London, Nov 14 (ANI): Easy access to Internet porn is behind a worryingly high number of girls being groped or sexually manhandled at school, according to an MP.
Ann Coffey has said that a third of sixth-form girls had been touched inappropriately by boys in their school.
The chairman of the all-party parliamentary group on runaway and missing children, put the blame firmly on the increasing impact of internet pornography, which she said was "distorting" teenage boys' views of sex.
She warned that many boys were developing "harmful attitudes and behaviours," such as seeing girls simply as sex objects because they believe they have a "sense of entitlement" to do what they want to them.
The MP called for sex and relationship education to be made compulsory in schools, saying that the situation was so bad that boys had to be supported to form "respectful attitudes to girls."
Unless the situation is changed, more girls would suffer "physical and emotional harm," which could damage their education and future career prospects.
Speaking during a debate on child sexual exploitation in the Commons, Coffey cited a YouGov poll by the End Violence Against Women campaign, which surveyed 800 teenagers.
It found that 29 percent of 16 to 18-year-old girls had suffered "unwanted sexual touching" at school.
Almost as many, 28 percent, said they had seen sexual images on mobile phones at school "a few times a month or more." And 71 percent said they had heard sexual name-calling at school "daily or a few times a week."
Some 40 percent said they had never had lessons teaching them about the need for sexual consent.
Miss Coffey said children should be taught what sexual coercion and exploitation is, as well as being alerted to signs of when they are being sexually groomed.
She said lessons should also cover how to shape healthy relationships
"The focus needs to be on both boys and girls," she said.
"Boys need to be supported to form positive and respectful attitudes to girls," she added.
The Labour MP for Stockport said one of the main problems was boys accessing adult websites. (ANI)