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Autistic woman pimped  out in care scandal

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A young autistic woman was allowed to have sex with numerous men because her carers were said to believe that high-risk encounters with strangers might help her to "learn from her mistakes", it can be revealed today.

The woman, 23, who has severe learning disabilities and an IQ of 52, was repeatedly exploited during a court-approved, two-month trial period this summer in which random men were permitted to visit her Manchester care home between 10am and 4pm each day.

She was also taken to shisha bars and had sex in public on numerous occasions, including in a taxi and at the back of a bowling alley, because the care company paid to look after her would not physically intervene. In August carers reported that the...

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Andrew Norfolk, Chief Investigative Reporter

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Autistic woman 'pimped out' in care scandal

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A young autistic woman was allowed to have sex with numerous men because her carers were said to believe that high-risk encounters with strangers might help her to "learn from her mistakes", it can be revealed today.The woman, 23, who has severe learning disabilities and an IQ of 52, was repeatedly

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Women and Autism. Toward a better understanding 

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Women and Autism. Toward a better understanding 

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Always find it interesting that there's a large debate around the beauty standards for young girls and the pressure to look good, but we rarely acknowledge the pressure on young boys and men. There's a huge amount of pressure on them to have the perfect six pack and be incredibly handsome, and whilst we are moving towards body positivity with plus-sized females, we haven't seen the same positivity towards men.

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Body dysmorphic disorder is on the rise among children, many of whom are influenced by the edited pictures they see on social media, writes Helen O'Callaghan.

THEY hate the shape of their face. They're ashamed and embarrassed about being 'ugly'. They hate their stomach or their legs. These are the kinds of concerns increasingly being shared by teens in Ireland with counselling psychologists. More worrying again are reports that this preoccupation with perceived flaws didn't just kick in as they hit their teens. Fears that their physical selves didn't measure up had been there since they were nine, 10 or 11 years old.

The sobering reality was thrown into sharp focus just before Christmas when the inquest into Millie Tuomey's death by suicide heard the 11-year-old Dubliner had been unhappy with her physical appearance for a number of years.

Yet, it's very common to have a degree of body concern or body alienation, says Professor Jim Lucey, clinical director of St Patrick's Mental Health Services (its children's unit is Willow Grove). "A degree of body disgust is almost universal to a degree. And the narcissism of youth is also a feature."

Much further along the spectrum from the wish common to most of us - to change/improve some aspect of our physical appearance - is body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). This is an obsessive and widely misunderstood psychiatric illness. What starts as dissatisfaction with an aspect of one's body - ranging from concerns about thinning hair, skin texture, and perceived blemishes, asymmetry of face or nose, size of ears, nose, and lips - can escalate into an obsessive preoccupation with that aspect of appearance.

This appearance component of BDD can distract people from the serious psychiatric nature of the condition, says clinical psychologist Dr Annemarie O'Connor. A co-author of Body Image Problems & Body Dysmorphic Disorder: The Definitive Treatment and Recovery Approach, O'Connor emphasises that BDD is not excessive vanity. Vanity is based on enjoyment of your appearance, whereas with BDD, people reject their appearance. With vanity, says O'Connor, someone looks in the mirror and thinks 'how good do I look?' With BDD, they're checking to see how awful they look - or whether they're just barely acceptable to other people.

The obsession with the perceived flaw can be extraordinarily intense.

The Broken Mirror author Katherine Philips cites research showing one third of sufferers think about the perceived defect/defects between one and three hours daily, while 40% are preoccupied for three to eight hours a day.

According to OCD Ireland (psychologists link BDD with OCD because of its obsessive compulsive aspects), when there's no mirror, any shiny object or surface is used to focus on the flaw - shop windows, cutlery. "These substitutes typically distort one's reflection, [which] might even exacerbate the negative feelings experienced by the person."

Estimated BDD incidence in Ireland is one in 100, though some experts put it at 2%. A recent trend is its emergence in pre-teens. Consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist Dr Sarah Buckley says her clinic - Dean Clinic, Cork, part of St Patrick's Mental Health Services - used to only see 13-17-year-olds. But then GPs began requesting 12-year-olds be seen too.

"It could be for depression, anxiety, eating disorders, or BDD," confirms Buckley.

"It's commonly known that BDD begins in adolescence - but when people look back, they describe not being happy with their body at nine, 10, or 11 years of age. There's now a trend, over the past five years, where we're seeing it emerge younger. I've had 13- and 14-year-olds tell me they've been concerned since fourth class."

And it's not just that these kids were conscious of their perceived deficits at a young age. "They were very distressed and preoccupied," says Buckley.

Counselling psychologist with Spectrum Therapy Tracey O'Neill works with teens. Serious body image concerns come up a lot. "It rarely presents as BDD but when you work with them a while, it's there - a general 'I don't like myself'."

A disorder affecting equal numbers of boys and girls, O'Neill finds boys often fixate on height - believing they're not tall enough - whereas for girls, it's they're not skinny enough. What surprised her was the frequency with which girls fixate on hair. "I'd have thought it'd be boobs or bums, but hair stood out - it's not long enough, not thick enough. There's this desire for a fabulous mass of blonde hair."

In O'Neill's experience, BDD is "never just a stand-alone". It usually runs parallel with anxiety or other mental health issues.

A British statistic tracking anxiety in young people found 19% suffering in 1993 compared with 25% in 2014. "It's gone from one fifth to one-quarter," says Prof Lucey. "Everybody's pondering why there's been this dramatic increase in anxiety and in body dysmorphic concerns. Does it correlate with the emergence of social media? People are telling us they feel challenged and put under pressure on these systems. They describe being distressed and bullied on social media."

Fiona Flynn, youth development officer with Bodywhys, says young people she meets in schools, focus groups, and at youth events often refer to pressure from the media to look a certain way. "They refer to the slim flawless look we see for girls and the muscular ideal we see for guys."

She says research indicates increased time on social media can adversely affect body image in teen boys and girls. "Young people who spent more time online were more likely to link their self-worth to their looks."

No matter why she's seeing them, O'Neill says all her teen clients are spending huge amounts of time online. "When they're not at school, they're spending eight hours a day online. They're constantly being fed ideas of perfection.

"Take a boy, following Conor McGregor or some football star on Instagram - he's constantly seeing this person turned out very well with a fantastic lifestyle. It's the same for the girls. Children are all the time being assaulted with images of what they're not."

The Western World's ever-present pursuit of a particular ideal male or female image is likely confusing young people. Buckley says: "They're distressed they don't 'look right' and make the negative assumption that they won't be successful. The subliminal message is if you're pretty and have nice teeth you'll enjoy life more."

BDD is thought to be caused by a complex interplay of biological, psychological, and environmental factors. Unkind comments don't cause it but they can trigger it. Buckley says some of her young clients recall being slagged at the age of nine or 10, girls telling each other 'if you stand with your feet together and your thighs touch, you're overweight'. "They talk about it in the yard, they check and they slag a girl who'd never noticed this before and she starts getting preoccupied."

Lucey says males and females differ in how they photograph themselves on social media. "Boys tend to photograph themselves on Instagram in groups - girls tend to photograph themselves as individuals. So there's more focus on the individual body of the female - the male is still herding and can get lost in a photo, whereas the female is much more objectified for her individual appearance."

Transitioning from childhood to puberty - and adapting to the emerging new body - can be dramatic for children, says Lucey, adding that kids now have a tremendous screen - in the form of social media - amplifying this. Put this amplified exposure to a body you're struggling to get used to alongside the diminished regard people often show each other online and it's easy to see why distress about one's body can arise.

So what are the red flags that something may be amiss with your child? Chartered counselling psychologist Leslie Shoemaker lists the following warning signs: Child seems blue/down in the dumps most of the time; they're having problems with day-to-day functioning, struggling to do the basics like getting dressed or having a shower; they're becoming preoccupied with appearance and weight; their grades are dropping, they're opting out of sports or avoiding things in general.

BDD has higher rates of suicide ideation than most other disorders, warns Shoemaker. "Pay great attention if they start talking about suicide - 'I want to die', 'I wonder what it would be like to die', 'Would people miss me?'"

How can parents protect children? Shoemaker warns against putting out a negative message about appearance or one that values appearance above all. "Ask yourself, what's the message I'm putting out? Do I comment all the time on people's appearance - 'She's put on a few pounds, what's going on with her?' Am I always on a diet? Is our family very focused on appearance versus achievements or skills?"

Pointing out that human beings don't do well with uncertainty, Shoemaker urges parents to be upfront with children approaching puberty. "Tell them 'your body's going to change, you're going to be uncomfortable in it for a while and then you'll get used to it'. Parents also need to show children how media doesn't portray things accurately - explain how images are airbrushed and Photoshopped.

"Parents need to help kids learn how to critically evaluate media messages and how they're being sucker-punched."

A firm believer in parents being part of their child's Facebook and Instagram lives, Shoemaker says parents have to have access so they can see what sites their kids are on. "Look at their emails. People get angry and say that's very Big Brother but the role of the parent is to care for the kid."

Lucey agrees parents should introduce some digital controls, but without strife. "These are new parenting skills - but for generations parents have had to make sure their kids are safe in other spaces. I'd recommend postponing full iPhone access until the child's in their mid-teens and you can teach them how to use it [appropriately].

"It's like teaching them how to manage cycling a bike on a busy road - it's the normal risk management of growing up."

