The affair, centered on the suspicion of raping a girl committed by a classmate in high school in Tel Aviv, shocked many parents at school and across the country. The hard questions were immediately pulled out: how did no one know about it, where were the parents, where were the teachers.
This case is particularly shaky, but from conversations we have had in recent months with students and teachers in schools across the country, a picture emerges that can easily explain how such a case happens.
An image of a speech culture saturated with sexual expressions, which everyone - boys and girls alike, and often also teachers and parents - are used to and lighten their heads or prefer to turn a blind eye to.
Sometimes these are purely verbal harassments, orally or on social media, sometimes the line is crossed for casual touches of "laughter", and in extreme cases it is blatant physical harassment.
Most of the victims prefer not to complain, and the few who do complain often find a wall in the form of school principals, who prefer to close the matter quietly within the walls of the institution for fear of its good name.
Schools all over the country, which are supposed to teach the norms of behavior of the Metoo era, are actually becoming a hotbed of sexual harassment.
Over the past few months we have talked to dozens of teenagers and educators.
We heard stories from them about blatant sexual language that is prevalent among students, both during their stay at school and in classroom WhatsApp groups and social networks.
We have seen examples of teachers who are partners in groups and prefer to turn a blind eye or comment in a weak language.
The amount of stories we heard was huge and affected boys and girls from the entire population, from the center and the periphery, in high schools and also in middle schools.
There is no "red" locality more than others, and no "green" schools.
The lawyer of the boy suspected of sexual offenses in high school students in Tel Aviv, on Sunday // Photo: Avi Cohen
According to data from the Ministry of Education, which were provided to the Association of Aid Organizations for Victims of Sexual Assault, in the academic year 2021-2020, 2,019 cases of sexual abuse of students by other students were reported to the SFI (Counseling Psychological Service).
1,720 of the cases were committed by children from the same educational institution, and another 299 by children from another institution.
Thus, for example, H. (full name reserved in the system), 18 years old from Rehovot, told us that she will never forget the way back from the annual trip of the stratum two years ago.
"I got on the bus, and someone from a parallel class offered me to sit next to him. He's a friend of friends, a superficial acquaintance of 'hey, what's the matter,' but I'm a sociable person and I agreed.
"We were sitting in the second row of the bus, in front of us were the teachers. I was tired, so I asked him if I could rest my head on his shoulder and sleep. He agreed, and I fell asleep immediately. I woke up with his hand under my shirt. I froze. I wanted to shout, say something, but "I did not know what to do. I just froze."
Money to hit in the ass
In another case, E. (18) from Zichron Yaacov told us about a serious incident that happened to her when she was in ninth grade.
"A week before leaving for the big holiday, everyone had already put a stripe on the lessons. One day I also tapped and went to sit with my friends on the grass in the yard. I saw them start whispering to each other, and I did not understand why. I kept moving towards them with a smile.
"Suddenly one of them got up, passed behind me and hit me in the ass. I was in the market. Everyone laughed and started calling me sexually abusive names. Someone shouted, 'Now it's my turn.' I ran away. I immediately told my good friend, who went to talk to one of the boys. He told "They intervened: whoever dares to hit me in the buttocks will receive NIS 20 from each one."
"There is a clear policy"
When we asked her if she told one of the teachers about the incident, she replied: "I only told my friends about it. I did not tell any teacher or parents. I did not feel comfortable. So far no adult knows about it."
The Ministry of Education responded: "The Ministry of Education has a clear policy regarding violence and sexual abuse, which is detailed in depth and comprehensively in the Director General's circulars.
These circulars are valid throughout the education system and in all sectors.
"The ministry operates the unit for sexuality and prevention of harm to children and adolescents, which employs expert counselors nationwide from all sectors and in all companies. These counselors assist schools in operating sexual violence prevention programs."
The full article - on Friday in "Shishvat"
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