Teenagers are being taught more about what is appropriate behaviour as part of workshops aimed at changing attitudes to sexual violence against women and girls.
The ‘Step In, Speak Up’ interactive sessions have been attended by more than 8,000 pupils aged 14 to 18 at 29 high schools and colleges.
It comes after Norfolk charities warned that suffering sexual harassment and misogynist abuse was an everyday occurrence for many pupils.
Last year then education secretary Gavin Williamson ordered Ofsted to urgently investigate what schools were doing to deal with the issue.
Funded by Norfolk’s police and crime commissioner (PCC) as part of its successful bid to the Home Office's Safer Streets Fund, the school sessions aim to challenge misconceptions and change behaviours around unhealthy relationships, domestic abuse and sexual violence.
It also seeks to give youngsters the confidence and skills to become “active bystanders” to intervene safely in situations that cause them concern.
Ina Coubrough, assistant principal at Hellesdon High School, which hosted one of the sessions, said: “The bystander intervention training was an engaging and sensitive way to explore the topic of sexual violence towards women and girls.
“It was eye-opening for students to see how seemingly innocuous behaviour can escalate into a situation that has long lasting ramifications.”
Ellie Hurrell, from national theatre company Performance in Education, which is delivering the sessions, said it had “helped equip students with a practical set of skills to allow them to intervene safely and appropriately when faced with problematic situations amongst their friends and peers”.
Norfolk PCC Giles Orpen-Smellie, who attended the Hellesdon session, added: “This is one of a number of projects and initiatives my office is involved in to tackle violence against women and girls in Norfolk.
“As a county and a country, we have a long way to go to ensure women and girls can go about their lives safely and without fear.
“It is about societal change, and such bystander programmes are key to helping instil that change at an early age.”
The office of the PCC is also working with the University of East Anglia to develop a programme targeting older students and recently launched a poster campaign in Norwich, Great Yarmouth and King’s Lynn highlighting harassment in the street.
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