How to help your child develop positive body image
Be a positive role model
How do you speak about your own body? Avoid making negative comments about other people's bodies or your own - even as a joke. Be aware too of positive comments you make about bodies to ensure you don't inadvertently endorse media ideals. Watch how you talk about food. Do you express guilt when you eat certain foods?
Shift focus away from body image
Focus less on child's appearance and more on their skills/abilities - being kind, good at sharing, great at helping, good fun, good dancer. When talking about others, steer clear of comments about what they look like. Instead, remark on qualities they have, eg, being a good listener, good fun, lively.
Encourage children to find what they enjoy
Promote activities that make you feel good, which don't focus on appearance. Let children try different things and find what they enjoy. Doing things we enjoy helps us feel self-confident and positive about ourselves.
Media literacy
Encourage child to think critically about messages in the media and to notice that body shapes we see in media are not like bodies we see in real life. Promote acceptance of different body shapes - focus on what the body can do rather than how it looks.
Talk to child about social media
Be aware of your own online behaviour. How often does your child look to you and finds you looking down at your screen? Lead by positive example.
Set clear parental boundaries around screen time
It may make you unpopular but it will encourage children to develop other interests. Limit time they spend online. Allow time for offline activities and family time to communicate.

- Visit ocdireland.org/the-three-disorders/body-dysmorphic-disorder/; also bddfoundation.org

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Mirror mirror: Facing up to body dysmorphic disorder in children

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Body dysmorphic disorder is on the rise among children, many of whom are influenced by the edited pictures they see on social media, writes Helen O'Callaghan. THEY hate the shape of their face. They're ashamed and embarrassed about being 'ugly'. They hate their stomach or their legs.

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Men must make sure other men believe women

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Men must make sure other men believe women

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'We're simply saying that when a woman says she's been sexually assaulted, it is extremely likely that she is telling the truth.' — Men must make sure other men believe women

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One in three girls in the UK has been sexually harassed in public when wearing school uniform, a new report has suggested.

And two-thirds of girls say they have experienced unwanted sexual attention in public, it adds.

The figures come from a report by children's charity Plan International UK, which said many girls feel street harassment is "all part of growing up".

It is calling on bystanders to challenge harassment when they see it.

The charity commissioned an opinion poll by Opinium of 1,000 teenagers and young women aged 14 to 21 across the UK in June 2018, and also carried out interviews with girls and academics.

66% of girls in the UK said they had experienced unwanted sexual attention or sexual or physical contact in a public place

35% of girls reported receiving unwanted sexual contact such as being touched, groped or grabbed

Girls as young as eight years old described witnessing or experiencing harassment

More than one in three girls received unwanted sexual attention such as being groped, stared at, catcalled and wolf-whistled while wearing school uniform

One-quarter of girls said they had been filmed or photographed by a stranger without permission

The report features stories from several young women, including 19-year-old Malikah, from Birmingham, who said she was followed by someone in a car while walking alone.

"My phone was upside-down, but I pretended to be on the phone and was trying to make out like my dad was coming to pick me up," she said.

"Now my parents are more cautious about when I'll be home and going out after dark."

One 18-year-old said she felt street harassment was "part of the 'bro culture'" and her dad had told her: "You know what men are like."

And another girl, aged 17, said: "It's just become normal."

What to do if you are harassed

Hollaback! - an international movement tackling harassment - says there is no right or wrong way to respond.

But if you choose to speak directly to the assailant, it offers the following advice:

1. Be firm: Look them in the eye and denounce their behaviour with a strong, clear voice.

2. Say what feels natural: The important thing is that you are not apologetic in your response.

3. Don't engage: Harassers may try to argue with you or dismiss you through further conversation or by making fun of you. As tempting as it may be get into a verbal war with them, it is not recommended. The attention may further feed their abusive behaviour.

4. Keep moving: Once you've said your piece, keep moving. Harassers do not deserve the pleasure of your company.

The charity is calling on the government to recognise street harassment as a type of "gender-based violence".

It has made several recommendations, including:

Public awareness campaigns to spread the message that street harassment "is not OK"

Offer training for bystanders on how to safely intervene

Support boys and men to change their attitudes and challenge harassment

Provide relationship and sex education to young people

Training for workers in public places (shop staff, bus drivers) on spotting harassment and reporting it

The chief executive of Plan International UK, Tanya Barron, said it was "shocking and deeply concerning" that girls who are clearly of school age are being sexually harassed.

"It's simply not acceptable that girls as young as 12 are being wolf-whistled at in public, touched against their will, stared at or even followed," she said.

"This disgraceful behaviour needs to be called out and stopped."

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'Third of girls' harassed in school uniform

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One in three girls in the UK has been sexually harassed in public when wearing school uniform, a new report has suggested. And two-thirds of girls say they have experienced unwanted sexual attention in public, it adds. The figures come from a report by children's charity Plan International UK, which said many girls feel street harassment is "all part of growing up".

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Sheffield uni misunderstood promoting safety vs promoting drug use

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A Russell Group university has been criticised over offering drug advice to its students which states to "never inject alone".

Students at Sheffield University said information on its website was "dangerous" after detailed instructions on how to ingest class A substances was published. The advice also gives students directions on how to prepare drugs such as MDMA.

Some students warned that the guidance normalised drug culture on campus. Sab Jones, a final-year Spanish student, said: "How can they write 'if you are injecting drugs, never inject alone' - it's like an oxymoron.

"That is basically saying 'it's dangerous, but do it with a friend'. It means not only putting yourself at risk but someone close to you also at risk. I'm ashamed that this policy is real and on their website."

Bliss Hunter, a drama student, added: "I think it's a bizarre thing to tell students. It's dangerous and it advocates taking drugs, which is completely wrong. The student union should be looking at protecting students and deferring them away from the drug scene, not encouraging them to take them."

The information on the university's website states: "We understand some students may try drugs during their time at university. Whilst we don't condone this, we want to ensure that if you do choose to take drugs, you are as informed as possible."

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Sheffield University criticised over 'never inject alone' drug advice

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A Russell Group university has been criticised over offering drug ­advice to its students which states to "never inject alone". Students at Sheffield University said information on its website was "dangerous" after detailed instructions on how to ingest class A substances was published. The advice also gives students directions on how to prepare drugs such as MDMA.

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Our children's enemy is sexism, not sexualisation | Zoe Williams

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Zoe Williams: Fear of sexualisation is used by conservatives to traduce liberal values and invade the privacy of teenagers

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Governmental reports examining the nature and extent of sexualisation in the UK

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Governmental reports examining the nature and extent of sexualisation in the UK

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A report intending to explore the issue and ultimately mitigate/minimise the sexualisation and also commercialisation of childhood

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Independent report

Review of the commercialisation and sexualisation of childhood, examining the pressures children are under to grow up too quickly.

Documents

Details

This report sets out some of the things that businesses and their regulators, and the government, can do to minimise the commercialisation and sexualisation of childhood.

Reg Bailey Chief Executive of Mothers' Union led the 6-month independent review.

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Independent report Review of the commercialisation and sexualisation of childhood, examining the pressures children are under to grow up too quickly. This report sets out some of the things that businesses and their regulators, and the government, can do to minimise the commercialisation and sexualisation of childhood.

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A Stacey Dooley documentary exploring the sexualisation of children and young people in a Japanese context.

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To play this programme you need to enable JavaScript.

Contains disturbing scenes.

Stacey Dooley visits Tokyo to explore Japan's sexualisation of children and looks at what the country is doing to prevent it and protect young girls.

Stacey Dooley explores Japan's problem with the sexualisation of children. From bars where men pay to meet schoolgirls to suggestive pictures of very young children and comic books featuring child rape, the country has faced global criticism for its attitudes. It was only three years ago that possessing genuine child pornography was finally made illegal. Stacey travels to Tokyo to look into what effect the law banning child porn has had and to see if the attitude towards the sexualisation of children has changed. Stacey discovers a culture where sexual images of young girls are widespread and used for commercial gain. Her first stop is a legal Tokyo 'JK' cafe in which school-aged girls are paid to provide company to older men - who tell her that it is perfectly normal to talk about sex and hold hands with girls as young as 15 dressed in school uniform. Stacey uncovers an even more disturbing legal grey area exists in Japan called Chako Ero, where children as young as six are filmed or photographed in erotic clothing. She speaks to a producer of these films as well as a self-confessed paedophile to try and discover just why some Japanese culture seems to encourage inappropriate exploitation and sexualisation of children. Following the law change, the documentary examines what else Japan is doing to stop normalising the sexualisation of children. Stacey meets volunteers from a charity trying to help vulnerable girls, as well as the Head of the Juvenile Section at the National Police to find what they are doing to protect young girls.

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Stacey Dooley Investigates - Young Sex for Sale in Japan

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To play this programme you need to enable JavaScript. Contains disturbing scenes. Stacey Dooley visits Tokyo to explore Japan's sexualisation of children and looks at what the country is doing to prevent it and protect young girls. Stacey Dooley explores Japan's problem with the sexualisation of children.

