SEXUAL harassment in Welsh schools is so common that it is considered normal behaviour, a Senedd committee has warned.

The Senedd’s Children, Young People and Education Committee heard evidence that harassment is common enough that schools often miss it or consider it to be normal.

Previous Estyn figures showed that 61 per cent of girls and 29 per cent of boys had experienced sexual harassment. However, the committee believes it likely that considerably more pupils have experienced sexual harassment.

The report said the most common forms of harassment during the school day were "pupils catcalling and making hurtful comments", but, it warned: "Peer-on-peer sexual harassment is actually more prevalent online and outside school than in school."

The report also warned pupils said they did note tell teachers about sexual harassment "because it happens so regularly, and because teachers often dismiss or ignore their concerns".

It also said girls, LGBTQ+ learners, and learners "with other non-normative characteristics and identities" were particularly at risk.

In a report, the committee has outlined 24 recommendations to better protect children and young people from this sort of behaviour.

The committee is asking for a national campaign targeted at learners, their families and school staff.

The campaign would raise awareness of behaviours considered to be sexual harassment, encourage pupils to call out instances of sexual harassment and give them the confidence that such behaviour will be appropriately dealt with.

Another recommendation is for Estyn to consider how schools record and deal with such incidents and for that to be a key component in inspections.

The committee acknowledged that schools are not wholly responsible for peer-on-peer sexual harassment and that other factors, such as pornography, social media and the pandemic, contribute to societal attitudes.

However, schools could be at the forefront of challenging said attitudes.

The committee's chairwoman, Newport West MS Jayne Bryant, said: "Sexual harassment among learners is shockingly commonplace.

"Many schools simply don’t know how to react to sexual harassment and in some cases don’t even recognise the signs of sexual harassment.

"We need the Welsh Government to empower teachers, parents and pupils to support and identify when sexual harassment is happening.

"There is an element of ‘boys will be boys’ or ‘it’s just teasing’ and frankly, this attitude needs to change. The alternative is dire.

"The impact of sexual harassment on some learners is so severe that t not only affects their learning, it  can affect their relationships, mental health, life prospects and – in the most serious of cases – lead to self-harm and suicide.

"We have asked a lot of the Welsh Government in this report; our young people deserve no less."