Dardedze: schools talk too little about harmful sexual behavior among children

The Latvian children's rights protection center "Dardedze" has raised concerns that schools still talk too little about harmful sexual behavior occurring among children and young people. According to the organization, situations such as offensive comments about another person's body, sexual jokes, unwanted touching, or sharing intimate images without consent are not uncommon among children and youth.

Another minor as the perpetrator

Dardedze points to research showing that one in three cases of sexual abuse against a child is committed by another minor. This means the perpetrator is often not an adult, but another child or young person.

The role of schools

The center emphasizes that schools are therefore not only a place where children may experience sexual abuse from other children, but also one of the most important settings where such situations can be noticed early, stopped, and prevented from recurring. This suggests that greater attention and more open discussion of the topic in schools could help both recognize harmful behavior and respond to it at an early stage.