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Sophie Walker: ‘The age of lad culture set us back a lot’

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Sophie Walker: ‘The age of lad culture set us back a lot’

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Sophie Walker: 'The age of lad culture set us back a lot'

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The Women's Equality party leader on what Brexit would mean for women, and why some MPs are thinking of defecting to her party

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Sportswear brand criticized for sexualisation of young girls 

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Sportswear brand criticized for sexualisation of young girls 

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From surfing to tennis, sportswomen still face sexualised media coverage

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Stories that objectify female sports stars often run under the guise of female empowerment. But branding some sports as ‘sexy’ means women’s talent is overlooked

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There is a "slow creep" of sexualised language and behaviour among children as young as five in the classroom, teachers have told the Guardian.

Primary and secondary school teachers described the level of sex and relationship education (SRE) available to children as inadequate in response to a call out via the Guardian's online Teachers Network.

Their evidence, although anecdotal, gives a troubling glimpse into classrooms where teachers are trying but failing to tackle sexual bullying, harassment and other sexual violence experienced by pupils.

One primary school teacher, based in Merseyside, reported a series of disturbing incidents in the classroom, including pupils as young as 10 being sent explicit photos via social media and a sexual assault between two seven-year-old boys. A secondary school supply teacher, who has worked in London and Humberside, reported "several sexual assaults and a possible rape" over seven years of teaching.

Dozens of teachers contacted the Guardian in response to a call out about sexual violence in schools, shortly before the publication of the Commons select committee inquiry into the issue on Tuesday. The inquiry, begun after a study revealed that many incidents went unreported and others were "brushed off" by teachers, is expected to raise the issue of mandatory SRE, which, although widely supported, was rejected by the government last year.

The teachers who spoke to the Guardian echoed concerns raised by witnesses to the inquiry, who called for children as young as four to be taught about sexism and harassment in order to tackle a "ticking timebomb" of sexual bullying at school. All said they would like to see compulsory SRE, as well as specific guidance on how to prevent sexual bullying and violence.

One primary school teacher with 20 years' experience, who works in Merseyside, said she believed unrestricted access to the internet was partly responsible for the sexualisation of children.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, in order to protect the children involved, she said: "As a primary teacher, I have been appalled by the rise in sexual language and behaviour in children as young as five. Unfiltered access to the internet and age inappropriate computer games is exposing more and more young children to things they are not able to cope with or understand. Many parents haven't got a clue what is happening."

The teacher, who works in an area with high levels of deprivation but has seen problems in schools in better off areas, said: "In the 60s and 70s, the TV was the babysitter in the corner but now it's the internet and the internet is a dangerous place. Children as young as five are being left on their own with access to the internet. They seeing things they should not be exposed to and it's not being balanced by parents telling them how to keep safe."

She has noticed a "slow creep" of inappropriately sexual language and behaviour, to the point where it has become "almost commonplace" she said.

"We've had children as young as 10 getting on to social media forums, where they can have conversations and then have been sent explicit photographs. We've had a sexual assault, involved two seven-year-old boys. One of them said he was copying something on TV. I've heard male children say 'let me touch your boobies' and you can see the horrified faces on some of the other children. There is a lot of use of the word 'gay' as a term of abuse. I've had a boy of five or six talk about dildos."

Age-appropriate SRE was vital, she said, and should start in primary school. "You can't put the genie back in the bottle but children need to be taught about what is and isn't OK."

Teachers said the pressure on them to deliver academic results meant that teaching social skills such as respect and healthy relationships took a back seat, with disturbing results in some schools.

One secondary school supply teacher, who has worked in Humberside and London, said: "During my seven years of teaching, there have been a number of serious sexual assaults, including a possible rape. As a matter of course, this information is not openly shared among staff and, therefore, possibly allowed to continue unchecked."

He expressed concern over the fall-out after a 14-year-old girl, who broke down in his class, alleged that she had been raped by a fellow classmate. On another occasion, a female pupil accused two boys of forcing her to perform a sex act in a science cupboard in an incident that the supply teacher said was as treated as "teenage high jinks". Neither incident appeared to be treated appropriately, he said.

"I found it preposterous that the girl who had made the accusation of rape had to leave the class. She ended up leaving the school to go to another school. It blew my mind. There should be policies in place to deal with sexual assault in order for the schools to properly deal with it."

According to a BBC investigation last September, based on freedom of information requests to police, 5,500 sexual offences were recorded in UK schools over a three-year period, including rapes. A 2014 survey by Girlguiding UK found that 59% of young women aged 13-21 had faced some form of sexual harassment at school or college in the past year.

A deputy head of a secondary school in Manchester told the Guardian that children needed extra guidance because of the rise in social media and the availability of online pornography.

The deputy head said: "We are living in a different world. In a school, its bell to bell, the day is gone in the blink of an eye. We know it's important but you do need support to get it right. The whole basis of gender respect and healthy relationships should be on the curriculum. Our PHSE has been taken off the timetable in terms of having a regular weekly or two-weekly slot. It's now down to six days a year. That's not enough. If children were graded in how healthy and respectful their relationships [were], as well as maths and English, there would be time on the timetable for it."

The National Police Chiefs Council, in its evidence to the commons inquiry, highlighted the availability of online pornography and the absence of sex and relationship education in schools as driving factors in altering the behaviour of young people.

One secondary head of PHSE, based in Lincolnshire, told the Guardian that 95% of a class of year 7 boys told her they had accessed pornography online.

Another teacher, who works in a state-funded secondary school for vulnerable children who have been excluded from mainstream school, described her job as a "tug of war". She said that for excluded or otherwise vulnerable children SRE should be on a par with maths and English. "Our children are classified as a vulnerable because they have been in gangs or because of their family or behavioural issues. There is a lot of violence in their lives. We try to teach respect and feminism but it's hard because we only have one lesson a week. We need an extra lesson every week, at least."

"In a school like ours, it's a tug of war between getting exam results and getting them into college, and teaching them life skills about how to engage in healthy relationships. It is sad because they are the ones [who] need it most."

Additional reporting by Marianna Spring
Topics

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Sexualised behaviour in very young children increasing, say teachers

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There is a "slow creep" of sexualised language and behaviour among children as young as five in the classroom, teachers have told the Guardian. Primary and secondary school teachers described the level of sex and relationship education (SRE) available to children as inadequate in response to a call out via the Guardian's online Teachers Network.

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How do women and girls experience Autism?   

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How do women and girls experience Autism?   

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How do women and girls experience autism? - National Autistic Society

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"I wanted my campaign to educate the public on autism in women and girls and bring to light why it so often goes undetected."

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Teacher told by school principal that "parents may not want a gay man teaching their children"

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A kindergarten teacher in Qingdao is taking a local school to court for firing him over his sexual orientation. This is the first case of its kind and is expected to have a substantial impact on legal protection for LGBT groups in China. Christian Shepard at Reuters reports:

The teacher was dismissed in August from a school in the coastal city of Qingdao after he posted some comment on social media about an LGBT event he had attended, he told Reuters.

The teacher, who declined to be identified, said he was told by the school principal that parents may not want a gay man teaching their children.

[...] The teacher was asked to leave without sufficient severance or payment for his 10 percent stake in the school, said his lawyer, Tang Xiangqian.

"The main reason we filed this case is not just as a labor dispute but to make the gay community more visible to a wider group of people. To let more people realize that they can easily be victims of discrimination," Tang said. [Source]

While attitudes toward LGBT issues in China are changing, practices such as sexual orientation conversion therapy are still performed by public hospitals and private clinics. The case in Qingdao is part of a growing gay rights movement that has inspired an increasing number of activists to turn to the country's court system to challenge discrimination against the country's LGBT community. Members of the community continue to face state censorship as authorities seek to push back against the growing visibly of LGBT groups in the media. In May, LGBT elements were censored from a broadcast of the Eurovision Song Contest. This incident followed the introduction of regulations in 2016 banning all "abnormal sexual relationships or behaviour" from appearing on air. Last year, gay dating apps Zank and Rela were shut down by authorities. In April of this year, social media site Sina Weibo briefly imposed a ban on LGBT-themed content before reversing the policy following widespread user protest.

More recently, thousands of Chinese activists joined an online rally to push for same-sex marriage to be included in a new civil code set to be passed in 2020. The campaign, initiated by activist Sun Wenlin who was denied the right to marriage in 2016, will take advantage of the public comment period to submit amendments to the legislation to extend legal protections to LGBT individuals. Last month, Reuters' Christian Shepherd reported:

On Monday, Sun posted on his WeChat account a guide for how to submit revisions to write the legalisation for same-sex marriage into the code.

Sun's post went viral and started trending on the Twitter-like Weibo, with related hashtags being viewed 50 million times. Signatories to Sun's campaign for same-sex marriage legalisation, launched last year, jumped from around 5,000 to over 20,000 in a day, he said.

[...] The chance that suggested revisions to dozens of provisions will be accepted is "close to zero", Sun said, but he is hopeful that discussion can push forward legal recognition.

The civil code drafting process can help protect LGBT rights in areas like childbirth and employment, according to Zhu Bao, a Beijing-based lawyer.

"Discussion of the provisions that have an impact on the legitimate interests of the community will make lawmakers face up to the existence of gender minorities," he said. [Source]

At the South China Morning Post, Ilaria Maria Sala looks at the uneven progress on gay rights in Hong Kong:

Taiwan is in the process of amending its marriage laws to give same-sex couples the right to marry, but Hong Kong seems to be battling a mixture of Victorian-era Puritanism, colonial baggage, religious intransigence, and immigration inflexibility that makes its attitude towards gay rights only marginally better than mainland China. The city only decriminalised homosexuality in 1991, but gay marriage is still not recognised under Hong Kong law, which also prohibits a same-sex couple from undergoing fertility treatment and does not have any provisions against discrimination based on sexual orientation.

