Select Committee submission links girls’ mental health to sexual harassment

Written evidence submitted by the End Violence Against Women coalition (EVAW) to the Health Select Committee revealed that:

“Children and young people’s mental health is commonly directly affected by any experience or threat of abuse, whether by peer or adult […] Girls and young women are disproportionately subjected to rape, sexual assault sexual harassment, abuse in intimate relationships, forced marriage and sexual exploitation, and policy and practice geared towards ensuring good mental health outcomes for all children and young people should take this into account.”

The submission makes recommendations for high quality, compulsory Sex and Relationships Education which addresses modern challenges such as ‘sexting’ and online harassment, embedded in a Whole School Approach which includes teacher training, strengthened safeguarding policy and practice, and better connections to mental health services and specialist support organisations.

The full evidence is available to read here: https://data.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/committeeevidence.svc/evidencedocument/health-committee/children-and-young-peoples-mental-healththe-role-of-education/written/45660.html