Over 20,000 secondary school students report sexual misconduct, from remarks to rape

Dutch secondary schools officially logged 212 reports of sexual misconduct last school year, and mbo institutions reported 22, while more than 2,000 students shared additional experiences ranging from sexually explicit remarks to rape in response to a call by NOS Stories on Instagram and TikTok. The figures come as a new national law is being drafted to strengthen safety requirements in schools.

Students told NOS Stories that sexual boundary-crossing behavior is common in secondary schools and vocational programs. Dozens of confidential advisers working in schools said they encounter such cases regularly. The reports described sexually charged remarks, online sexual abuse, groping, and rape. Most incidents involved fellow students, but many involved teachers or other school employees, including janitors.

“I think we don’t even know half of how often it occurs,” said Henk Hagoort, chairman of the VO-raad, which represents secondary schools. Only reports submitted to confidential inspectors at the Education Inspectorate are counted as official. The number of reports has allegedly risen for several consecutive years. Hagoort said the increase could reflect greater openness about reporting, but it could also indicate that more misconduct is taking place. “We don’t know that exactly,” he told NOS.

One student, identified as Sanne, said she was subjected to sexual misconduct by a teacher when she was 17. Sanne, whose real name is known to NOS, said the teacher contacted her by text and phone outside school hours and made unwanted sexual comments. “He would give me a banana and say, ‘Here is your toy for tonight,’” she said. She also said he squeezed her buttocks and told her she should wear those pants for him more often.

A survey of nearly 60 school confidential advisers found that more than half received between one and 10 reports a year from students about sexual misconduct, most commonly involving sexual intimidation. Nearly half said they received no reports, a finding advisers stressed does not mean misconduct did not occur. Nearly 20 advisers said at least one report they handled involved a teacher or another staff member.

Many students said they chose not to report their experiences to school officials because of shame or because they believed the incident was not serious enough. Among those who did report, most said they were dissatisfied with the school’s response. “School told me not to file a police report,” one student told NOS. “If I had provoked it, then it was my fault. I quit the program immediately.” Another student said she reported inappropriate remarks by a German teacher to her team leader and was told to resolve the issue herself.

The VO-raad provides guidance to schools on creating a safer environment. Hagoort said not all schools manage this adequately and pointed out that there must be clear rules. Private contact between teachers and students, including through social media, should not be considered normal, he said. In Sanne’s case, she said the teacher was given the choice of being fired or resigning. He chose to resign and later began working at another school, according to what she said to NOS.

Nearly five years ago, NOS Stories published similar findings. At the time, then-Education Minister Arie Slob pledged to develop legislation to improve safety in schools. The proposed Wet Vrij en Veilig Onderwijs, now being drafted, would require schools to appoint a confidential adviser and to report all incidents of sexual misconduct to the Education Inspectorate, rather than only the most serious cases.