The most visible cases pitting the conservative Hong Kong government against LGBTI people have been centred on immigration. This July, the Court of Final Appeal finally granted British lesbian "QT" the right to a dependent visa, but this was on the grounds of unlawful discrimination rather than same-sex marriage progress.

The movement may even have the unlikely backing of the business community. As more countries move to legalise same-sex marriage, talent coveted by international firms may choose not to move to Hong Kong if the government remains unwilling to extend spousal dependent visas to husbands or wives. But the time might be ripe for a change; a study by the Hong Kong University Centre for Comparative and Public Law found just last month that, for the first time, more than half of the city's population supports gay marriage.

Yes, that support is still only at 50.4 per cent, but few people will have forgotten the backlash against tycoon Cecil Chao's cringeworthy offer of a HK$1 billion "marriage bounty" for any man who would woo his openly lesbian daughter, Gigi Chao. The likes of Gigi, Denise Ho and Anthony Wong show what Hong Kong has that mainland China is still lacking: celebrities openly campaigning for gay rights as well as the social and political acceptance of the LGBTI community. [Source]

In May of 2017, Taiwan's top court ruled that language in the nation's Civil Code stipulating that marriage is between a man and a woman violated the constitution, setting the nation up to be the first in Asia to legalize same-sex unions. Mainland propaganda authorities responded by ordering media not to hype the story which "raises sensitive political and social issues," and to "make sure not to present Taiwan as a different political entity than the Chinese mainland."

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Teacher's Lawsuit Renews Push for LGBT Rights

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A kindergarten teacher in Qingdao is taking a local school to court for firing him over his sexual orientation. This is the first case of its kind and is expected to have a substantial impact on legal protection for LGBT groups in China. Christian Shepard at Reuters reports: The teacher was dismissed in August from...

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In light of the findings, NUS has called on Women and Equalities Minister Jo Swinson to convene a summit on 'lad culture'.

The demand for a summit is supported by leading women's organisations such as The Everyday Sexism Project, and Equality Challenge Unit (ECU) who will represent Universities UK. British Universities and Colleges Sports (BUCS) has also committed to participation in the summit.

The newly published report, That's what she said: Women students' experiences of lad culture in higher education' brings together independently commissioned research from the University of Sussex examining 'lad culture' on campus.

Research findings

'Lad culture' was defined by our participants as a group or 'pack' mentality residing in activities such as sport and heavy alcohol consumption, and 'banter' which was often sexist, misogynist and homophobic.

Respondents described university education as 'gendered' and cited issues such as the characterisation/status of particular subjects, classroom interactions, and negative attitudes towards feminism and gender-related topics.

'Lad culture' was thought to be particularly influential in the social side of university life. Extracurricular activities and sports in particular were singled out as key sites, and it was reported that sexism in such environments could spill over into sexual harassment and humiliation.

Nights out were described as key spaces in which 'lad culture' was in evidence. Participants highlighted that nightclub promoters (external to the students' union) engaged in 'lad culture' as part of their business model.

For many participants, 'lad culture' had been significant in relation to their personal life. Many reported misogynist jokes and 'banter' circulating in their friendship groups which made them feel uncomfortable, and pressures to engage in profuse sexual relationships which made it difficult to establish and maintain commitments. Stories of sexual harassment and molestation were common, and there were also accounts of sexual violence.

Sexual harassment and violence were also very much related to 'lad culture'. This included verbal harassment and 'catcalling', as well as physical harassment and sexual molestation. Groping in nightclubs was viewed by some as part of a 'normal' night out.

In 2010 NUS published the ' Hidden Marks ' report which produced the staggering statistic that 68 per cent of respondents had been the victim of one or more kinds of sexual harassment on campus during their time as a student.

' That's What She Said ' builds on this revelation with an exploration of the depth of feeling surrounding the phenomenon of 'lad culture' and how this can facilitate negative student experiences. As such, the research contains analysis of data from interviews and focus groups with 40 women students from England and Scotland, exploring how 'lad culture' affects every area of student life to a greater or lesser degree.

In a letter to Women's Minister Jo Swinson, NUS' Women's Officer Kelley Temple wrote:

"The study found a worrying prevalence of 'lad culture' and the report will make uncomfortable reading for many of us - NUS and students' unions included - when it comes to our own responsibilities. 'Lad culture' is a problem that needs to be urgently addressed. "
Laura Bates from The Everyday Sexism Project said:
"The new research from the NUS confirms and reiterates themes that have arisen again and again across hundreds of young people's entries to the Everyday Sexism Project. Young women report being bullied, harassed and belittled, with sexual jokes and threats punctuating their experience of higher education."
Diane Abbott MP said:
'It is important that the government and universities listen to what students are saying, and challenge any normalisation of sexism on university campuses. This isn't about being killjoys, but about building a society where people can learn and thrive free from shame, harassment and abuse.
Polly Williams, Senior Policy Adviser, Equality Challenge Unit said:
"A dominant 'lad culture' may also damage the student experience of many male students, who either feel that they have to conform, or become disengaged from campus life to avoid it."
Nicola Dandridge, Chief Executive of Universities UK, said:
"It is important to remember that this is an issue for society generally, not just one confined to university students."
Download the full 'That's What She Said' report here. Download the summary report here.
Please note: This report carries a trigger warning for discussions of sexual assault and rape.

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In light of the findings, NUS has called on Women and Equalities Minister Jo Swinson to convene a summit on 'lad culture'. The demand for a summit is supported by leading women's organisations such as The Everyday Sexism Project, and Equality Challenge Unit (ECU) who will represent Universities UK.

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Getting a Job with Autism: Jimmy's Story

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Getting a Job with Autism: Jimmy's Story

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Getting a job with Autism: Jimmy's Story

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I was diagnosed with autism in my 40s. It’s not just a male condition

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I was diagnosed with autism in my 40s. It’s not just a male condition

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I was diagnosed with autism in my 40s. It's not just a male condition | Nicola Clark

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Women with autism are adept at hiding traits that society frowns upon, and far too many are being misdiagnosed, or waiting years to find out

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'Bright children from the poorest homes are seven times less likely to go to top universities than their wealthier peers'

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Rich students widen 'gulf' in access to top universities

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Teenagers from most advantaged homes are seven times likelier than poorer peers to attend top universities, says review

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Student finance fails those families in the middle

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'It's a hidden nasty': Parents in dark over need to top up student loans

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Experts attack government for failing to tell families they must pay up to £5,000 in living costs

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Strive to prevent, is support at University too late?

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Health education is to be made compulsory in all schools in England under new government plans following growing concerns about mental health problems among young people.

Children will be taught how to build mental resilience - as well as how to recognise when their peers are struggling with mental health issues - as part of statutory lessons, the government says.

Under government proposals, health education will be a mandatory part of the curriculum for all primary and secondary schools from autumn 2020 - the same time that the RSE reforms will be rolled out.

But some have criticised the delayed roll-out of the SRE reforms - which were planned for September 2019 - and they say that the government's proposals do not go far enough.

As part of the proposals - which come as concerns about childhood obesity and children's mental health remain in the spotlight - pupils will be taught the benefits of healthy eating and keeping fit.

Just this week, Ofsted boss Amanda Spielman warned that schools cannot provide a "silver bullet" to tackle childhood obesity and should not be expected to solve society's wider problems.

As well as a focus on health, the reformed guidance to schools - which has not been updated since 2000 - will include topics like consent, keeping children safe online and LGBT+ issues.

But not all topics currently covered in PSHE lessons in school - such as financial literacy and preparation for the workplace - are being made compulsory by the government.

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders' union NAHT, said: "The government's announcement today covers important elements - like online safety and LGBT issues as well as sex and relationships and mental and physical health - but does not go as far as PSHE.

He added: "We are also disappointed to note that the government is rolling back on their commitment to statutory relationships and sex education by September 2019, with the deadline pushed back a year."

Almudena Lara, head of policy and public affairs at the NSPCC, said: "While compulsory lessons are a long awaited step to help children understand and develop healthy relationships in an online world, we are disappointed that implementation is being delayed again to 2020.

"By then up to 1.4 million children will have started primary school without a requirement for clear age appropriate lessons on consent, appropriate boundaries, healthy relationships and how to treat others."

Education Secretary Damian Hinds said: "I want to make sure that our children are able to grow up to become happy and well-rounded individuals who know how to deal with the challenges of the modern world.

"Part of this is making sure they are informed about how to keep themselves safe and healthy and have good relationships with others.

"Many of today's problems did not exist when we last gave schools guidance on how to teach Relationships and Sex Education 18 years ago. The action we're taking is important to help support teachers and schools design a curriculum that will enrich their pupils in an age appropriate way."

Last year, more than 100,000 people signed a petition calling for mental health education to be made compulsory in primary and secondary schools.

He added: "Good physical and mental health is also at the heart of ensuring young people are ready for the adult world. By making health education compulsory we are giving young people the tools they need to be ready to thrive when they leave school."

The proposals are now open to another consultation on how the subjects should be taught - with teaching materials available from 2019 and the reforms becoming statutory in September 2020.

