What do teachers know about (cyber) gender-based violence in schools?

1028 teachers from Hungary, Spain, Serbia and Croatia participated in sharing their views and experiences related to cyber sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in youth partner relationships.

Gender discriminative behaviour towards students

expectations are Similar across countries:

1

Teachers’ opinions and attitudes towards GBV and cyber SGBV

– mostly do not hold victim-blaming attitudes

– display awareness of the dynamics of abusive relationships,

– don’t know if students have enough trust in them
to seek help in cases of teen-dating violence.

Sometimes it’s justified for a boy to slap his girlfriend.

AGREE

UNDECIDED

DISAGREE

When a person is being abused in his/her intimate relationship,
it is easy TO just leave.

AGREE

UNDECIDED

DISAGREE

Students trust teachers and other school professionals
and ask for help in cases of teen-dating violence.

AGREE

UNDECIDED

DISAGREE

Girls are equally violent as boys.

AGREE

UNDECIDED

DISAGREE

2.

Awareness of the problem

Teachers that assessed teen-dating violence being a serious problem among their students:

HU

ES

SR

CRO

Is teen-dating violence talked about in schools?

Topic of formal discussions among teachers

Topic of informal conversations among teachers

Topic of conversations with students

Topic of conversations with parents

Teachers are more often informed about female students being victims of violence in intimate relationships compared to male students

FEMALE STUDENT

teachers informed about physical abuse

teachers informed about psychological abuse

teachers informed about sexual abuse

MALE STUDENT

teachers informed about physical abuse

teachers informed about psychological abuse

teachers informed about sexual abuse

female students experience cyber sexual and gender-based violence in intimate relationships more often, according to teachers’ knowledge

Spread rumours about her/him using a cell phone/e-mail/social networks
Took a video of her/him and sent it to his/her friends without her/his permission
Sent her/him so many messages that it made her/him feel unsafe or scared
Sent her/him threatening text messages
Made her/him afraid when she/he did not respond to his/her cell phone/text messages
Posted embarrassing photos of her/him online

What do teachers think about the effects of cyber gender-based violence on their students?

It was serious and disturbing for her/him
She/He thought it was funny
I do not know/haven’t noticed
3.

Teachers’ assessment of competence to provide help to students

IN CASES OF physical violence

IN CASES OF psychological violence

IN CASES OF
sexual violence

IN CASES OF
cyber violence

Most often young people do not turn to their teachers for help in situations when they are exposed to (cyber) teen-dating violence. But when they do turn to them for help, more teachers reported being asked for help by a female student than by a male student.

Teachers actively involved in teen-dating prevention activities:

HU

ES

SR

CRO

TEACHERS’ NEEDS

Teachers need additional support to effectively address the problem of violence in youth partner relationships:

The Joint Report “Secondary school teachers’ awareness of cyber sexual and gender-based violence in youth partner relationships“ was prepared based on national research in four countries conducted by the following organizations: Nők a Nőkért Együtt az Erőszak Ellen – NANE (Hungary), Fundación Privada INDERA (Catalonia, Spain), the Autonomous Women’s Center (Serbia) and CESI – Center for Education, Counselling and Research (Croatia). This activity is part of the project “I can choose to say no. Empowering youth, especially girls, to stand up against cyber sexual and gender-based violence in intimate partner relationships“.