassment as "just banter" or a normal part of growing up. It says this can build a culture where unacceptable behaviour spreads.

In the worst case, children learn to accept abuse as normal and stop telling anyone. Reports then dry up, and the problem becomes harder to see.

A child who laughs along has not agreed to it. Children often laugh because friends are watching and they want the moment to end.

Give staff one rule they can use in seconds. If it is sexual and unwanted, stop it, say why, and tell the designated safeguarding lead (DSL).

KCSIE says that having no reports does not mean nothing is happening. The abuse may simply not be reported.

In 2021, England's schools inspectorate, Ofsted, reviewed schools and colleges and asked children directly. In its survey, 92% of girls and 74% of boys said sexist name-calling happens a lot or sometimes to them or their peers. Ofsted warns that its sample should not be treated as fully representative.

UNICEF says violence against children happens in every country and setting, and that stigma and shame often keep survivors silent.

The most common reason in the Ofsted survey was not knowing what would happen next. Children also gave the reasons below. Your students may give others, so ask them.

• Fear of being called a snitch or left out by friends
• Worry that sexual rumours would spread about them
• Fear of being blamed or not believed
• A belief that nothing would change, or that the behaviour was too routine to mention
• Embarrassment, and worry that parents would find out

Under pressure, a short routine works better than a long policy. Teach the same steps to every adult on campus, including drivers, coaches and boarding staff.

If a child is in immediate danger, call your local emergency services first, then tell the DSL. Otherwise, follow your school's child protection procedure.

Your country may add legal reporting duties, so ask your DSL or local counsel what applies to you.

• Stop the behaviour on the spot and say plainly that it is not acceptable here
• Check quietly on the child who was targeted, away from others
• Do not question the children about details, and promise no secrecy
• Do not view, copy or forward images. Tell the DSL straight away
• Tell the DSL the same day, even if the children seem fine
• Write down what you saw and heard, without guesses (how to record a concern)

KCSIE says a poor first response can stop a child telling anyone else. Keep your words short and calm.

Say what happens next, because not knowing is the reason children most often give for staying silent. Do not promise secrecy. You will have to pass it on, and you can say so kindly.

Avoid "why" questions such as "Why did you go there?", because they sound like blame. How to respond when a child discloses abuse goes through the full conversation.

• "Thank you for telling me. I am taking this seriously, and it is not your fault."
• "You are not in trouble, and you did the right thing."
• "I cannot keep this secret, because I need to get you help. I will tell the DSL."
• "Tell me what happened, in your own words. Take your time."
• "The DSL will talk with you about what happens next. I will check in with you tomorrow."

The DSL leads the response and decides each case on its facts. Teachers and form tutors should not investigate.

Both children need a response. The child who was targeted needs safety and support. The child who caused harm needs an assessment too, because many such children have experienced abuse or trauma themselves.

Decide straight away whether the children can share classes, corridors and transport. KCSIE says separating them is a safety step and does not judge who is guilty.

After a report of sexual violence, such as rape or sexual assault, KCSIE asks for an immediate risk and needs assessment. For harassment, it asks you to decide case by case whether one is needed.

Laws on consent and on police referral differ by country. Learn your local route before you need it, and ask local counsel to check your policy.

• Ask the child what they want, and weigh it against the duty to protect others
• Consider ages, any power imbalance, and whether this is one incident or a pattern
• Plan seating, timetables and supervision for both children
• Tell families, unless doing so would put a child at risk
• Record every concern, decision and reason in writing
• Refer to the police or child protection services where your local law requires it

Ofsted advised schools to act as though harassment is happening, and to build a whole-school culture where it is not tolerated. That means every adult reacts the same way, every time.

Children said they did not know what happens after a report, so tell them. Put the steps on one page, in the languages your students speak.

Local norms matter in international schools. Some staff and families find these topics shameful or private, so agree your standard openly and apply it to everyone.

Ask students what they think. Student voice in safeguarding shows where harassment happens and which adults children would trust.

• Say out loud that sexual harassment is never acceptable, and mean it for adults too
• Offer more than one way to report: a trusted adult, a counsellor, an anonymous form
• Teach consent, respect and online behaviour in age-appropriate lessons
• Supervise or redesign the hard-to-see places, such as toilets, quiet corridors and changing rooms
• Practise short scenarios from your own campus with all staff
• Review incident records each term for patterns by place, year group and time

Falling reports do not prove that harassment is falling. After you improve your process, a rise in reports can mean students now trust it.

Check three things each term: what students say, what your records show, and what staff say they would do. Share anonymised patterns with leadership, with no names, so decisions about supervision and teaching follow the evidence.

• Ask a sample of students whether they know who to tell and what happens next
• Count reports by place, year group and time of day
• Check that every report has a dated record, a decision and a reason
• Ask staff what they would do in two or three short scenarios
• Ask your DSL what slowed down the last report, and fix that step