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School rules of (sexual) engagement: government, staff and student contributions to the norms of peer sexual-abuse in seven UK schools

Research Output: Contribution to journal Article Peer-review

Open access

Sustainable Development Goals

  • SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
    SDG 3 Good Health and Well

Abstract

Peer-sexual abuse in educational settings is a matter of international concern – featured in mainstream news reports, televised through drama series and documented in research. In 2018 the UK government revised and published a series of policy documents to assist schools in addressing the phenomenon. This paper considers the sufficiency of this policy framework through social field analysis of focus groups with staff and students at seven educational establishments in England that ran from 2015-2017. Analysis reveals four avenues through which staff and students created or reinforced norms the underpinned harmful sexual behaviours and in doing so created contexts conducive with peer-sexual abuse. While policy developments have made initial acknowledgements of school cultures as associated to peer-sexual abuse, significant progress is required if policy is to provide a framework that challenges, rather than reinforces, individualised – and on occasion victim-blaming – narratives of peer-sexual abuse.

Publication Information

Output type

Research Output: Contribution to journal Article Peer-review

Original language

English

Pages from-to (Number of pages)

Pages 289-301 (13 pages)

Journal (Volume, Issue Number)

Journal of Sexual Aggression (Volume 26, Issue 3)

Publication milestones

  • Accepted/In press - 10/05/2019
  • Published - 13/05/2019

Publication status

Published - 13/05/2019

ISSN

1355-2600

External Publication IDs

  • handle.net: 10547/623308
  • Scopus: 85068131150

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