Sexual violence in school. Trigger Warning: suicide

[PurgatoryOfPotholes]

Some of you may have seen the tragic death of Samina, a 12 year old girl at secondary school.

www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/outpouring-love-angel-12-after-20815859

It has been alleged that she died by suicide after someone raped her at school.

twitter.com/DrJessTaylor/status/1407354464483352583?s=19

Last time I saw statistics on this, it seemed that an average of one rape was committed a day in UK schools, and that was some years back.

To judge by the Everyone's Invited initiative, the problem has only got worse.

What can we do about this? School should be safe for our girls.

Sorry that was a reply to @ArabellaScott

RIP Semina

No words for this.

@Mogloveseggs

That poor poor girl. Thought and prayers for her family. There was an incident at Dd school where a boy got a girl in a cupboard and groped her. He was back in school the next day. Outrageous. He should have been immediately expelled IMO.

But seriously, they are hardly allowed to use expulsion at all... they have very little power to impose any sanctions. What can we do?

Just awful.

Utterly shocking, Mog. I agree that police involvement should be automatic in a case like that.

What have I read. That poor poor girl, my heart goes out to her family, this makes me so angry.

RIP Semina 💐

But seriously, they are hardly allowed to use expulsion at all... they have very little power to impose any sanctions. What can we do?

They can call the police and hand it over to them. I bet if this boy had stolen from a shop the police would be involved.

This is awful. I am so angry and sad for Semina.

That poor little girl. Her family must be heartbroken.

Do we need to tell our daughters not to confide in teachers but to get taken home and ring the police with parents? It is a criminal offence and schools should not be dealing with sexual assaults and rapes within their bullying and harrassment policies. They are ill equipped and probably not subjective. How many heads would ring the police if a pupil reported this?

So sad.

Schools need good male teachers who are prepared to talk to boys about acceptable behaviour. If they are not being told elsewhere, a positive role model at school could be a start. None of this boys will be boys shit.

This is a significant and horrific problem which unfortunately isn't new.

I believe the only way to effectively tackle it will be education on true consent and calling out sexist behaviour at all levels whenever it occurs.

Schools should be required to report such incidents to the police and SS.

So tragic and so avoidable.
Schools must do more to protect girls and actively teach children about sexism and it's effect on society.

This is horrific. My heart goes out to Semina and her family. Poor, poor girl.

I am the mother of both a 10 year old girl and a teen boy. I am acutely aware of mine and dh's joint responsibility to teach our dc about respect, consent, boundaries, healthy relationships and tolerance. But it has to start when they are tiny. And it has to be a collective, societal responsibility.

I taught for many years and believe that the law should be upheld on school property as it would be in the High Street. That if a kid gets jumped and beaten in the playground, it is no different to the same child being attacked outside of school. A crime is a crime. Children on school property, if over the age of criminal responsibility, do not have immunity from the law.

For far too long schools have wanted to deal with serious incidents in house. With the result that things get swept under the carpet. And abuse is on going. This needs to stop. Now.

An earlier distressing thread about children who are raped or sexually assaulted in school:

In the first incident, a staff member saw the children in the corner of the playground – but then proceeded to tell the girl off.

“She was told off for having her knickers and her tights down around by her knees with one of these boys behind her,” Anna said.

On a second occasion, another member of staff saw one of the boys with his head up her skirt. The assistant told off the girl for letting the boy stick his head up her skirt, and the boys were just told to “run away”. The girl was not talked to separately, asked what had happened or whether she was OK.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3364173-Our-kids-were-raped-by-classmates-DfE-wont-listen

I have mentioned this before but in the face of failure by the authorities to protect girls from physical abuse in schools, there’s a real risk of mob or social action. I read a novel some time ago in which a school permitted a convicted boy abuser back in to school. Every female child stood up and walked out of any classroom he entered into. In the end the school and authorities had no option but to move him.

Rape in school is unacceptable, i know the law deals with minors differently to adults but something needs to be done.

They can call the police and hand it over to them. I bet if this boy had stolen from a shop the police would be involved.

This 100%

That's horrifying Kendodd

@Grellbunt I honestly don't know. It feels to me that the law is firmly on the side of the accused at the moment.

It's not sending out the right messages certainly.

No words.

I hope your mam gets justice for you Semina.

That poor child. No wonder her mother wants to set the world on fire, I would too.

I felt sick reading it.

Poor girl. Agree with police involvement for sexual assault as would happen with adults and also suing the absolute daylights out of education authorities if they fail to protect children till it's bloody well taken seriously.

If a child is old enough to rape, they are old enough for police involvement.

For the protection of all.

This case (which will be one of many involving rape and/or sexual assault) has saddened me beyond words.

This is horrendous.