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Mental health education to be made compulsory in England schools

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Health education is to be made compulsory in all schools in England under new government plans following growing concerns about mental health problems among young people. Children will be taught how to build mental resilience - as well as how to recognise when their peers are struggling with mental health issues - as part of statutory lessons, the government says.

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Working class students 'there's a constant feeling you don't belong'

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Working class students 'there's a constant feeling you don't belong'

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Working-class students: 'there's a constant feeling you don't belong'

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Universities need to do more to make working-class students feel welcome at elite universities, writes a student blogger

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I'm an adult who has been diagnosed Autistic since childhood. I'm pregnant and almost at the end of my first trimester. When one's pregnant and makes it known you do have to expect some degree of...

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Now I'm an Oxford student, am I still working class?

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I'm definitely working class at my college, but back at home I'm now considered posh. I'm not sure where I belong anymore

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The number of first-year students arriving at university who report a mental health condition is now five times what it was 10 years ago. There's also been a trebling in the number of students dropping out of university with mental health problems.

Half of all UK school leavers go on to study at university. So given the high number of young people in higher education, the mental health of students should be a high priority for universities and the government. But although universities have seen a sharp increase in the number of students trying to access support services, the psychological health and wel-being of these young adults is not always being met.

This is in part down to the fact that students sometimes need more specialist treatment, but also that referring students to health services is not always straightforward. In the UK, for example, NHS services are not set up to manage the needs of the student population. And students routinely fall through the gaps - lost to the system. Delays in treatment can leave students with mental illnesses without appropriate support. This impacts on their learning and can lead to further psychological deterioration.
The difficulties
Life at university can be demanding and stressful. As well as academic studies, students are often navigating other changes. For example, for many first-year students, attending university means moving away from home, becoming more independent, managing their own finances and having a part-time job.

Studying combined with life changes can lead students to feel overwhelmed and stressed - and many students report high levels of anxiety and distress. Often when students feel stressed, they reduce their sleep time, eat poorly and stop exercising. But these are the very things that can help to regulate emotions and manage stress.

Other unhealthy coping strategies can include negative self-talk, procrastination, emotional eating, drinking alcohol and becoming socially withdrawn. Students might also have thoughts of suicide.
University wide priority
Improving health and well-being on campus means ensuring that students have access to support when necessary and know where to turn in times of crisis. This could be through university counselling and other student support services. Students who use these services report high levels of satisfaction and many say they were critical to them staying at university. But there's also other practical things universities can do to help students.

Health promotion involves more than telling students what they should be doing - they also need to be helped to do it. As providers of adult education, universities are well placed to design and action healthy and supportive learning environments.

Universities need to reinforce healthy behaviours in words and in practice. So while universities might offer advice on sleep, nutrition, physical activity, stress management and coping strategies, they can also help students to act on this advice.

This might include things like not having libraries open all night to reinforce the need for students to get sufficient sleep. Or having healthy foods in vending machines to encourage healthy eating - as well as providing plenty of opportunities on campus for low cost physical activity and exercise.
Whose responsibility?
Given the current mental health crisis among students, the UK government is now considering grading universities on their ability to deliver improved student mental health and wellbeing outcomes.

The government has proposed rewarding institutions that demonstrate good practice - by making student and staff mental health a university-wide priority. The initiative proposed by Student Minds, the UK's student mental health charity, will be created in partnership with the charity UPP Foundation, the Office for Students, the National Union of Students and Universities UK.

Nicola Dandridge, who has been appointed by the UK government to lead the higher education sector's first watchdog - the Office for Students - recently said student mental health must be tackled as a top priority. But she also stressed that this is not just the responsibility of universities.

To support the mental health of students, universities need to continue in their role as promoters of health and well-being. And in the UK, the NHS requires increased resources to deliver specialist mental health treatment that can meet the needs of students.

Universities and students also need to be consulted and included in collaborative efforts to design mental health treatment services. This is important, because it is only with increased collaboration and government investment that the needs of the student population can be met.
Bridgette Bewick is an associate professor in health research at the University of Leeds, and Helen Stallman is a hospital Research Foundation Fellow, University of South Australia. This article first appeared on The Conversation (theconversation.com)The Conversation

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How universities can combat the student mental health crisis

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The number of first-year students arriving at university who report a mental health condition is now five times what it was 10 years ago. There's also been a trebling in the number of students dropping out of university with mental health problems.

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IN JAPAN it is hard to avoid the disturbing spectacle of young girls being treated as sex objects. R orikon, an abbreviation of "Lolita complex", is ubiquitous. In M's Pop Life, a sex shop in Tokyo's Akihabara district, known for its pop subculture, life-size models of girls, their breasts at various stages of puberty, are openly on sale. Elsewhere big-bosomed cartoon girls are splashed across posters; children (or grown-ups made to look like children) pose in magazines in bikinis.

Rorikon is a peculiarly Japanese phenomenon. But across the world there are growing concerns about children being portrayed sexually, and the effects on the children themselves. This comes in two forms. The first, "direct" sexualisation, includes advertising, television programmes and magazine content that portray children, especially girls, as sexually aware or active. It also includes goods aimed at children who are seen as trying to make themselves "sexier"-such as padded bras or hot-pants, make-up or pole-dancing toys. The second is "indirect"-the worry that, thanks to the internet, children witness ever more depictions of sexual activity. They are likely to see far more pornography than earlier generations, and at a younger age. In Britain, for instance, around half of 11- to 16-year-olds have seen pornography online, mostly by accident, according to a 2016 study by the NSPCC, a British children's charity.

Japan has belatedly been reining in some excesses. In 2014 it banned the possession of child pornography-although it is still a hub for making and selling the illegal stuff. Last year the Tokyo metropolitan government banned under-18s from working in the JK ( joshi kosei, schoolgirl) industry, where men pay, for example, to go for a walk with a schoolgirl or to lie down next to one (or, under the new rules, a woman pretending to be one). This year, after a few customer complaints, Aeon, a big retail chain, said it would stop stocking pornographic magazines in some of its shops. But they remain widely on sale in convenience stores. Keiji Goto, a police officer turned children's-rights lawyer, says "Japan remains behind other countries."

Don't grow up

Indeed, across the rich world, countries are grappling with how to deal with the over-sexualisation of children. The assumption-often unspoken-is that exposure to sexualised images is linked to a growing number of sexual incidents involving children. Amanda Hulme, the head of a primary school in north-western England, says it is seeing more peer-on-peer abuse. Across Britain, the police received almost 30,000 reports of sexual assaults by children on other children over the past four years, including 2,625 allegedly on school grounds. And "sexting"-sending explicit images-is widespread. It can ruin young lives. A boy who opens a forwarded sext might find himself on a sex-offenders' register. A girl whose intimate photo ends up widely shared online may be driven to despair or even suicide.

But it is not known whether all this is really linked to the sexual content children are exposed to. Their youth precludes most research. And Deevia Bhana, a South African academic, says that some of the concern stems from moral attitudes about the way children-almost always girls-should act, rather than from actual evidence of harm. In fact, in some ways risky behaviour is decreasing. Surveys show that in much of the rich world young people are waiting longer to lose their virginity. Teenage pregnancies are falling.

Precocious sexualisation, however, is recognised as causing some forms of harm. One is to mental health. Sharon Lamb, a child psychologist and professor at the University of Massachusetts, Boston, says she sees children, mainly girls, losing self-esteem when they feel that the only way they are valued is if they act sexually. This feeds into problems such as eating disorders, and can affect future relationships. Boys suffer, too. Ms Lamb says stereotypes portraying them as always wanting sex put them under pressure to act in a certain way.

A second possible type of harm is that a sexualised, pornographic culture may give children damaging ideas about sex. Ms Hulme reckons that the increase in children inappropriately touching each other is linked to pornography. No one has ever proved how pornography relates to action, but children (more boys than girls) have told pollsters from the NSPCC that it gave them ideas about what to try. This highlights the need for good sex education, if only to inform children about real life.

A third sort would be if such material encouraged paedophilia. Risa Yasojima of M's Pop Life says, without citing evidence, that she reckons its products can help paedophiles refrain from touching actual children. But others fear that ubiquitous images of sexualised children and child pornography foster the paedophile delusion that sees ordinary, spontaneous and tactile children as flirtatious.

Not in front of the children

Efforts to tackle these dangers need to accept that in the internet age it may be possible to limit children's exposure to sexual images, but not to eliminate it. Better to prepare them to be able to cope, and to recognise that the images themselves are a symptom of a broader problem: how society turns women into sexual objects.

In the past decade countries have started to act on worries about the over-sexualisation of children. The turning-point in Britain was a 2010 report on the issue that the government commissioned from Reg Bailey, then at Mothers' Union, a British Christian charity, and now a council member at the Advertising Standards Authority, the industry's self-regulatory body.

Published in 2011, his report made 14 recommendations, such as keeping explicit magazines out of children's sight. It also advocated raising parents' awareness of sales techniques, and developing codes of practice among retailers covering goods marketed to children. Since 2011 guidelines about what can be shown on street billboards and magazine displays have been tightened. Internet-service providers offer parental filters to limit what their children may see. A new law, coming into force this year, obliges pornography sites to require evidence that users are over 18.

