Proposing a new law to make Relationships and Sex Education mandatory up to 18 to prevent violence against women and girls

PRESS RELEASE FROM ALISTAIR STRATHERN MP

THURSDAY 18th JUNE 2026

Alistair Strathern MP proposes new law to make Relationships and Sex Education mandatory up to 18 to prevent violence against women and girls

Alistair Strathern, MP for the Hitchin constituency, yesterday presented a Private Member’s Bill that would make Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) a mandatory requirement for all young people up to the age of 18, ending a postcode lottery of provision for teenagers in further education. 

As co-chair of the Labour Group for Men and Boys in Westminster and a former teacher, the MP for Hitchin has led calls in parliament for a bigger role for schools in tackling violence against women and girls, through improved RSE provision and getting more positive male role models into teaching.

The proliferation of extreme content online makes this legislation more important than ever, with 79% of young people accessing violent pornography by the age of 18 according to Children’s Commissioner research. Strathern has campaigned for tighter enforcement of online safety legislations, meeting recently with Ofcom chief executive Melanie Dawes to stress the dangerous spread of unhealthy attitudes towards sex and relationships online, and young people’s experience of non-consensual image sharing. 

Universal RSE to 18 is essential to ensure young people are supported during this formative time, and can navigate complex issues in their relationships, empowering them to recognise coercive control and other forms of abuse.

Campaign partners, the End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAW), Make It Mandatory, Sex Education Forum and Brook welcomed the introduction of the bill.

16-19 year olds most at risk of domestic abuse

Government data shows that 16-19-year-olds face the highest rates of domestic abuse, yet mandatory RSE currently ends at 16, precisely the age at which young people are having some of their first romantic and sexual relationships and statistically become most at risk of abuse. 

Currently, Further Education Colleges are not mandated to offer RSE. This means that whether a student receives RSE at this critical time depends entirely on which institution they attend, creating a dangerous postcode lottery.

In April 2026, the first domestic abuse related suicide in a child under 18 was reported. Yet at precisely this age, the law stops requiring schools and colleges to teach them how to recognise coercive control or discuss what a healthy relationship looks like.

With 600,000 students in further education each year, this legislation cannot wait. 

If taken up, the bill would ensure all young people in post-16 education are entitled to receive RSE to 18, close this dangerous gap and support the government’s ambition to halve violence against women and girls (VAWG) in a decade. 

This Bill follows the survivor-led campaign group Make It Mandatory's petition that called for RSE to be mandated to 18, which gathered over 106,000 signatures and brought important attention to teenage victims of domestic abuse. 

Alistair Strathern MP says

"For too long, children in further education have missed out because of gaps in provision of Relationships and Sex Education. At a time when the worst corners of the internet are preying on teenagers, with their own harmful takes on what makes a healthy relationship, we surely owe young people far better than this.

‘My Bill will put this right and make it mandatory for all settings to give children the space, support and advice they need as they navigate this formative stage.

“With 16-19-year-olds facing the highest rates of domestic abuse of any age group, the real world consequences of failing to act couldn’t be clearer.”

Faustine Petron, Founder of Make it Mandatory says “For many years I have campaigned for mandatory relationships and sex education to be extended to all children and young people up to the age of 18. As someone who experienced an abusive relationship I know how important such a change could be, to so many young people. It is wonderful that Alistair has sponsored this bill, we now need government to honour its commitment to me and the bereaved families who support this campaign by taking it forward and ensuring it becomes law, as we know all too well that it has the potential to change and save lives.”

Janaya Walker, Interim Director to End Violence Against Women Coalition says “EVAW has been calling on governments to prioritise preventing VAWG for decades. And recent cases of sexual violence and abuse of young people demonstrate the unbearable cost of inaction on prevention for women and girls. Another cohort of students will be entering into further education this Autumn, and we have a responsibility to take every possible step to prevent children from experiencing violence and abuse. We welcome the government’s commitment to make RSE mandatory for all 16-18 year olds, and call on them to deliver on this promise with the urgency it demands.  

Lucy Emmerson, Chief Executive at Sex Education Forum said “It makes complete sense to extend Relationships and Sex Education to further education because this is the time when many young people will be starting their first romantic and sexual relationships. Having reliable information about healthy relationships provided by trusted adults is proven to help prevent harm. There is overwhelming support for mandating RSE up to 18 years old, and this move is backed by leaders in education, safeguarding, health and wellbeing and by colleges and young people themselves. 

Notes to Editor

• Private Members' bills (PMBs) are public bills introduced by MPs and Lords who are not government ministers. The majority of private members bills are selected through a ballot that is drawn at the beginning of each parliamentary session. Balloted bills get priority over other private members bills for parliamentary time. In the House of Commons, 20 MPs are drawn in the ballot. MPs do not have to decide their Bill title until after the ballot is drawn. Private Members Bills are introduced with a short and long title on the fifth sitting Wednesday of a parliamentary session. This year it took place on Wednesday 17th June. Private Members Bills have precedence over government business on thirteen Fridays in each session. Additional time can be given to PMBs if the Leader of the House assigns additional sitting Friday’s or the Public Bill Committees consider PMBs on other days. PMBs are introduced in the order that they are drawn in the Ballot, with the earlier Bills taking priority. Alistair Strathern MP was drawn 14th in the PMB Ballot. 

Key Statistics

• Over 2 million women and girls aged 16+ experience domestic abuse in 2025 (ONS,2025) 

• Girls aged 15 to 19 and boys aged 10 to 14 are most likely to be victims of sexual offences, according to police-recorded crime figures (ONS, 2025).

• 2 women a week are killed by a man in England and Wales (Killed Women).

• 72% of girls under 18 reported experiencing some form of emotional partner abuse and 31% of girls and 16% of boys reported experiencing some form of sexual partner violence (The Children’s Society, 2020)

• The 2025 Youth Endowment Fund survey of 11,000 13–17-year-olds found that 2 in 5 teenagers in England and Wales have experienced emotional or physical abuse in the past year.

• Young people aged 15 to 24 years are the most likely to be diagnosed with the most common types of STI (WEC Report, 2024). 

• The average age of first sexual intercourse is 16 years old (Natsal-3)

• 79% of young people have accessed violent pornography by the age of 18 (Office of the Children’s Commissioner, 2023)

• 16–19-year-olds face the highest rates of domestic abuse than any other age group (ONS,2024). 

  
  

Social media was the joint highest influence on student mental health (82%) equal to home circumstances (AoC 2024). Other influences include drugs and alcohol misuse (62%) and gender identity (62%).