Powys County Council say they will work with school leaders to tackle sexual exploitation, after several county schools were included on a list of testimonies from abuse survivors.

Machynlleth's Ysgol Bro Hyddgen, Ysgol Llanfyllin High, Welshpool High School, and Llandrindod Wells High School were all named on the list, compiled by sexual harassment campaign group "Everyone's Invited".

The group's website collects testimony from pupils and former pupils who are survivors of sexual exploitation in schools, including misogyny, rape jokes, sexual harassment, image based abuse, and sexual coercion.

Following publication of the list by Everyone's Invited, James Gibson-Watt, Glasbury Councillor and Leader of the Liberal Democrat-Green Group on Powys County Council, says he has submitted a formal question asking the education portfolio holder Phyl Davies to outline the safeguarding support measures that Powys County Council is providing to its schools to help combat what he describes as a "serious and very concerning problem."

As part of a joint statement by Cllr Gibson-Watt and Alison Alexander, Welsh Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Montgomeryshire, and Jane Dodds, Welsh Liberal Democrat Member of the Senedd for Mid and West Wales, he added:

"Rape culture, sexual harassment, misogyny, bullying and actual sexual violence and abuse, are sadly not new problems in schools. For too many years, not enough has been done to tackle this behaviour and too many schools, teachers, parents, politicians and policy-makers have not taken the impact of a toxic culture on the well-being of many children and young people seriously enough.

"It is also clear that the use of both social media and pornography by younger children is rapidly exacerbating old problems and creating new means of abuse. Our safeguarding policies and curriculum need to catch-up with the lived experiences of today’s children and young people."

In response, Cllr Phyl Davies, Cabinet Member for Education and Property, said they were taking the matter extremely seriously, and would work with schools to deal with the issue.

"The safety, health and well-being of all our young people are and will always be, a priority for the council and our schools," he said.

"Abuse in any form is completely unacceptable and any degree of sexual exploitation within any environment, should not and cannot be tolerated. No young person should feel that this is a normal part of their daily lives. We take this matter extremely seriously and will work with the appropriate bodies, including all our school leaders, to tackle this harmful and inappropriate behaviour."

Cllr Rachel Powell, Cabinet Member for Young People and Culture, added: "School should be a place where children experience a sense of safety and security, any episode or experience of sexual exploitation needs to be urgently raised and referred to the appropriate agency. Young people have a right not to have to endure this in any form.

"Children’s Services are and continue to work with corporate services, such as Education, as well as partner agencies and local communities, to ensure schools are self- aware and create a safe environment so, if incidents do occur, then an effective response will be implemented.

"Partner agencies of the Powys Multi Agency Child Exploitation Group (MACE) and the Powys Local Operating group of the Safeguarding Board (PLOG) are committed to supporting schools to deliver effective personal and social relationships within education, in order to address such issues."