A Christchurch secondary school has introduced a specialised health course focusing on consent, sexual health and relationships after a student survey revealed widespread experiences of sexual harassment. 

Christchurch Girls’ High School commissioned the survey in 2021 following concerns about an increase in harassment among students. 

The survey was sent to 1042 consented students, with 725 responding, a response rate of 71.2%. 

Of those who took part, 430 students said they had been sexually harassed, accounting for 59.3% of respondents, while 42% said the harassment had occurred two to five times. 

In the survey, more than 20 students said they had been raped. 

A quarter of students reported being harassed more than 10 times. 

Harassment instances included verbal and written behaviour, invasions of personal space, and physical or sexual contact. 

These incidents were most likely to occur outside of school, such as in town, while socialising, on public transport and online. 

However, in a bid to tackle the issues raised, the school has since developed a new health course in response to the issues raised in the survey. 

Principal Helen Armstrong said the programme, launched in 2023, centres on a series of conversations covering identity, diversity, mental health, sexual health, consent, relationships and drugs and alcohol. 

“Since the development three years ago, we continue to provide the Te Whai Hiringa (to aspire to health/vitality) course to all of our Year 11 students,” she said in a statement to the Herald. 

The course sits alongside the Relationships and Sexuality Education programme taught within the Health and Physical Education learning area of the New Zealand Curriculum. 

The course comes after the survey revealed that more than 60% of those who had experienced sexual harassment changed aspects of their lives to try to ensure it did not happen again. 

Christchurch Girls' High School has developed a health course to address issues that came to light in a 2021 sexual harassment survey. Photo / Kurt Bayer 

The most common change was clothing, with students donning baggy clothing, jackets, shorts under skirts, trousers and other additional clothing to try to deflect attention. 

Many changed their routes home or became hyper-alert about who was on the streets. Others stopped using buses altogether. 

Armstrong said the course helped students develop understanding and respect for others’ choices and learn to think critically about relationships and sexuality. 

She described it as “vital for young people’s learning, development and wellbeing”. 

“It helps them learn about themselves and others in safe, respectful, and age-appropriate ways,” she said. 

“Ākonga develop understanding and respect for others’ choices and learn to think critically about relationships and sexuality. 

“This gives them the knowledge and confidence to make informed decisions about their lives. 

“We regularly seek and value student voice on a range of relevant topics, using their insights to strengthen teaching and learning to support student wellbeing, which remains at the heart of everything we do.” 

A list of recommendations was included in the survey results, such as the school looking at a whole-of-school strategy of safe disclosure of all sexual harassment. 

More than 1000 students attend Christchurch Girls’ High School, a public school located near Hagley Park. 

Jazlyn Whales is a multimedia journalist based in the Christchurch newsroom.