Experts criticise ‘paternalistic’ response to schoolgirls sharing explicit images

Education departments too focused on prevention and cyber safety rather than respectful relationships and gender equality, say youth development experts

The response of education departments around the country to teenagers taking explicit images of themselves and sharing them has been "woefully inadequate", outdated and overly paternalistic, youth development experts say.

It follows confirmation by the Australian federal police last week that it is investigating a website encouraging pupils to upload sexually explicit images of their female, underage peers and involving students from 70 Australian schools.