Peer sexual harassment emerges early, highlighting need for prevention before Grade 4
Sexual harassment between peers begins as early as Grade 4 and continues throughout lower secondary school. Most of those who sexually harass others have also experienced harassment themselves. These are among the findings of a doctoral thesis in psychology by Aziz-Kaan Dönmez from the University of Gothenburg, who studied peer sexual harassment among Swedish children and adolescents in Grades…
Peer sexual harassment among children and adolescents emerges as early as Grade 4 and persists through lower secondary school, according to a doctoral thesis by Aziz-Kaan Dönmez from the University of Gothenburg. The research, which studied victims and perpetrators in Swedish children aged 4-9, found that sexual harassment is common and starts at a young age.
Victims of sexual harassment were more likely to experience anxiety, depressive symptoms, and absenteeism from school. The study showed that boys and girls were equally likely to be victims of sexual harassment, both during middle and later school years. Additionally, those who reported sexually harassing others often had personal experience of being harassed as well.
The thesis highlights the need for prevention programs to begin before Grade 4 and consider both genders, as the associations between online and school-based sexual harassment, anxiety, and restricted freedom of movement varied between boys and girls.
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