Given the sexual assault statistics we need to move back to single sex schools

[jeaux90]

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2026/oct/04/child-on-child-sexual-abuse-schools-england-and-wales

We could have a debate about the causes of course but the current government won’t ban porn for example so my view, we need to completely segregate at secondary school now if the government is serious about stopping VAWG.

The Tuaregs are Muslim and the men veil. Lineage is down the female line, and the females own the property. I don't think we have many in this country though - maybe we should encourage their immigration!

Why do Tuareg men veil their faces? The Tagelmust explained

Aaaarghh! Yet another Guardian article where they focus on the sex of the victims instead of the sex of the attackers! The fact that this is male violence goes unmnetioned. How on earth are we to solve this if we can't name the problem?!

While it's a parent problem, since when have parents (esp nowadays) done the right thing? Look at the toilet training from yesterdays news, parenting is going backwards.

Schools should also teach about consent. They teach about reproduction don't they? That's also arguably a parental thing but schools have been teaching it for years to pick up the slack. IMO teaching about consent is a continuation of sex education which we already teach.

What is happening when your sons say 'no, I don't want to go out with you' (if that's the case) to these girls? Are they being sexually attacked? Because asking someone out isn't abusive. And it's not actually got anything to do with the statistics reported on sexual violence and rape at school. That is perpetrated, almost exclusively, by boys.

Perhaps I've misunderstood and you're suggesting mums of girls need to stop blaming boys for raping because their girls are being forward and asking the boys out and somehow then deserve to be sexually attacked? If that's not the case - what has some girls asking your sons out got to do with the rates of sexual violence against girls?

You missed the point. This is not about segregation for secondary years for boys being better, this is about creating a secondary education for girls free from sexual assault. I am a little shocked by your last sentence like seriously!!!

'Pestering' boys? Or sexually abusing them? The biggest threat to boys is other boys and men.

Yes but statistically she’s more likely to be assaulted in a mixed a school.

I am a teacher. I have to speak to boys about trying to command girls space all the time. I have been shot down so many times on here over it but I only say what I see. It’s an issue.

@Mirrurmirrur And Boys meet girls outside of school. There’s many ways they meet up. Sitting near a boy at school doesn’t solve anything and agree, girls are not there to replace poor parenting.

I agree but knew if I had shared the Telegraph version of this topic….well I think you know.

of course i am not saying they deserve to be sexually attacked. I am saying not all boys are sexual predators and there are a number of issues in schools all the time, this is just one of them. ridiculous to suggest i would think girls are causing the problem by asking boys out!!

As early as possible. Tell your sons that they are going to be exposed to sexual predators in their friend groups, their sports teams, their youth clubs and church groups in their life time. That they should be ready to recognise misogynistic behaviour as soon as occurs and call it out. That they are going to hear about or see boys/men that they know behaving in ways that are harmful to women and they must be ready to report it. That they themselves will experience being drawn into it - in groupchats, in online forums, in the playground, at parties and they must be ready to refuse to partake.
That they are going to be exposed to social pressure and media that will make them think that it's okay to behave that way and they must ensure they are not influenced.

If you are NOT having these conversations with your sons from early, early years - you're not being a good parent.

So what does girls asking your sons out have to do with the article we're discussing?

Thanks for sharing, did not know about that group. I will get flamed for this but access to online content of all extremes with ease and the increased presence and influence in europe of Islam is a large part of how this has evolved. Non Muslim males see that domination of females is acceptable and many adopt it in principle.

No, that's a complete cop out. We need to properly address sexual assault and misogyny, not segregate girls.

What happens when they get to college, uni, work, general life? If we stick a bandaid over the issue we're just pushing it down the road.

And think of the position this puts girls who choose male dominated careers. I have a two family members. One is at college completing an apprenticeship in a male dominated trade, the other is one of only a handful of women on a STEM master's program. How uncomfortable would it be for them if their first experience of mixed education was walking into an environment almost entirely filled with boys/men (who, under your model, would also have never studied next to a girl/woman). We need more girls to see male dominated fields as fair game, not measures likely to put them off and/or make their time in education more difficult.

Proactive education around consent, incredibly strict zero tolerance policies, and wider education about equality will do far more than creating more segregation in schools.

We also need to be teaching girls they need to call this behaviour out. It’s the responsibility of the whole of society to call out bad behaviour, whether that behaviour is by boys or girls.

I went to an all-girls school and I am so glad. I’ve always felt bad I wasn’t able to arrange this for my daughters.

They do. My daughter was called a bitch by a boy at school. She wouldn’t let me report it but she did ram his head into the drinking fountain.
But most girls won’t do this.

I was the opposite. I went to an all girls - hated it and made sure we sent DT’s to coed

You want the Government to bad porn? That's bonkers.

I'm in London and the majority of schools in my borough and surrounding boroughs are single sex, state and private. I do think it's better for girls to be in single sex schools, mainly for their education and being able to focus better. It isn't really the preserve of wealthier school catchments, there are a lot of single sex schools in very deprived areas as they have certain religious demographics which prefer single sex education and their academic results tend not to be very high.

From a government report.

How much sexual harassment currently occurs in primary and secondary schools?

1. In the UK, several groups have highlighted growing concerns over the issue of gender based violence in schools. The results of numerous surveys are very concerning, for example:

• Almost a third of 16-18-year-old girls say they’ve been subjected to unwanted sexual touching in UK schools[5]
• A poll of 788 16-18-year-olds around the UK conducted by YouGov also found that nearly three-quarters (71%) of all 16-18-year-olds (ie boys and girls) say they hear sexual name-calling with terms such as “slut” or “slag” used towards girls at schools on a daily basis or a few times a week[6]
• In 2015 it was announced that more than 5,500 alleged sex crimes in UK schools were reported to police in the last three years.* *At least a fifth of offences were carried out by children, so-called "peer-on-peer" abuse[7]
• A global survey including the UK found that 19% of women surveyed said that street harassment had led them to miss school or skip classes[8]

https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/67935/html/

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/10/05/blind-spot-female-sexual-predators-teenage-boys-risk/

Teenage boys are at risk as well. This is an article about teachers rather than pupils, but we need to stop portraying boys as perpetrators and females as victims all the time.

As another poster said, there may be a reluctance by boys to report assault by a girl so the figures are somewhat skewed.

I went to a single sex secondary and I cannot count how often I had my arse slapped or tits grabbed!

That’s my point. Not enough girls are prepared to stand up to them. If the boys aren’t called out, it’s no wonder they think it’s acceptable behaviour.

As I said ONS stats. Over 95% of sexual assaults are committed by males.