A Socio-ecological Approach to Understanding Norms of Peer-on-peer Harmful Sexual Behaviours in UK Schools and Colleges

Stage 1 of this project will investigate general public perceptions of sexual abuse victims and perpetrators. This
stage will also determine whether the public perceive the media to normalise sexual abuse in society. Stage 2 will
explore teacher, pupil, and parent perceptions and experiences of peer-on-peer harmful sexual behaviours (HSB)
in UK secondary schools and further education colleges, through a series of in-depth conversations. This stage will
also investigate additional education staff and local community perceptions of HSB between peers in these
settings. The current literature only explores peer-on-peer HSB in isolation to one specific measurement, such as
teacher or student perceptions. However, this project will capture the full complexities of HSB by considering that
youth behaviour is influenced by the immediate and larger environment. This project overall aims to determine how
UK secondary schools and colleges promote and challenge peer-on-peer HSB, while also reflecting on broader
societal attitudes towards this issue. Schools often lack confidence and skill when dealing with HSB, frequently
failing to act on disclosures. It is important to research HSB in secondary schools and colleges to obtain a better
understanding of how these educational institutions can stop normalising HSB and to discover new ways to
strengthen their prevention efforts. Whilst outside the scope of this project, in the long-term, this research therefore
has the potential to make a difference on the lives of young people, through informing HSB prevention efforts in
education and encouraging pupils to report HSB if they witness or experience it.