The 1,296 reports can be divided as follows:
- Psychological violence 41.9% 543 reports
- Physical violence 29.2% 379 reports
- Sexual harassment 13.6% 171 reports
- Sexual abuse 7.0% 91 reports
- Discrimination 4.9% 63 reports
- Radicalisation 0.8% 11 reports
- Outside the areas of concern 2.5% 33 reports
Reports of sexual abuse and sexual harassment
The Inspectorate is concerned that an increasing proportion of reports of sexual abuse concern persons entrusted with duties (teachers, support staff, etc.) directed at underage pupils and students. In 74 percent of reports of sexual abuse (67 of the 91 reports), the person involved was someone entrusted with duties. In 2019/2020, this applied to 68 percent of the reports (63 of the 92 reports), and in 2018/2019 this was half of the reports (65 of the 130 reports).
In the category of sexual harassment, in 53 percent of the reports (93 of the 176 reports), the accused was someone entrusted with duties, such as a teacher or a member of non-teaching staff. In the 2019/2020 school year, this was 63 percent, and in 2018/2019 it was 54 percent.
Further increase in reports of physical violence and discrimination involving pupils younger than 13
The high number of reports of physical violence and discrimination involving pupils under the age of 13 from primary education stands out (in a negative sense). This age category is involved in 68 percent of the reports. This development was also visible in the previous school year.
Additional attention in supervision
If a school board has a possible suspicion of sexual abuse by a person entrusted with duties against an underage pupil or student, it must contact the confidential inspector. If the consultation shows that there is a reasonable suspicion, the confidential inspector instructs the school board to report the matter to the police. The Inspectorate will draw extra attention to these rules in the coming period. In our supervision, we will put compliance with the duty to report, consult and report to the police on the agenda, and this point will be addressed during discussions with school boards if necessary.
Duties of the confidential inspector
Parents, pupils, teachers, school management and school boards, as well as confidential advisers, can consult the confidential inspector of the Inspectorate of Education when (serious) problems arise in or around the school in the following areas:
- sexual abuse (sex offences)
- sexual harassment
- psychological and physical violence (including bullying)
- discrimination and radicalisation
The confidential inspector listens and provides information. If necessary, the confidential inspector also offers advice, for example on the process of submitting a formal complaint or reporting a matter to the police.
More information about the confidential inspector and the duty to report, consult and report to the police can be found on the page about confidential inspectors.