Other countries are following suit. In 2014, France outlawed beauty contests for under-13s. La Paz, the capital of Bolivia, has moved to do the same. Some Cubans are fretting about a craze among girls as young as five for quinceañeras, coming-of-age parties intended for 15-year-old girls, in which the girls often pose for photos, dolled up and looking sultry. Pressure groups and individual complaints also have an impact. In 2006 Tesco, a British supermarket chain, removed a children's pole-dancing kit from the toys section of its website. In 2010 Primark, an Irish clothing company, withdrew children's bikinis with padded tops.

If driven by online vigilantism alone, however, measures to prevent premature sexualisation may infringe freedom of expression-or simply go too far. In May, after a storm of online condemnation, Sweaty Betty, a boutique British fitness-wear brand, withdrew from its website an image of three girls around 15 or 16 clad in tropical-patterned leggings and crop-tops, which, in hindsight, looks fairly inoffensive.

Criticism is almost always directed at girls, not at boys or the culture around them. Girls are told not to wear short skirts to school so as not to distract boys, or even teachers-yet not enough is done to teach boys about consent. "I am a bit sick of the simplistic 'sexy-so-soon' discourse out there," says Ms Lamb, the child psychologist. "A girl playing at being Beyoncé isn't harmful. But a society that only values her for being Beyoncé is a problem."

Research from places such as South Africa and Sweden suggests children can be better at dealing with sexualised advertising than adults realise. Ms Bhana, the South African academic, says her research suggests children are "highly sophisticated consumers". But children need help to navigate the culture they grow up in. Mr Bailey says too little is done to develop children's resilience to the stuff they inevitably stumble across, especially pornography.

If parents and teachers were matter-of-fact and honest about sex, young people would find it easier to talk about their worries and less likely to let what they see bother them. Research by the NSPCC suggests parents tend not to be too concerned by some things their children do-wearing "sexy" clothes or make-up, for example-seeing children as wanting to grow up quicker than they do. But they do worry about them seeing hard-core pornography.

Britain's Department for Education is in the process of updating its sex-and-relationships guidance for the first time since 2000. Martha Kirby of the NSPCC says this is long overdue. The government is to hold consultations on new approaches, such as teaching primary-school children about the idea of consent, and those in secondary school about the laws on sexual abuse and the dangers of online grooming by paedophiles.

In many places even basic sex education is lacking. Ms Bhana sees a danger in the extreme positions of some lobbies, especially religious ones, and countries such as Saudi Arabia that resist teaching children about sex at all, in the hope of keeping them "pure". Religious groups in America, such as the Abstinence Clearinghouse, also argue that sex education encourages children to have sex. In Myanmar similar concerns mean schools barely cover the birds and the bees.

Better to accept that children will naturally want to explore their desires and feelings, and equip them to do so safely with factual information, awareness of online dangers, access to contraception-and the power to know what they want and to say no to what they don't want.

Don't worry, be happy

Countries such as the Netherlands and Denmark are closer to this healthier approach. They expect children to be well informed about their bodies, and see the purpose of sex education as not just to warn of the risks, but to help prepare for a happy sex life. This may be one reason why, according to Anna Sparrman, a professor of child studies at Linkoping University in Sweden, Scandinavian countries have not really seen premature-sexualisation panics. It is not because of an anything-goes attitude; Sweden, for example, bans all broadcast advertising aimed at children under 12.

Just as important, countries need to face up to the cultural backdrop behind over-sexualisation, says Michelle Jongenelis, a researcher at Australia's Curtin University. That images of girls looking sexy are so much more prevalent than those of boys reflects sexism and the sexual objectification of women; so does the way much pornography shows women being treated in a degrading manner. Children assimilate these norms through the images of their peers and the products pushed at them-including, at the extreme, pornography.

Happily, this broader cultural context does seem to be under scrutiny in some parts of the world, though the process is at a very early stage. Basic ideas about gender-such as shops labelling baby clothes as "boys'" and "girls'"-are being challenged, and more nuanced understanding of the meaning of "consent" are gaining ground. The #MeToo debate, which has pushed sexual assault to the fore, leads Ms Jongenelis to conclude that there is a shift in norms about what is acceptable. If so, then children should be among the greatest beneficiaries.

This article appeared in the International section of the print edition under the headline "Innocents and experience"

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Concern about "sexualised" children often misses the point

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IN JAPAN it is hard to avoid the disturbing spectacle of young girls being treated as sex objects. R orikon, an abbreviation of "Lolita complex", is ubiquitous. In M's Pop Life, a sex shop in Tokyo's Akihabara district, known for its pop subculture, life-size models of girls, their breasts at various stages of puberty, are openly on sale.

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A lingerie and costume retailer has apologised for selling a sexualised " Handmaid's Tale " outfit for Halloween.

American lingerie brand Yandy came under fire for its 'Brave Red Maiden' costume, which was on sale for $65 (£49) until the brand removed it following the backlash.

It made reference to the outfits female characters are made to wear in the hugely popular dystopian TV drama The Handmaid's Tale, based on Margaret Atwood's book, in which women are forced into surrogacy as sex slaves.

"An upsetting dystopian future has emerged where women no longer have a say," the description of the item read. "However, we say be bold and speak your mind in this exclusive Brave Red Maiden costume."

But after people discovered the outfit, many expressed their shock and outrage on Twitter, referencing the fact that the outfits from the TV show have become politically charged, with women across the globe wearing them to protest against the oppression of women.

"Does nobody think sexy versions of a ritual rape outfit might not, possibly, be just a wee bit totally f***ing wrong on every level," one person wrote.

Yandy has now released a statement apologising for the costume and removed it from its site.

"Yandy always has stood, and will continue to stand, at the forefront of encouraging our customers to 'own your sexy'," the brand said.

"We support our customers being comfortable in their skin, regardless of who they are or what they choose to wear. Our corporate ideology is rooted in female empowerment and gender empowerment overall.

"Over the last few hours, it has become obvious that our 'Yandy Brave Red Maiden Costume' is being seen as a symbol of women's oppression, rather than an expression of women's empowerment.

"This is unfortunate, as it was not our intention on any level. Our initial inspiration to create the piece was through witnessing its use in recent months as a powerful protest image.

"Given the sincere, heartfelt response, supported by numerous personal stories we've received, we are removing the costume from our site."

The statement received mixed reactions though.

And some people were mostly outraged by the price: "65 bucks for a piece of tacky red fabric," wrote one person. "Jeez."

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A lingerie brand has apologised for selling a sexualised 'Handmaid's Tale' costume for Halloween

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A lingerie and costume retailer has apologised for selling a sexualised "Handmaid's Tale" outfit for Halloween. American lingerie brand Yandy came under fire for its 'Brave Red Maiden' costume, which was on sale for $65 (£49) until the brand removed it following the backlash.

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Sue Heath

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Researching Young People's Lives by Prof  Sue Heath - Methods Fair 2014

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Gender identity disorder and autism: interview with Dr Sally Powis (prevalence of gender identity disorder)

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In this video Dr Sally Powis discusses whether gender identity disorder may be more prevalent in the autistic population than that of neurotypical. The interview clip was filmed for Network Autism (www.networkautism.org.uk) at the National Autistic Society ‘Professional Conference’ in 2016. You can view the full interview here: http://network.autism.org.uk/knowledge/insight-opinion/gender-identity-disorder-and-autism-interview-dr-sally-powis

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Sexual harassment is widespread and affects the lives of women and girls, in particular, every day. In the face of calls to tackle sexual harassment and violence, the UK government committed to carry out a review to see if misogyny should be treated as a hate crime. This review is a welcome and important step, but studies we conducted at UK universities indicate that the law alone won't be enough to tackle sexual harassment.

As researchers looking into higher education, we know that sexual harassment and violence are widespread in universities - they're a core part of what's known as "lad culture". The National Union of Students (NUS) has conducted several studies about students' experiences, and found that two-thirds of women students have experienced verbal or non-verbal harassment; one in seven women students has experienced serious physical or sexual assault; and 37% of women and 12% of men students have experienced unwanted sexual advances.

This trend is not specific to the UK: a recent survey of all 39 universities in Australia, for example, revealed that 51% of university students were sexually harassed on at least one occasion in 2016, with higher rates among some groups including women students, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and gender diverse students and disabled students.

A pervasive problem

Our research, published in 2018, suggests that despite evidence of pervasive sexism, harassment and sexual violence in universities, the extent of these behaviours is not usually recognised by staff. We interviewed 72 staff across six universities in England, including senior managers such as pro-vice chancellors, student union officers, lecturers, welfare tutors and security staff.

Our analyses showed that most staff underestimate the pervasiveness of lad culture. This is illustrated by Alex, a student union officer, who said:

We don't notice it, so I think it's quite accepted. Because when I was first thinking about lad culture at this university I thought 'oh well there isn't really' and then I realised actually there is and there's quite a lot of it.

Staff who had become conscious of the widespread nature of lad culture, often student union staff, conveyed the ways in which sexism, harassment and sexual violence are so common in university contexts that they are normalised and unremarkable - part of "the wallpaper of sexism".

And because it is so normal, students rarely report it - as Abby, a student union officer, told us:

I've definitely been touched when I've said 'don't touch me', I've definitely had my skirt pulled up, I've definitely had people like kiss me when I've said 'get away from me', and they'll just take your face and they'll just kiss you. There's not a lot you can do about it but I'd never ever think to report it ... it's like what would you say to report, 'cos I could give you 20 reports from one night out.

