More work to educate young people on relationships in schools is needed to tackle violence against women, a Glasgow MSP has said.
Concerns have been growing about sexual harassment and pressuring of girls by boys.
Reports of unwelcome attention and harassment through social media has led to Pauline McNeill, Glasgow Labour MSP, to call for more work to be built into the curriculum in Scotland to deal with the growing menace faced by many girls.
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She asked the children's minister, Clare Haughey, in Holyrood, if there “should be more programmes in the school curriculum that aim to prevent violence in dating and intimate partner relationships”.
She said many girls feel they have to accept sexual harassment.
McNeill said that in other countries, USA and Canada, studies have shown programmes aimed at reducing violence have been effective.
She said: “A recent report by Ofsted England said that of the 32 schools inspected, nine out of ten girls said unsolicited, explicit pictures or videos were sent to them or their friends and the report stated it’s alarming that many children and young people in particular feel they have to accept sexual harassment as part of growing up.”
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McNeill asked the minister if she would investigate to what extend this was happening in Scottish schools.
Haughey said work was on going.
She said: “Violence and harassment in any form, whether in the workplace or in schools, the home or society, is completely reprehensible and must stop.”
"We are taking forward a range of actions such as teaching children safe and healthy relationships through relationship, sexual health and parenthood education and funding programmes such as mentors in violence prevention aimed a reducing and preventing sexual harassment and violence, in schools.”
The minister added: "We all want young people to develop mutually respectful and confident relationships.”
She added funding would continue to be made to initiatives like Rape Crisis Scotland who provide a national sexual violence prevention programme, which, she said, was delivered in secondary schools across the country and has so far reached almost 50,000 pupils.
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