Online sexual harassment – Understand, prevent and respond: 3 key questions for governing bodies to help challenge their schools and colleges to effectively safeguard their learners

What to look for:

• Online sexual harassment is addressed explicitly in a school policy and school staff are aware of what online sexual harassment is, the different forms that online sexual harassment can take and the specific characteristics of online sexual harassment. The school shares a clear understanding of what online sexual harassment is and why it is not acceptable.
• School staff are aware that online sexual harassment can overlap with offline sexual harassment and other harmful sexual behaviours.
• The school shares a clear understanding of agreed terminology referring to those involved in online sexual harassment (for example victims, perpetrators, alleged perpetrators, bystanders) and how it should be used.
• The school effectively addresses the range of issues relating to bias and prejudice.
• School staff understand the language, attitudes and behaviours that can be considered victim blaming when talking about the online experiences of children and young people, and that blaming children and young people for any abuse or harm they’ve experienced is never acceptable.
• School staff are aware of the range of issues that may contribute to learners displaying harmful sexual behaviour online.
• The school is familiar with the key laws and statutory guidance which relate to online sexual harassment.

Preventing online sexual harassment: What good practice looks like:

• The school is taking a whole school approach and embedding online safety and healthy relationships messages across the curriculum and community, including covering online sexual harassment.
• The senior leadership team are confident and up to date in their knowledge of understanding, preventing and responding to incidents of online sexual harassment.
• The school supports all staff in their duty to understand, prevent and respond to online sexual harassment through policy, procedures and regular training and development opportunities.
• Learners and staff understand the essentials of keeping themselves safe online – including privacy settings, reporting and getting material taken down.
• The school ensures that the whole school community is involved in prevention work, including the creation of related policies, and understanding what online sexual harassment is.
• All members of staff understand how to report any incident of online abuse they become aware of.
• Learners are made aware of the different reporting routes available to them and how they would be supported.
• Learners are aware of what happens after they make a report and understand that they will never be blamed for any abuse or harm they’ve experienced.
• Parents and carers are made aware of the different reporting routes available to them.
• Parents and carers are aware of what happens after they/their child make a report and how they would be supported.
• Staff understand how children and young people in the school community use technology.
• The school is familiar with the devices, sites and apps the school community uses.
• The school promotes the positive use of technology.
• There are consequences for sexual harassment, both online and offline, and the whole school community is clear about how incidents will be handled.
• Staff and learners are aware of the ways in which the school provides support for children and young people who are sexually harassed online.
• The school is monitoring and measuring the impact of its prevention work.

When you should be concerned:

• The school has no or minimal online safety policies, including policies to respond to online sexual harassment incidents.
• The school has prepared policies relating to sexual harassment, but these are not embedded or shared with staff.

What to look for:

• Staff are familiar with the school’s processes for responding to online sexual harassment and can access these school policies easily and quickly.
• The whole school community is aware of how the school supports learners who are victims of abuse out of school hours, and in school holidays.
• Staff are aware of current attitudes and barriers to reporting among learners and are making efforts to improve these.
• Learners who have been harassed are being appropriately involved in the decision making and resolution process.
• Appropriate staff are trained in carrying out a risk assessment to determine if the incident may be illegal.
• Staff know what to do if they suspect online sexual harassment activity breaks the law.
• Staff know how to escalate reports to appropriate senior staff members using school procedure.
• The school will consult with other agencies to support their response – for example local children’s safeguarding board, children’s social services, school community police officers.
• There is 1 staff member acting as the point of contact if other agencies are involved. There is a clear plan on how to effectively facilitate multi-agency collaboration.
• Staff are familiar with the school’s processes in relation to searching learners, confiscating devices and deleting materials, and can access these school policies easily and quickly.
• All learners who may have been affected by an incident of online sexual harassment (bystanders, victims, and perpetrators) are being offered ongoing support.
• Parents and carers are being kept informed and involved in the resolution of any online sexual harassment incidents.
• Learners who have carried out online sexual harassment are being supported to change their behaviour.