Ways of tackling sexual harassment that rely on reporting - like the hate crime legislation - are unlikely to be effective if sexual harassment is so frequent that reporting it seems unimaginable.

Shutterstock

In our study, only some of the more extreme instances were noticed by staff. This meant they only saw the tip of the iceberg, and so underestimated its prevalence. Ella, a lecturer and programme leader, said:

By the time the issues come to me, then I'd say [laddism] is fairly infrequent but I can imagine that if I investigate it I'd probably find that it's a lot more frequent than it appears ... Normally by the time it comes to my door it can be pretty serious.

The law is not enough

When institutions underestimate the pervasiveness of sexual harassment and violence, it has an impact on how it's understood, explained and addressed. If only extreme cases are recognised, it can mean that it's seen as a personal problem - the perpetrators are cast as "a few bad apples", while institutional cultures are left unexamined, and unchallenged.

It also means that institutions respond using disciplinary processes that focus on individual punishment, and rely on individuals to report their experiences - much like the proposed hate crime legislation. Such mechanisms are important, but they're not enough. For example, we know that there are many cultural barriers, such as shame and fear of not being believed, that prevent survivors from reporting.

Until we move beyond seeing sexual harassment and violence as being committed by a "few bad apples" we will fail to understand the causes, and address them properly. These acts are not typically committed by "sex pests" or "monsters". These behaviours reflect a wider culture in which sexual harassment and violence become normal, and are trivialised to such a point that they become unremarkable.

We need to challenge this culture and address the structural and systemic gender inequality that underpins it, rather than respond only to individual incidents as they occur, as the proposed hate crime law would do.
Names have been changed to protect the anonymity of respondents.

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Lad culture and sexual harassment in universities: it's about more than a 'few bad apples'

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Sexual harassment is widespread and affects the lives of women and girls, in particular, every day. In the face of calls to tackle sexual harassment and violence, the UK government committed to carry out a review to see if misogyny should be treated as a hate crime.

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Young people in the UK are having less sex than they used to and the rate of teenage pregnancy has dropped sharply since 2007. This has led some to dub them "generation sensible".

A survey carried out by the British Pregnancy Advisory Service also stated that teenagers appear to be more focused on their family, education and careers.

While many are applauding the risk-averse behaviour of young people, how would this attitude affect teenagers who get pregnant?

We spoke to two teen mums about their experiences, and their opinions on "generation sensible".

Jade-Marie, from Portsmouth, was 16 when she gave birth to her daughter Dawn-Louise.

She says that "it hurts to read that younger people are now apparently 'sensible'; it implies that I was stupid and was messing around."

"There is definitely still a stigma attached to being a teen mum, but it is wrong to say that we are all reckless and careless," Jade-Marie told the BBC.

She says that people have shouted at her in the street because she is a young mum: "It is horrible that my daughter has to see that."

Jade-Marie says that she has been "patronised" and "put down" as a mother.

"When I had my daughter I felt like I really needed to prove myself as a parent. It is frustrating that my credibility as a parent is taken away just because of my age.

"All new mums don't know what they are doing, but because I was 16 people judged me more."

Jessica is 18 and lives in Suffolk with her two-year-old son.

Jessica says that having a child at 16 has made her more responsible than most people her age.

"I have real responsibilities as a mother. I tend to get on with older people because I have had to become more mature."

Jessica says that the concept of "generation sensible" is an example of "obvious public shaming of young mums".

"It gets on my nerves that it is made out that I have wasted my life and my son is a mistake."

Jessica explained that having a child changed her life for the better.

"I was 14 weeks pregnant when I started my GCSEs. Knowing I was going to have a baby made me really buckle down and study.

"I was also in an abusive relationship when I fell pregnant and it was through contact with social services for the pregnancy that I was able to leave that relationship."

Jessica is returning to college in September to study health and social care.

"Despite the scaremongering about teenage pregnancy, I am happy, I have my whole future to spend with my child."
By George Pierpoint, UGC and Social News

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Teen mums respond to 'generation sensible'

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Young people in the UK are having less sex than they used to and the rate of teenage pregnancy has dropped sharply since 2007. This has led some to dub them "generation sensible". A survey carried out by the British Pregnancy Advisory Service also stated that teenagers appear to be more focused on their family, education and careers.

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There should be no room for negotiation over prioritising student mental health, an education minister has told university leaders.

Sam Gyimah, who has written to university heads as Freshers' Week gets underway, has called for greater leadership from the top to ensure student wellbeing is the number one priority.

In the letter, the universities minister has urged vice chancellors to not only commit to "student's education" - but to also focus on the "immediate" challenge of student mental health in the sector.

His comments come amid growing concern about how universities address a rising number of students with mental health problems who need support.

Ten students from the University of Bristol and two from University of West England (UWE), also in Bristol, have died in the past two years. A number have been confirmed as suicides.

In the letter, which has been sent as tens of thousands of students begin university, Mr Gyimah said: "With the new academic year upon us, I'm sure you would agree that good mental health and wellbeing underpins successful participation and attainment.

"Collectively, we must prioritise the wellbeing and mental health of our students - there is no negotiation on this. To make this happen, leadership from the top is essential."

In June this year, the government announced a University Mental Health Charter in Bristol which hopes to drive up standards in promoting student mental health by recognising good practice.

The Charter is expected to go live in 2019/2020 - but Mr Gyimah said "we should be acting now" as he said a system-wide approach to addressing student wellbeing was "critical".

"I expect high standards to be set within the Charter that will require each university's senior leadership team to deliver positive change," the minister said.

He added: "I very much look forward to hearing more on the progress you're making with your pastoral care offer as I continue to meet with institutional leaders in coming months."

In May, hundreds of students took part in a march in Bristol to demand changes to mental health services at Bristol University after there were three student deaths in just three weeks.

Speaking to The Independent, Professor Hugh Brady, vice chancellor of the University of Bristol, said: "Any suicide is a real tragedy and affects friends, family and staff. But to have a number in quick succession really tears at the heart of the institution.

"So students rightly want to see that we are making new investments, or changing our procedures. They want to see that we are making mental health a top priority for the institution and that we are not afraid to make new investments when required. That is exactly what we are doing."

From this September, a team of 24/7 professionals providing pastoral care will be introduced in the halls of residence at Bristol University, alongside a team of wellbeing advisers in academic schools.

Professor Brady added: "Certainly for me, [student wellbeing] is a top priority for our institution. I think there is a real appetite among UK universities to take the lead in this area."

At least 95 university students took their own lives in the last academic year - and this month, Universities UK (UUK) with charity Papyrus launched new guidance on preventing student suicides - which calls on leaders of higher education institutions to prioritise student wellbeing.

Professor Steve West, chair of UUK's mental health advisory group and vice chancellor of UWE, said: "With 50 per cent of school leavers now entering higher education, our mentally healthy universities will play a leading role in supporting a generation of young adults to thrive and succeed.

"We welcome the minister's focus on this issue and his support for the sector to achieve this transformation."

He added: "Universities see the mental health of students and staff as a priority.

"Universities take seriously their duty of care to these young adults if they get into difficulties. We are proud of the work done by student support and welfare services around the country."

Speaking to The Independent before Freshers' Week, Professor West suggested that students should declare eating disorders and any history of self-harm under a new section on Ucas application forms to encourage more students to tell institutions about their mental health before they arrive.
For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116 123.

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Prioritising student mental health is 'non-negotiable', minister tells university bosses

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There should be no room for negotiation over prioritising student mental health, an education minister has told university leaders. Sam Gyimah, who has written to university heads as Freshers' Week gets underway, has called for greater leadership from the top to ensure student wellbeing is the number one priority.

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School boys are using memes and social media to make rape jokes in a bid to score "lad points", headteachers have been warned.

More than a third (36 per cent) of 11-18 year-old boys have shared racist or homophobic pictures, more than double the amount shared by their female peers, according to a poll of 20,000 children.

The survey, commissioned by the organisation Digital Awareness UK (DAUK) and Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC), found that four in ten boys see offensive memes daily.

Emma Robertson, co-founder of DAUK, said that the memes - which could be images, videos or text that are spread online - range from fat-shaming to jokes about the Holocaust, rape, slavery or comparing black people to animals.

Speaking at the HMC annual conference in Manchester, Ms Robertson told headteachers of the country's leading schools that teenagers must be careful about sharing these memes online as well as reacting to them.

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School boys are making rape jokes in bid to score 'lad points', headteachers are warned

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School boys are using memes and social media to make rape jokes in a bid to score "lad points", headteachers have been warned. More than a third (36 per cent) of 11-18 year-old boys have shared racist or homophobic pictures, more than double the amount shared by their female peers, according to a poll of 20,000 children.

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Sex and Relationship Education (SRE) has always been a delicate issue. Across the country it remains poorly managed, non-representative of social realities and seconded to other subjects. Most importantly, it largely ignores the LGBT community.

Under Theresa May, the Department for Education has ordered a much-needed review into SRE in schools. While that offers a step in the right direction, is this Government really going to end Britain's archaic approach to sex ed? Probably not.

Sex and Relationship Education has not been touched, for want of a better phrase, for nearly 20 years. Since the turn of the millennium social shifts have been enormous, times have changed and perspectives (largely) liberalised. It is time SRE reflected that.

The May Government has not backed away from the sex-ed issue like many of its predecessors. From 2020 it will be mandatory for SRE to be taught in schools. Before that however, the Government has ordered an expansive review of the way it is conducted, consulting young people, parents and teachers in the process.

