School in China tells students sexual harassment is the fault of victims
A school in China is teaching students during sex education classes that sexual harassment is the fault of victims.
Local education authorities have since admitted that teachers had used some “inappropriate expressions” during the classes, reports CNN.
School in China tells students sexual harassment is the fault of victims
The school is located in Zhaoqing city in Guangdong province in southern China.
The controversial “mental health education” classes – the equivalent of sex education classes in China – happened last year.
But details of the lessons only began circulating recently – including teaching material which stated that victims of sexual harassment “suffer because they dress flamboyantly and behave flirtatiously.”
It also said:
“Girls shouldn’t wear transparent or skimpy clothes and should avoid frivolous behavior”.
Teaching material stated that victims of sexual harassment “suffer because they dress flamboyantly and behave flirtatiously.”
Victim blaming
Social media exploded with criticism over the teaching material with many blaming conservative attitudes they said reflected deep-rooted gender inequality in a patriarchal society.
“The teacher of that class is problematic,” read one top comment on the Chinese social platform Weibo, with 19,000 likes.
Others described the attitudes as “victim-blaming” and that women are targeted no matter what they wear.
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Authorities attempt to explain
The public outrage prompted local education authorities to release a statement admitting the classes took place at the school last April.
“The lecture contained some inappropriate expressions, which caused misunderstanding among (online users),” the statement said.
It added that the county’s education bureau had “criticised and educated relevant personnel,” and had ordered the school to review its lectures and improve teacher training.
But the official statement also sparked criticism.
Many took issue with the statement’s wording of “misunderstanding,” arguing the teaching materials had not been an innocent error but a reflection of real, pervasive beliefs across the country.
“People online didn’t ‘misunderstand,'” one comment read. “The punishment is too mild.”
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