Sexual harassment is widespread in schools with staff the target of physical advances, inappropriate comments and lewd remarks, according to findings published by UNISON.
The findings show one in ten female support staff in secondary schools say they’ve been sexually harassed, mainly by male pupils but also by their male colleagues.
Among staff in schools across all age ranges, the figure was 7% according to data based on the responses of more than 2,000 employees working mostly in primary and secondary education. Respondents included teaching assistants, technicians, lunchtime supervisors and administrators.
Around one in seven (15%) school staff also reported they had witnessed sexual harassment in their workplace in the past five years. That figure rose to a quarter (25%) in secondary schools.
This abuse was mainly perpetrated by male pupils towards female classmates, but they also targeted female staff. Some incidents involved male staff behaving inappropriately towards their female colleagues.