Schoolgirls in uniform sexually harassed, finds UK survey

As many as one in three schoolgirls report being sexually harassed when out in their school uniforms, a UKbased children’s charity said on Monday.

A survey of 1,004 girls aged between 14 and 21 conducted by Plan International UK found that 35% had received unwanted sexual attention or contact, including being groped, stared at, cat-called and wolf-whistled.

Over a third of the girls questioned said they had been sexually harassed while travelling to or from school. “It is shocking and deeply concerning that girls, many are clearly of school age because they are in uniform, are being targeted and sexually harassed by perpetrators in the street,” said Tanya Barron, chief executive at Plan International UK.

“It’s simply not acceptable that girls as young as 12 are being wolf-whistled at in public, touched against their will, stared at or even followed. This disgraceful behaviour needs to be called out and stopped,” she said.

The poll by Plan International UK also found one in seven girls had been followed and 8% said they had been filmed or photographed by a stranger without permission or had someone take a photo up their school skirt. One in eight of those were aged 12 or younger when they experienced this for the first time. The report titled, ‘Street harassment: It’s not ok’, features stories from young women.