Young people to be taught about consent amid warnings 'we cannot police our way out of crisis'

Keir Starmer’s government has promised that every student in England will get education on healthy relationships and consent as part of its bid to halve violence against women and girls.

It is part of a pledge, announced today (18 December), to “deploy the full power of the state to introduce the largest crackdown on violence perpetrated against women and girls in British history”. 

The government will also introduce a helpline for young people concerned about their own behaviour and invest £20 million in safe accommodation for domestic abuse – a measure they say will help 4,900 households.

Tabitha Morton, executive director of UN Women UK, said the long-awaited strategy – one of several unveiled by the government in a pre-Christmas rush – could mark a shift to prevention before issues take root.

“We cannot police our way out of this crisis. Violence will only fall if we stop it before it starts, which means significant investment in education, culture change and tackling the misogyny that is shaping attitudes among boys and men,” said Morton.

“Online misogyny is one of the fastest-growing risk factors for real-world violence.”

Read more:

• Compulsory domestic abuse lessons for over 16s could help ‘prevent misogynistic murders’, MPs told
• Calls for a law change to protect survivors of domestic abuse left on the verge of financial ruin
• The hidden homelessness crisis is fuelled by the scourge of domestic abuse

Under the new education plans, teachers and families will be “empowered to address these harmful attitudes and behaviours head on”, while young people will be taught to “identify positive role models and challenge unhealthy myths about women and relationships”. Teachers will also be trained to talk to pupils about consent.

The government has promised that every child will get access to the new education by the end of the current parliament in 2029.

“Every parent should be able to trust that their daughter is safe at school, online and in her relationships,” said Starmer. “But too often toxic ideas are taking hold early and going unchallenged. This government is stepping in sooner – backing teachers, calling out misogyny and intervening when warning signs appear – to stop harm before it starts.”

But campaigners said the strategy failed on a basic level.

“We have seen no evidence that the VAWG strategy announced today confronts the real causes of the epidemic of violence against women and girls,” said Cristel Amiss, joint coordinator of Women Against Rape, a London-based group supporting women.

“The strategy also fails migrant and asylum-seeking women by leaving in place the policy of destitution and proposing immigration changes that cut financial support, housing, settlement and family reunion.

“Ministers, including Jess Phillips, should be hanging their heads in shame for not speaking out against policies that are designed to harm migrant women and children, signaling that their lives and safety do not matter. “

Statistics released by the government along with the strategy show that nearly 40% of teenagers in relationships are a victim of relationship abuse and over 40% of young men hold a positive view of Andrew Tate.

Lynn Perry, chief executive of Barnardo’s, said harmful online views were spreading into real-life behaviour. 

“Any plans to tackle this must include a ban on any pornography that depicts adults pretending to be children and criminalising the use of nudification apps,” Perry said.

Violence against women is a common driver of homelessness, as women with nowhere to turn end up on the streets. Research by homelessness charity St Mungo’s found almost half of their female clients had experienced domestic abuse.

Councillor Matt Boughton, chair of the Local Government Association’s safer and stronger communities committee, said councils needed money to tackle the problem.

“Financial pressures have impacted councils’ ability to provide VAWG services, which are underfunded and financially unsustainable,” said Boughton. “It is therefore positive to see a plan which should ensure that the NHS provides dedicated referral services for women and girls affected across the whole of England.”

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