Stereotypes and Sexism: The views and experiences of SA school students

The purpose of this report is to bring children and young people’s perspectives and experiences of sexism and gender stereotypes to the fore. Through face-to-face conversations and by exploring how children and young people perceive the differences between the sexes, 9 we will better understand how our current systems reinforce any differences based on sex, including whether children and young people are aware of how gender stereotyping impacts their daily lives.

Given that gender roles and stereotypes are taught and learnt, we must understand how systems perpetuate experiences of sexism. This means looking at how systemic sexism and discrimination play out at the classroom level, and more broadly within our educational institutions.

To ensure all children and young people have equal opportunities, we must actively tackle sexism, gender stereotypes, and gender norms in schools. This means looking at the knowledge, skills, and resource barriers that reinforce the sexist stereotypes and their associated behaviours occurring in classrooms and on school grounds every day. This includes putting a stop to the experiences of many students, particularly girls, who feel they are not being heard or believed, and meaning that reporting of incidents does not lead to the kind of change they expected.

It would be far too simplistic to suggest that schools alone can change the deep gender inequality and inequity that exists in our society and its associated systems. However, it would also be remiss not to address the issues identified by children and young people themselves, and the role they say school plays in promoting and reinforcing sexist ideals, attitudes, and behaviours.

This report outlines the issues children and young people have explicitly raised with me in my conversations or engagement with them. My aim is to increase the broad understanding we all have of the impacts that sexism, harassment, and gender stereotyping has on children and young people, and in so doing create a dialogue with decision makers that can support systemic improvements in the way schools throughout South Australia work to address sexism and stereotyping in an education environment