North Yorkshire sexual abuse charity calls for better education on relationships in schools
It's as self defence classes for girls have been suggested to potentially prevent them from being attacked
A sexual abuse charity in North Yorkshire is calling for better education on healthy relationships in schools to prevent attacks on women and girls.
Schools are planning to make curriculum and policy changes in the wake of growing calls to tackle violence and harassment.
It has been suggested self defence classes should be offered to girls in schools, which North Yorkshire Independent Domestic Abuse Services (IDAS) charity say puts the onus on the potential victim rather than a potential attacker.
Evie Duarte, North Yorkshire Regional Manager at IDAS, said: "I'm all for self defence classes to be brought into schools, but it shouldn't just stop there.
"We need to re-educate people about healthy relationships. The responsibility is on a person to not do the attacking, not how people should protect themselves from being attacked. It is as simple as that.
"The focus should be on why people attack and do these things, instead of putting it all on someone who doesn't want to be attacked and how that person should defend themselves.
"There is such a normalisation of unacceptable behaviour in young people nowadays. Lots of young people are exposed to pornography and that isn't an accurate representation of what a healthy relationship is. It is so unrealistic.
"We should be teaching boys and men that they shouldn't be doing this, not putting responsibility on girls in school.
"It's important that we don't let this fizzle out. This can't just be a reactive thing which stops here. He needs to go on, it needs to be embedded in schools and in young people."
Students and their families are demanding change from schools in the wake of Sarah Everard's death.
Some schools are now relaxing their non uniform day policies to allow girls to wear strappy t-shirts.
It's as students have suggested that the rules for non-uniform days were old-fashioned and are being interpreted as "keeping decent" instead of "keeping smart".
Anyone needing support with domestic abuse or sexual violence can get support from IDAS here.