The school, located in Zhaoqing city in Guangdong province, had held a “mental health education” class – the equivalent of a sex education class in China – last year, according to Chinese state media People’s Daily. But photos of the teaching material only began circulating this month, showing papers that said victims of sexual harassment “suffer because they dress flamboyantly and behave flirtatiously.
It added that the county’s education bureau had “criticized and educated relevant personnel,” and had ordered the school to review its lectures and improve teacher training. But for some, the official statement also sparked backlash. Many took issue with the statement’s wording of “misunderstanding,” arguing the teaching materials had not been an innocent error but a reflection of real, pervasive beliefs across the country. “People online didn’t ‘misunderstand,’” one comment read.