Instrumental in that review are groups like Stonewall, an LGBT rights charity that was cited as an influence in the draft of the Government's plan. Stonewall have created a plethora of classroom tasks and scenarios based on same-sex and inclusive relationships.

Branded their 'Different Families, Same Love' work, Stonewall aimed to show the Government just how easy it can be to engage students in more equal SRE studies.

So has it all been effective?

That would depend on what you wanted from the May Government in the first place. A state-led overhaul where schools are forced to teach homogenous word-for-word lesson plans is never going to come from Theresa May. From the very start, her Government has devolved education and that is not going to change.

Even within that respect however, for LGBT students the proposals make for sad reading. While it does address things like sexting and online access to pornography, for same-sex issues the draft falls short.

Point 33 of the 38-page document says merely that 'schools are free to determine how they address LGBT-specific content, but the Department recommends that it is integral throughout the programmes of study'. So, to be frank the Government advocates same-sex teaching in SRE, but won't force it on schools.

The second and only other comment that teeters around this question is point 71, which says that 'there should be equal opportunities to explore the features of stable and healthy same-sex relationships'. Again, it offers fluffy liberal sentiment, but with no real gumption to enforce it.

For LGBT students and charities like Stonewall this is disappointing. Even though this is only a draft of the plan, two mentions of the LGBT community across 38 detailed pages hardly fills anyone with hope.

It would be naive to suggest that these issues wouldn't be a difficult thing for certain schools to teach. Faith schools in particular may face significant backlash from parents or homophobic lobbyist groups. The point is clear however that these schools will never change their stance or try to become more inclusive in these areas unless they are forced to.

OFSTED does not currently, and has no plans to, have the power to regulate individual subjects. Without some sort of enforcement and moderation service like this, such schools would never take the decision to consider or include LGBT elements to SRE.

Education of sex and relationships in schools has some catching up to do. In today's Britain, where the Government recognises Pride as an important national and international event, votes for same-sex marriage and speaks regularly in favour of LGBT rights, the education sector is seriously lagging.

While I don't pretend that views can change overnight, this review into SRE was an opportunity for the Government to act on their message; to practice what they preach and try, through education, to slowly change the perspectives of many.

It is good that this Government are not scared to tackle sex-ed like previous administrations. The changes they have offered however fall short of the enormous influence they could have had.
Find out more about Stonewall's work in the classroom here:
https://www.stonewall.org.uk/get-involved/education/different-families-same-love
Full draft of the Government's proposals here:
https://consult.education.gov.uk/pshe/relationships-education-rse-health-education/supporting_documents/Final%20DRAFT.%20JULY%202018_Relationships%20Education_RSE_Health%20Educ.._%20002.pdf

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SEX EDUCATION: Will Britain overcome its prudishness and step out of the cave? | Shout Out UK

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Sex and Relationship Education (SRE) has always been a delicate issue. Across the country it remains poorly managed, non-representative of social realities and seconded to other subjects. Most importantly, it largely ignores the LGBT community. Under Theresa May, the Department for Education has ordered a much-needed review into SRE in schools.

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(Under)Diagnosis of Women and Girls with Autism

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(Under)Diagnosis of Women and Girls with Autism

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Hundreds of thousands of girls and women with autism are going undiagnosed due to it being viewed as a "male condition", according to one of the UK's leading neuroscientists.

Prof Francesca Happé, director of the Social, Genetic & Developmental Psychiatry Centre at King's College London, warned that the failure to recognise autism in girls and women was taking a stark toll on their mental health.

"We've overlooked autism in women and girls and I think there's a real gender equality issue here," she said. "I think we are missing large numbers and misdiagnosing them too."

700,000 is the NHS estimate of the number of people in the UK on the autism spectrum

8% of girls with autism are diagnosed before the age of six, compared with 25% of boys

20% of girls are diagnosed by the age of 11, compared with 50% of boys

41% of females with autism are initially diagnosed with another condition, compared with 30% of males

23% of female anorexia patients met diagnostic criteria for autism in a small study

Thank you for your feedback.

Until recently, autism without intellectual impairments, sometimes called Asperger syndrome, was thought to predominantly affect boys and men, at a ratio of 10 to every one woman.

However, there is growing evidence that the number of girls and women with the condition may have been vastly underestimated. Recent research, based on active screening rather than clinical or school records, found a ratio of 3:1. Happé and others believe this could fall further - potentially to as low as 2:1 - as diagnostic processes become better tailored to identifying autism in girls and women.

Due to early assumptions about autism mostly affecting men, studies have often recruited male-only cohorts. Male participants in brain imaging studies on autism outnumber females by eight to one, and in earlier research the bias was even more pronounced.

"This means that what we think we know about autism from research is actually just what we know about male autism," said Happé, who has a £500,000 grant to investigate gender differences in autism spectrum disorders.

More recent work suggests there may be subtle differences in how autism presents in girls and women. Narrow special interests may superficially appear more mainstream (horses or boybands, say, rather than electricity pylons) - although the nature of the interest would still be unusual in terms of persistence and narrowness.

Autistic girls and women also tend to be more adept at masking their autistic traits. "They might pick a popular girl in their class or workplace and study them and copy them," said Happé.

The idea that autism could be a result of having an " extreme male brain " due to hormone differences has dominated popular narratives about the biology driving the condition, although Happé said that the theory remained scientifically contentious. Media portrayals of autism, such as the movie Rain Man, have also been almost exclusively male. So parents, teachers and clinicians tend to be less inclined to consider autism as a likely explanation for girls and women struggling with social and communication problems than with boys and men.

The failure to diagnose autism is of concern because many of those affected experience secondary mental health issues such as anxiety, depression and self-harm. A small study last year found that 23% of women hospitalised for anorexia met the diagnostic criteria for autism. More work is needed to confirm the findings, which were based on 60 women, and to gauge whether the women's social and communication difficulties predated their eating disorder.

"If clinicians don't have autism in mind when they see an eating disorder, they stop there," Happé said. Many people find a diagnosis helpful in making sense of why they feel "different" and in finding acceptance and understanding from family and friends.

Hannah Belcher, an autism researcher at Anglia Ruskin University who was diagnosed as an adult, said she had anxiety as a child and stopped going to school at 14 because she was struggling to cope.

"It was only when I was 23 that I saw an art therapist who suggested I was possibly autistic," she said. "I am certain I would have gained more support around my anxiety as a child and would have suffered from less mental health difficulties had I had the diagnosis earlier. I also masked my autistic traits a lot, and I think knowing and understanding what these were would have enabled me to be myself more."

The NHS estimates there are about 700,000 people on the autism spectrum in the UK, based on a roughly 10:1 gender ratio. If the real ratio were shown to be 3:1, this would suggest that up to 200,000 girls and women with autism have been omitted from the national tally.

Carol Povey, director of the National Autistic Society's Centre for Autism, said there was growing recognition of the issue, with a steady increase in referrals of women and girls to specialist diagnostic centres during the past few years.

"Recent research suggests that the number of males and females on the autism spectrum is far more equal than previously thought and diagnostic statistics suggest," she said. "The problem is that professionals often don't understand the different ways autism can manifest in women and girls, with many going through their lives without a diagnosis and an understanding of why they feel different."

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Thousands of autistic girls and women 'going undiagnosed' due to gender bias

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Number of girls and women with the condition in UK may be vastly underestimated, leading neuroscientist says

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Sex Worker Stall at Brighton Fresher's Fair

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Sex Worker Stall at Brighton Fresher's Fair

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A university has insisted it is not promoting prostitution after a sex workers' support group was given a stall at its freshers' fair.

The Sex Workers' Outreach Project (Swop) was included in the event for new students at the University of Brighton last week.

Feminist campaigner Julie Bindel called the decision "beyond disgraceful".

But student union president Tomi Ibukun said it was there to provide support rather than to advocate sex work.

A university spokesman said it would be "exploring the matter further" with the union to fully understand the aims of inviting Swop to attend.

He added: "We would like to make it clear that the university does not promote sex work as an option to students."

Swop is part of the Brighton Oasis Project charity and has described itself as a "discreet and confidential" service for women in the sex industry.

It promoted its attendance in a series of tweets, in which it said: "1 in 6 students does sex work or thinks about turning to sex work. We can help."

Alison Phipps, professor of gender studies at the University of Sussex, thanked Swop for its "great work".

But critics of the idea have included feminist campaigner and writer Julie Bindel, co-founder of law reform group Justice for Women.

She said: "This is beyond disgraceful. It makes me so angry that the sex trade's become normalised and pimped to women as though it is a harmless and respectable way to earn a living."

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Speaking to The Sunday Times, Mr Ibukun said: "Swop was at our freshers' fair event to raise awareness of the specialist support they provide should it ever be needed.

"It is unfortunate that some people have misinterpreted the attendance."

Swop said it "never idealised sex work", but added it understood "why students may turn to sex work".

"Navigating the legal precariousness as well as the potential danger mean that students are extra vulnerable and we will help."

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A university has insisted it is not promoting prostitution after a sex workers' support group was given a stall at its freshers' fair. The Sex Workers' Outreach Project (Swop) was included in the event for new students at the University of Brighton last week. Feminist campaigner Julie Bindel called the decision "beyond disgraceful".