A Wantage teenager is ramping her campaign to end sexual assault and harassment up a gear after collating responses to a constituency-wide survey on the issue.

The survey, which asked a variety of questions concerning sexual assault and harassment, was run by 17-year-old Niamh Dernie and anonymously completed by nearly 100 girls aged 12-16 in a range of local secondary schools who wished to share their experiences.

When asked do you feel unsafe outside alone? only two people responded “never” with every other answer being either “always” or “sometimes”.

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Seven respondents answered “never” to have you ever been verbally harassed in a sexual manner or followed? All others answered as having done so “at least once”.

Nearly 75 per cent knew “more than two” people that had been affected by sexual assault and the majority said they had been sent non-consensual sexual images “more than twice”.

When asked would you call out a friend or person for inappropriate behaviour/attitude towards women? every respondent that had previously encountered a situation like this said “yes” but nearly a quarter reported experiencing feeling “invalidated” or “closed down” when attempting to report such behaviour.

The survey also asked about abusive relationships and knowing how to report sexual harassment, with other beliefs issued from respondents that more should be done in schools to teach and raise awareness.

Ms Dernie said: “I didn’t want to be proved right, but when I saw these results I was shocked. I hadn’t realised even in the area I was in that just short of 100 girls felt this unsafe and unheard.

“There are many things myself and others have experienced in and out of school and not much had been done. It’s really not talked about in schools either – there’s no awareness or education on the matter.”

Niamh now plans to meet with MP for Wantage David Johnston in the near future to discuss what can be done in light of these results and advance her efforts to make misogyny a hate crime.

She further intends to work with charities and Chalk Back – an international youth-led movement committed to ending harassment through art, media and education.

Mr Johnston first met Niamh during one of his constituency surgeries where she raised concerns about sexist behaviour she and friends had experienced from men and boys, having started her campaign at the age of 15.

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Ms Dernie added: “My intention is to share these findings as widely as possible so that the problem is thoroughly acknowledged. It’s swept under the carpet far too much.”

Mr Johnston said: "I first met Niamh in 2022 and she continues to be an impressive campaigner. Her survey has exposed some serious issues which need tackling.

“Sexual harassment of any kind is unacceptable, and it is something for which we should have zero tolerance. I will continue to do all I can to support her campaign and will be writing to the Minister for Safeguarding to share the results of Niamh’s survey with her."