At least one in five girls in the UK experience physical or sexual harassment for the first time before the age of 12, shocking new research has suggested.
The findings from girls’ rights charity Plan International UK also said the vast majority (87 per cent) of girls and young women in the UK aged between 16 and 24 have received unwanted comments about their appearance, such as catcalling and intrusive remarks, adding such experiences have become “normalised” in childhood.
It found many young women say they are adapting their behaviour as a result, with nearly three in five (58 per cent) saying they change how they dress in order to feel safe when they are out in public.
The charity, which released the data as part of its new campaign The Fine Print, warned the UK must do “far more” to address harassment against women and girls, especially as such threats increasingly move online.
Campaigners said as online harms against women and girls continue to develop at pace, ongoing political uncertainty means the UK is facing a “perfect storm” that threatens to stall or even reverse progress.
Ealaf, 17, who is a member of Plan International’s Youth Advisory Panel, said: “I was first followed by a boy at the age of 10. And because he was one of my peers, it wasn’t taken very seriously, unfortunately.
“I honestly can’t remember a time where I did not experience unwanted comments about my appearance, which is really disheartening to look back on my experiences, especially at institutions like school.”
Girls surveyed also cited the “unwritten rules” they are being expected to accept – including being polite or likeable to avoid conflict (54 per cent), being more mature than boys (52 per cent) and accepting unwanted comments or behaviour as “normal” (46 per cent).
Nearly two-thirds (64 per cent) of parents said they are worried about raising a daughter in today’s climate, pointing to wider anxieties about safety, equality, and the environment in which girls are growing up.
Rose Caldwell, CEO at Plan International UK, said the findings showed how “normalised” harassment has become.
“Girls are often told that gender equality has been achieved – or even gone too far,” she said. “Today’s findings tell a very different story, exposing the daily reality of inequality that girls and young women still face.
“What is particularly concerning is how normalised this has become. Many girls told us harassment begins as early as primary school, which shapes how they dress, behave and move through the world from a young age.
“There has been important progress, including the criminalisation of public sexual harassment which came into force this year after years of campaigning. But far more must be done to protect girls and young women, particularly from online harm.
“Against a backdrop of political uncertainty, we are facing a perfect storm that threatens to stall, or even reverse, hard-won gains. Together we can change the conditions girls are born into. It’s time to take gender inequality seriously and ensure we don’t lose the progress that has already been made.”
It comes after children’s charity Barnardo’s warned misogyny is becoming an “everyday part of childhood” as it released figures showing one in four girls had been called degrading names online or on social media.
Labour unveiled its long-delayed strategy on violence against women and girls (VAWG) at the end of last year, vowing it will be treated as seriously as crackdowns on terror and organised crime, and calling it a “national emergency”. £1bn is to be invested by the government over the next three years.
The government has been contacted for further comment.