What good practice looks like:

• The school regularly reviews its online policies and processes using 360 Safe Cymru self review tool, and includes discussing it in team meetings.
• The school has well-publicised reporting routes and mechanisms, including online, for learners and parents and carers.
• All staff are aware of sources of support for online sexual harassment incidents, such as the Professionals Online Safety Helpline, Report Harmful Content, 'Responding to incidents of sharing nudes guidance' and the ‘Step Up, Speak Up’ and ‘Just a Joke?’ teaching toolkits (see Supporting resources).
• The DSP and deputies have the appropriate skills and are trained to deal with the various risks related to online activity. There may be additional nominated members of staff who support this area with their expertise.
• Staff receive appropriate safeguarding and child protection training, including in online safety.
• The school has planned and effective peer support strategies, for example reporting mechanisms/escalation processes supported by all school or college staff.
• The school carries out auditing of online behaviour and risks which provides base line information from the learners about the levels and types of online issues prevalent in the school or college.
• The school carries out regular evaluation of reporting channels and response procedures.
• Online safety information and data is highlighted within the headteacher’s report to the governing body.
• Appropriate filtering and monitoring decisions are regularly reviewed in line with the school or college’s needs and relevant information is clearly communicated to staff, learners and parents and carers.

When you should be concerned:

• There are no, or unclear, reporting channels or these are inconsistent.
• There are no recording processes to enable the school or college to identify and monitor concerns.
• Learners, parents and carers are unaware of or lack confidence in the reporting channels.
• Staff are unclear about how to support learners, parents and carers with online sexual harassment incidents.
• Appropriate filtering and monitoring approaches are not in place, and/or there is a lack of understanding of the decisions made with respect to appropriate filtering and monitoring by the leadership team.

What to look for:

• An audit record of the training needs of all staff has been undertaken and documented.
• Training opportunities that are available in the ‘Keeping safe online’ area of Hwb are being taken up.
• Training that improves staff knowledge of, and expertise in, safe behaviours and appropriate use of technologies is available and undertaken.
• Online safety training is an integral part of the required, at least annual, safeguarding training for all staff.
• Online safety training (including responding to incidents of online sexual harassment) is an integral part of induction for all new staff.
• Online safety training (including responding to incidents of online sexual harassment) is coordinated by the designated safeguarding person (DSP).
• Evidence that the DSP (and their deputies) has ensured that their knowledge and skills regarding online safety (including responding to incidents of online sexual harassment) is robust.
• The school has considered and applied appropriate filtering and monitoring systems to its digital infrastructure and connectivity to protect users from accessing inappropriate material or visiting inappropriate sites.

 What good practice looks like:

• The DSP and their deputies have a high level of training, knowledge and expertise on online safety issues (including responding to incidents of online sexual harassment), with clearly defined responsibilities related to online safety provision for the school or college community.
• Expertise in online safety (including responding to incidents of online sexual harassment) is developed across a pool of staff, to ensure transfer and sustainability of knowledge and training.
• Online safety training (including responding to incidents of online sexual harassment) is clearly established within the school or college’s wider safeguarding training.
• Training content is updated to reflect current research and advances in technology as well as local policies and procedures.
• Online safety training (including responding to incidents of online sexual harassment) is given to all new staff as part of their induction.

When you should be concerned:

• The DSP and deputies lack appropriate training and authority in online safety.
• There is no recognised individual or group for online safety, or they lack appropriate training and authority.
• There is no, little or out-of-date training for all staff.
• There are some staff that have no online safety training (including responding to incidents of online sexual harassment).
• Regular updated training is not undertaken at least annually.
• Training on online safety (including responding to incidents of online sexual harassment) does not meet the needs of staff.
• Training is based on outdated resources or materials that lack accuracy.
• There is a lack of clarity on who coordinates staff training.