Campaigners have voiced serious concerns over a survey being distributed to secondary school pupils across Scotland, which asks students to anonymously disclose experiences of sexual abuse without guaranteeing immediate action or support.

Questionnaires have been sent to children at 35 schools across Scotland as part of an evaluation of the Equally Safe At School project developed by Rape Crisis Scotland in partnership with the University of Glasgow.

Those selected to take part are asked if they have ever been “forced to do something sexual” by a teacher, a classmate or a stranger.

This survey, which goes out to students in S2, S4 and S6, is anonymous and pupils are told this means those asking the questions will “not be able to link your name to your answers.”

Ultimately, this means that if someone does share their experience of sexual abuse, then it will not be acted upon by the authorities, and they will only receive help if they ask for it.

Trina Budge, co-director at For Women Scotland said: “To ask 13-year-olds during class time if they have been a victim of sexual assault and then return to maths lessons as if nothing has happened is quite extraordinary.”

However, Rape Crisis Scotland said making the survey anonymous would “help young survivors to feel able to disclose.”

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Last year, parents in Orkney obtained a copy of the questions and protested about Kirkwall Grammar School's involvement.

While it was defended by the local council and senior management at the school, it was postponed for S2s.

Equally Safe at School was launched by Rape Crisis Scotland in August 2021 and is delivered across the country by workers in their network of rape crisis centres.

It aims to “prevent gender-based violence and to increase confidence and skills in responding to incidents and disclosures of such violence.”

The evaluation was undertaken last year, with Rape Crisis Scotland saying they did not yet “know definitively whether [Equally Safe At School] itself leads to desired changes.”

Pupils taking part in the survey, which has 130 questions, will be asked to take part again in two years.

After each round of questionnaires, schools are sent a summary report, but the researchers make clear to pupils that “no individual students can be identified” and that “we won’t be able to know who you are from your answers.”

Students answering the question on their mobile phones or tablets are told “this is not a test and there are no right or wrong answers.”

They are told to answer the questions “carefully and honestly” and that if they do not understand a question, to “please ask a researcher or teacher to help you.”

They are also advised that they “don’t have to take part in this survey” and “can choose not to answer any questions.”

Pupils are asked if they have experienced any “unwanted behaviour of a sexual nature” that they find offensive or which makes them “feel uncomfortable, intimidated or humiliated.”

They are asked if anyone had “made unwelcome sexual comments, jokes or gestures” or called them “gay, lesbian or trans in a negative way” or if they have been“touched, grabbed or pinched” in an “unwelcome sexual way.”

They are then asked if they have been shown “sexual pictures that you didn’t want to see”.

The questionnaire goes on to ask if they have been “blocked or cornered you in a sexual way” and or asked to do “something sexual online that you did not want to do.”

The next question asks pupils if they have been forced “to do something sexual”.

Those answering yes are then directed to another set of questions about whether the person responsible was another student, a teacher or school staff member, or a stranger.

The next section of the survey asks pupils if they have ever been responsible for sexual harassment. It ends by asking them if in the last two months they have “done any of the following things to someone else at school or on the way to or from school?”

The options include touching somebody in an unwelcome sexual way, showing them sexual pictures, blocking or cornering them, asking them to do something sexual online, or forcing them to do something sexual.

At the end of the questionnaire, the pupils are told if they feel upset and would like to talk to someone about something that came up while answering, they should speak to “a trusted teacher or other trusted adult in your life.”

They are also signposted towards organisations including Childline, Rape Crisis Scotland, and LGBT Youth Scotland.

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Trina Budge, co-director at For Women Scotland said: “It beggars belief that a rape crisis charity would be so careless with potential disclosures of sexual abuse from children.

“To ask 13-year-olds during class time if they have been a victim of sexual assault and then return to maths lessons as if nothing has happened is quite extraordinary; it is simply not appropriate to ask such sensitive questions, and to then only provide a support helpline number falls far short of their duty of care.

“The promise of anonymity makes it difficult to conduct a criminal investigation should a teacher be mentioned as a perpetrator.

“Conversely, what happens to the information if a pupil discloses that ‘I forced somebody to do something sexual’, are RCS actively seeking prosecutions of minors without parental knowledge?”

A spokesperson for Rape Crisis Scotland said: “The survey is part of the evaluation of Equally Safe At School which we’re delivering in partnership with the University of Glasgow.

“Students from schools participating in the evaluation are invited to complete the survey, although they can choose not to, and they can skip questions or stop at any time.

“The purpose of the survey is to give schools accurate information about their students’ experiences of gender based violence, so that they can plan effective actions to help prevent it and ensure that students get the help and support they need.

“It also enables the University to measure the effectiveness of Equally Safe At School as an intervention, and helps us to make improvements.

“The survey is anonymous, because we know this will help young survivors to feel able to disclose.

“However, talking to young people about sexual harassment and violence is often the first step in them recognising their experiences and knowing that help is available, and so taking the survey is very likely to increase their access to support.

“As well as giving contact information about services, there is a space in the survey for young people to give their name if they need support and a teacher will contact them, without their name being connected with the rest of their survey responses.

“The school would then address the situation according to their Child Protection guidance, which may involve contacting the police if appropriate.”