Safe Schools and Sexual Harassment: the Relationship between School Climate and Coping with Unwanted Sexual Behaviour

Abstract

Objective To explore the impact of the school climate on adolescents' reporting of sexual harassment. Design A quantitative survey among students in their 4th year of secondary education. Setting Questionnaires were completed in a class setting. Method An a-select sampling strategy was used to select 2808 students in 22 schools. Results Findings indicate that a safe school climate is not enough for students to speak freely or report unwanted sexual experiences. Of more importance is an atmosphere where, generally speaking, sexuality is a topic for (an open) discussion. Conclusion Good sex education classes (as perceived and evaluated by the students themselves) provide students with the communicative tools necessary to talk about their experiences of unwanted sexual behaviour.