Lesson video

Hi, I'm Ms. Lowe, and I'm your RSHE teacher for today.

Thank you so much for choosing to complete your learning with me.

Now, today's lesson is all about sexual harassment.

And because of the themes and the topics that we're gonna cover today in this lesson, it's important that you complete your learning with the company of an adult.

So by the end of today's lesson, you're going to be able to explain what sexual harassment is, the law surrounding it, and how to get help.

Every RSHE lesson should begin with a set of ground rules.

This ensures that every conversation had in RSHE is respectful and we're all able to learn effectively.

So Laura is reminding us that in RSHE, we should listen to others.

It's okay to disagree with each other, but we should listen properly before making assumptions or deciding how to respond.

And when disagreeing, we challenge the statement and not the person.

Andeep is reminding us to respect privacy.

We can discuss examples, but we don't use names or descriptions that can identify anyone, including ourselves.

Izzy is reminding us to choose a level of participation that suits us.

Everyone has the right to choose not to answer a question or to join in a discussion, but we never put anyone on the spot.

And finally, Jacob is reminding us that in RSHE, there is no judgement.

We can explore beliefs and misunderstandings about a topic without the fear of being judged.

So let's have a look at our keywords for today's lesson.

Our first keyword is sexual harassment, and this is unwanted words, actions, or behaviours of a sexual nature that make someone uncomfortable, upset, or afraid.

Consent, everyone involved clearly agrees to sexual activity without pressure.

It's freely given, can be withdrawn any time, and requires understanding.

Legal recourse, the ability to seek assistance or justice through legal means.

And finally, support, the actions taken to help someone who is in a difficult or dangerous situation, such as providing care and seeking medical attention.

And here's our outline of what we're gonna be learning today, and we're gonna begin by asking the question, what forms can sexual harassment take? So we have Police Officer Paula here, and she is telling us that sexual harassment includes unwanted words, actions, or behaviours of a sexual nature that make someone uncomfortable, upset, or afraid.

Now, there are many different types of harassment, and one very serious form is sexual harassment, and that's what we're gonna be focusing on today in today's lesson.

Now, let's pause here and let's check our understanding about what we've looked at already.

So sexual harassment is always physical.

I want you to pause the video here and have a think about whether or not that is true or false.

Really well done if you said false.

Let's have a look at why this is false.

Well, sexual harassment can be physical, but it can also be verbal, non-verbal, or written.

So let's start by having a look at physical sexual harassment.

So physical sexual harassment involves unwanted touching, kissing, hugging, or any kind of bodily contact or sexual advances, and these all occur without the victim's consent.

It may also involve someone revealing an intimate body part of themselves to another person, again, without their consent, and we sometimes refer to this as flashing.

Now, experiencing physical sexual harassment can make someone feel very unsafe, scared, or offended.

In cases where there is serious physical sexual harassment, it can lead to serious mental health conditions like anxiety or PTSD, which stands for post-traumatic stress disorder.

Another form of sexual harassment is verbal sexual harassment.

So this might involve making inappropriate jokes or sexualized comments or sexual jokes.

These remarks may be aimed at someone's physical appearance or their body.

It could also involve making a sexual proposition or a sexual suggestion or asking someone invasive questions about their previous sexual experiences.

Now, this type of sexual harassment can make someone feel embarrassed, anxious, or upset.

Now, this behaviour might happen at work or school, and if that does happen, then victims may avoid going to those places because they feel unsafe to do so.

So we're gonna pause here and we're gonna check our understanding about what we've looked at so far.

So which of the following is an example of physical sexual harassment? We've got making inappropriate jokes, asking someone an invasive question about the sexual experiences, or touching another person without their consent.

I'd like you to pause the video here and have a think about which one of those three count as a physical form of sexual harassment.

Really well done if you said C.

Yeah, touching someone without their consent is physical sexual harassment.

And you should note looking at A and B that they are verbal forms of sexual harassment.

Now let's have a look at non-verbal sexual harassment.

So people can commit acts of sexual harassment without the use of physical acts or words, and this might involve someone making inappropriate hand gestures, winking at someone, or staring at them.

It may also be sending, sharing, or showing someone sexual content without their consent.

It could also be something known as upskirting, and this is where somebody takes a photo of somebody's body underneath their clothing without consent.

Now, this type of sexual harassment can also make people feel unsafe or uncomfortable.

It may make them avoid the places where the incident occurred, and it can lead to difficulties at work, school, or in other settings, such as public transport.

Now let's have a look at digital sexual harassment.

So, as you can tell by the name, this is a form of sexual harassment that happens online or in digital spaces.

It may involve sending nude images or videos of the sender without consent, and this is known as cyberflashing, or sending someone sexual imagery, messages, or videos of others to someone without their consent.

