Inappropriate sexual behaviour at schools investigated by Victoria Police

Victoria Police has investigated a huge number of cases of sexual touching and sexual harassment at schools, worrying data reveals.

Students as young as year seven have been caught sexually harassing other pupils at Victorian schools.

Data exclusively obtained by the Herald Sun under Freedom of Information laws has revealed that government schools made 260 reports of inappropriate sexual behaviour and sexual touching by students to Victoria Police’s Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Teams (SOCIT) in the past year to May 2022.

Those figures do not include reports from Catholic or independent schools.

In one of the most serious cases, a student was high on drugs when they disclosed to school staff that they had been sexually harassed by another student multiple times.

There have been hundreds of reports of inappropriate sexual behaviour at schools. Picture: iStock

Several principals reportedly found students having consensual sex on school grounds.

Students said they were touched inappropriately by other students in class and while away on school camps.

Other students were caught making sexually explicit threats on social media against their peers, accessing and sharing porn on school devices while at school and circulating sexual videos of other students.

Sexual Assault Services Victoria chief executive Kathleen Maltzahn said schools needed to discipline students who sexually harassed or assaulted other students, while offering them support and working to stamp out sexually violent behaviour.

“Often when kids are being sexually harmful, they themselves could have been sexually assaulted, or they could be exposed to family violence or problematic pornography,” she said.

Some students have been caught accessing and sharing porn on school devices. Picture: iStock

“We need we need to be really clear with kids and young people that they cannot sexually offend and we need to hold them to account, but we also need to give them the support they need to stop that behaviour.”

Detective Senior Sergeant Steve Higgins from Victoria Police’s Family Violence Command said the force worked closely with schools to provide support to children who have reported a sexual offence.

“Our specialist detectives investigate all reports to the fullest and work closely with victims and their families to ensure they feel supported throughout the entire process, including keeping them updated on any developments and explaining each step of an investigation,” Sen-Sgt Higgins said.

“When a report requires police involvement, specialist detectives in plain clothes will organise a joint visit alongside sexual assault support workers to ensure the child feels comfortable.”

More than 500 specialist detectives work across 28 SOCIT units in Victoria.

Officers visit primary and secondary schools to teach students about consent and internet safety.

Australian Catholic University’s Institute of Child Protection Studies director (prof) Daryl Higgins said it was crucial that schools were well-equipped to address the wide range of reports they made to police because the incidents could impact children as they got older.

“Sexual harm has the potential for lifelong consequences,” Prof Higgins said.

“School is the one place where young people spend a lot of their time, so schools have a particular responsibility for the social and emotional wellbeing of children.

“Conversations around sex, sexuality, consent and respectful relationships are topics that as a community we don’t like to talk about. But we should be putting our efforts into prevention and building cultures of safety within schools and youth serving organisations.”

A Department of Education spokesman said students’ safety was every school’s highest priority.

“Schools are required to report all incidents of suspected abuse to appropriate authorities,” he said.

“These figures demonstrate that schools understand their obligation and are playing a key role in supporting victims and their families.”

It is mandatory for schools to report all incidents of suspected abuse under tightened Child Safe Standards that were introduced in schools in July.