Research reveals peer sexual harassment begins in primary school and affects boys as much as girls

A University of Gothenburg study finds that peer sexual harassment starts as early as Grade 4, impacting boys and girls equally, with significant consequences for mental health and daily life.

Peer sexual harassment can begin as early as Grade 4 and continues through lower secondary school, according to research from the University of Gothenburg. The doctoral thesis by Aziz-Kaan Dönmez suggests the problem is not confined to older teenagers and that boys are just as likely as girls to be affected, challenging the assumption that such harassment is mainly something girls experience.

The findings build on annual follow-up data from pupils in Grades 4 to 9 and add to a wider body of research showing that peer sexual harassment is common in school settings. The University of Gothenburg said the proportion of pupils reporting victimisation rose from Grades 4 to 7 before levelling off, while the thesis also found that many children who harassed others had themselves been harassed and had seen harassment directed at others. That overlap made it difficult to draw clear lines between perpetrators, victims and witnesses.

The study also links harassment with poorer mental health and reduced freedom in daily life. Children and adolescents who reported sexual harassment, whether online or in person, were more likely to report anxiety and to limit where they went in order to feel safe. The thesis found that pupils who thought their puberty was earlier or later than their peers were more likely to be targeted, while stronger peer support and a more positive view of appearance were associated with lower levels of victimisation.

There were also differences by sex in how online and school-based harassment related to anxiety and movement restrictions. According to the thesis, school-based harassment was tied to higher anxiety among girls, while online harassment was more strongly linked with anxiety among boys. Dönmez argued that schools need to begin interventions before Grade 4 and to recognise that boys can be affected as often as girls, a point that fits with earlier research and with the PRISE project at Gothenburg, which has examined peer relations and harassment in children aged 10 to 15.