Another example is sending someone messages or making comments under other people's posts that contain sexualized language or sexual tones.

And again, it's the same with digital sexual harassment.

Any form of sexual harassment, whether that's online or in person, can make people feel unsafe in online spaces, and it can make them worry for their wellbeing in real life too.

So Police Officer Paula here is telling us that any of these forms of sexual harassment don't have to be repetitive to count as harassment.

So an action only has to be done once in order for it to be classed as harassment and in order for it to have a negative impact on the victim.

And this is because they are all illegal actions under UK laws, and they are treated very seriously by the police and other authorities who deal with them.

Let's pause here and let's check our understanding.

What is missing from the list below? I've said there are different forms of sexual harassment, including physical and verbal.

There are two missing from the list.

You're gonna pause the video here and tell me what they are.

Really well done if you said non-verbal and digital.

And if you remember, non-verbal sexual harassment may be staring at somebody, winking at them, making inappropriate hand gestures.

And digital sexual harassment is sexual harassment that takes place in online spaces, so that can be making sexualized comments under another person's post or cyberflashing.

They're sending an image of themselves without the recipient's consent.

Now we're gonna put our learning into practise.

So what I'd like for you to do is to have a look at the examples on the left-hand side, and I'd like for you to sort them into the type of sexual harassment that they are.

So you're gonna pause the video here and have a go at sorting those examples into the correct form of sexual harassment.

Great work.

So your completed table should look like this.

So the first example we had was sending a nude image without consent, and this is digital sexual harassment.

The next example was shouting a sexual comment or joke at someone on the street, and this, of course, is verbal sexual harassment.

Your next example was staring at someone and their body, which is non-verbal.

And then touching or kissing someone without consent is physical.

Now we're gonna move on to the next part of our task, which is that I would like for you to explain your reasoning behind each of your decisions.

So I would like for you to explain why you said that each example belonged to the type of sexual harassment that you have said it does.

So pause the video here and explain your reasoning behind each of your decisions.

So, you were asked to explain your reasoning behind each of your decisions that you made on that table, and your answers could have included that sending a nude image without consent is an example of digital sexual harassment 'cause it involves someone using a digital device to commit the crime.

Shouting a sexual comment or joke at someone in the street is an example of verbal sexual harassment because it involves someone verbally harassing someone else.

Staring at someone and their body is an example of non-verbal sexual harassment because it doesn't involve words or physical contact.

And finally, touching or kissing someone without consent is an example of physical sexual harassment because it involves someone physically touching someone else inappropriately.

We're moving on now to the second part of our lesson where we're asking the question, what is the law, and how can victims find support? So here we have Police Officer Paula, who is telling us that in the UK, there are lots of laws in place to protect the victims of sexual harassment.

And these include the Sexual Offences Act of 2003, the Equality Act of 2010, and the Online Safety Act of 2023.

And we're gonna have a look at those laws in a bit more detail together now.

So the Equality Act of 2010 is the main law in the UK that protects people from sexual harassment in the workplace, education settings, and other public services.

This law defines sexual harassment as "unwanted conduct of a sexual nature which has the purpose or effect of violating someone's dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating, or offensive environment." And what this law does is it provides legal recourse for victims of sexual harassment in one of the settings, like the workplace, education, or other public service, to take an organisation or institution to civil court if they allow sexual harassment to occur.

Let's pause here and let's check our understanding.

Which of the following is not a term used to describe sexual harassment in the Equality Act 2010? So I want you to read through those four options, decide which one of them is not used to describe sexual harassment, and then we'll go through the answer together.

Really well done if you said empowering.

Yeah, empowering is not a word used in the Equality Act 2010.

It says that sexual harassment is intimidating, humiliating, or offensive.

So some sexual harassment cases are treated in the civil courts.

We said just then that the Equality Act provides victims with legal recourse in a civil court, whereas others are treated in criminal courts.

Now let's have a look at what the difference is between those two.

Well, a civil court involves a dispute between people or organisations, often with the goal of receiving some form of financial compensation.

For example, if an organisation hasn't properly addressed sexual harassment that's taken place within their organisation, in civil court, it will be the victim against the organisation.

Whereas in criminal courts, they deal with offences against the country and its laws.

So the purpose of dealing with a crime in a criminal court is to punish the individual for breaking the law, which can result in paying a fine, community service, imprisonment, et cetera.

In criminal court, it'll be the perpetrator against the state.

So let's have a look now at some sexual harassment laws that will be dealt with as a criminal offence.

So Police Officer Paula here is telling us that laws like the Sexual Offences Act of 2003 cover offences such as sexual assault, flashing, or exposing intimate body parts or other instances of sexual harassment.

