The NSPCC has revealed that 1/3 of teenage girls suffer from sexual abuse in a relationship, and 1/4 are violently attacked. In a shocking picture of teenage Britain, nearly 90% of girls between the ages of 13 and 17 had been involved in intimate relationships, and one in six claimed to have been forced into having intercourse.

Interestingly, one in five boys claimed to have suffered physical violence in a relationship.

These findings have led the government to develop guidance for schools on gender bullying, but has put the emphasis on parenting, saying that it is crucial that parents take the lead. In the meantime, a spokesman for the Department for Children, Schools and Families said that personal, social, health and economic studies would become part of the national curriculum by September 2011.

We say: this is appalling, but not entirely surprising. Britain has always had an undercurrent of violence. However, with the prevalence of violent adult movies and a popular culture that appears to idolise violence and crime, it is inevitable that our most impressionable members of society are going to be affected in some way. That a third of teenage girls suffer from sexual abuse, however, is an absolutely shocking statistic. In a classroom of 30, that’s 5 girls. In every classroom. If you want to support the NSPCC, donate here.