Children as young as 10 facing sexual harassment as calls made to call out abuse as part of Sexual Abuse and Sexual Violence Awareness Week

Crimestoppers’ Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) national campaign, taking place this week from February 6-12 calls for people to challenge attitudes and increase reporting on those responsible to reduce sexual violence in our communities. Crimestoppers commissioned a University of Suffolk report that revealed one in six children face unwanted sexual harassment in public from the age of 10.

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The report also sheds light on general attitudes to sexual harassment and the age at which victims are targeted. The survey had responses from 1,800 people and key findings included around one in six participants (16.8 per cent) first experience of sexual harassment occurred when they were aged 10 or younger; thirty one per cent of participants first encountered unwanted sexual behaviour between the ages of 14-16; almost the same percentage – 29 per cent – first experienced unwanted approaches between 11-13 years-old. The survey also found that 10 per cent of women said they had been raped while 23 per cent saying they had been ‘forced’ to have sex and less than 1 per cent of victims said they felt flattered, attractive or desired after their most recent harassment experience.

The research also found that respondents changed their behaviour or activities to avoid a repeat incident with nearly 10 per cent avoiding outdoor areas where they had previously encountered unwanted sexual behaviours. More than a third (38 per cent) had been followed and nearly a quarter (23 per cent) had witnessed flashing/ genital exposure. Whilst the largest group of perpetrators were strangers, this was closely followed by classmates during their younger years, then acquaintances and colleagues in later life.

Police and crime commissioner Donna Jones said: ‘Reducing sexual violence and sexual abuse starts with a culture change. Attitudes towards women and girls especially must change if we are to reduce sexual offences, harassment, rape and abuse in the long term.

‘It is deeply shocking that children as young as 10 years old have been exposed to sexual harassment of any kind and those aged 11-13 years old have experienced unwanted approaches. We must do more as a society to call out this behaviour when we see it.

‘We know sexual offences have increased nationally, and leaving this behaviour unchallenged just normalises it, and can lead to some perpetrators going on to commit the most serious crimes such as rape and child abuse.

Violence Against Women and Girls lead for Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary, chief superintendent Raj Kohli, said: ‘Sadly children, and adults, face sexualised abuse and harassment every day – especially now in the day and age of vast social media consumption and other external pressures.

‘Yet, that does not make the treatment they experience by their peers, by people known – and often unknown to them - acceptable. We must do more to stamp out these behaviours early on. Whilst everyone should have the confidence to call people out; challenge them on their behaviour.’

You can find out more here: Support for victims of sexual crime - Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner (hampshire-pcc.gov.uk)