Victims have legal recourse to have such offences be heard in a criminal court, where perpetrators can face restraining orders or imprisonment.

There are also laws dedicated to digital sexual harassment.

So Police Officer Paula here is telling us that laws such as the Online Safety Act of 2023 cover digital sexual harassment offences, such as cyberflashing or sending explicit images, videos, and messages online without consent.

In these cases, victims have legal recourse to report these incidents to the police, and perpetrators can face being placed on the sex offenders register, restraining orders, and imprisonment.

Now, there are many other laws which deal with sexual harassment, and cases are always treated very seriously.

And this is because everyone deserves the right to feel safe at work, school, in all public spaces, and online.

Now, if someone is the victim of sexual harassment, there are lots of different places and people that they can go to to access support.

So for example, if sexual harassment was to occur within a place of work, the victim can make a complaint to a department within their place of work known as human resources, or HR, and they can speak to them or to a person in charge.

Now, if they feel that their needs are not being addressed properly by HR or someone in charge at their work, they could speak to another independent body who can help them to understand what legal recourses they have.

If sexual harassment occurs at school, it's really important to speak to a trusted adult at home or at school.

There are people within everybody's schools known as DSLs, and these are Designated Safeguarding Leads, and they are there to protect you and keep you safe from things like this.

Victims could also report their concerns to helplines like Childline or the NSPCC who will also help to support you.

Any sexual harassment can also be reported to the police, either on 101, which is the police's non-emergency number, or on 999 if the person is in danger or they feel that their immediate safety is at risk.

And the police deal with all forms of sexual harassment very seriously.

There are other sites and services that can help support victims of sexual harassment, such as Crimestoppers.

And it's really important to remember that employers, schools, and other public services have a responsibility to keep people safe from sexual harassment.

If someone is a victim, they should report it as soon as they can and seek advice about any legal recourse that they can take as a result.

So let's have a look at an example of the reporting process.

So we begin with the victim speaking to a trusted adult.

If it's in school, this incident would be reported to the DSL, or the Designated Safeguarding Lead.

The victim should be believed when they report an incident.

The next thing that will happen is that the victim may also report the incident to the police, and the police have specialist officers trained specially to support victims of sexual harassment.

There will then be an investigation that may involve the police if necessary.

If it were to go as far as court, the victim does not have to be there in person if they don't wish to be because they can just record a statement.

Now, let's pause here and let's check our understanding about what we've just learned.

Which of the following statements are accurate? I want you to pause the video here and read through those three statements and tell me which of them are accurate.

Really well done if you said C, employers and public services have a responsibility to keep people safe from sexual harassment.

Now we're gonna put our learning into practise.

So what I would like for you to do is to write one paragraph to answer the following question, "What does the law say about sexual harassment and how victims can find support?" So you're gonna pause the video here and write down your paragraph.

Great work.

So you were asked to write a paragraph.

And your paragraph may look like this: There are many laws around sexual harassment, including the Equality Act 2010, which covers sexual harassment offences in work, school, and other public institutions.

If an offence is committed in a setting like this, victims have legal recourse to take these places to civil court.

Other laws, such as the Sexual Offences Act of 2003 and the Online Safety Act of 2023, covers criminal offences relating to sexual harassment.

If someone commits a crime under these laws, they can face fines, restraining orders, or imprisonment.

If someone is the victim of sexual harassment, they can report it to the police or their employer if it took place at work.

If the victim is a child, they can tell a trusted adult or report it via dedicated sites and helplines, such as the NSPCC and Childline.

People can also find support from the police on either 101 in a non-emergency, or 999 in an emergency.

Now, to end our lesson today, we're gonna have a look at a summary of what we've covered.

So sexual harassment is unwanted words, actions, or behaviours of a sexual nature that make someone feel uncomfortable, upset, or afraid.

Sexual harassment is not just physical.

It can take the form of verbal, non-verbal, and digital sexual harassment too.

There are many laws in place to protect individuals from sexual harassment, including the Sexual Offences Act of 2003, the Equality Act of 2010, and the Online Safety Act of 2023.

Victims of sexual harassment have legal recourse to have perpetrators face punishment, or carry out a civil case against employers, schools, or other public services if they allow sexual harassment to happen.

Now, if any of the things that we've covered today affect you in any way or you have any concerns, here are some of the places that you can go to to get support.

So first, we have Childline, which is a website and phone line which is able to offer confidential advice and support.

And then we have CEOP, which helps protect children from online abuse and exploitation.

And I would like to end the lesson by saying a big well done for all of your fantastic work today.

It's been a pleasure teaching you, and I look forward to seeing you in another RSHE lesson soon.