Key Highlights:
- Actor Emily Atack has publicly backed a campaign launched by students from The Cooper School in Bicester to ban the use of school uniforms in pornographic content.
- Led by a student group called the Little Feminist Bookclub, the campaign argues that existing legislation leaves a dangerous legal loophole regarding depictions of 16-to-18-year-olds.
- Member of Parliament Calum Miller has joined the push to support the students in their petition urging the Prime Minister and Parliament to update the law.
Emily Atack Backs Campaign to Ban School Uniforms in Adult Content
Television personality and actor Emily Atack has voiced her support for a student-led initiative in Oxfordshire seeking a comprehensive ban on the depiction of school uniforms in pornography. Emily Atack, widely recognized for portraying schoolgirl Charlotte Hinchcliffe on the Channel 4 comedy series The Inbetweeners from 2008 to 2010, utilized her platform to endorse the initiative organized by pupils from The Cooper School in Bicester.
Taking to her Instagram Story, the 36-year-old actor rallied behind the students who are calling on the Prime Minister to ban this use of the uniform designed to make us feel safe
. Alongside a heart emoji, Atack affirmed her commitment to their effort, stating: Iām with you all the way,
The campaign connects directly to issues Emily Atack has previously confronted in her investigative broadcast work. In her 2023 documentary, Emily Atack: Asking For It?, which examined the sexualisation of schoolgirls in uniforms, she revealed that she was left feeling completely angered and outraged and sad
. Reflecting on the impact on young people, Atack noted: These girls were telling me that they feel more vulnerable in their school uniforms because there are men online who canāt control the things they say to them,
adding, It made me sick to my stomach and so angry.ā
The Little Feminist Bookclub Exposes Legal Loophole
The push to change current legislation is organized by a group of teenage students operating under the name the Little Feminist Bookclub (LFB). The group has launched a formal petition to Parliament via Change.org, highlighting that the prominent use of educational attire in adult entertainment fuels real-world risks for minors.
In the text of the petition, the campaigners state: School uniform use in pornography, which may not be covered by existing legislation, is a clear example of material that sexualises children and young people, something described in The Times as āthe casual sexualisation of childrenā. It is explicitly designed to evoke childhood and school-age identities,
The petition notes that while recent legislation established it as a criminal offence to possess or distribute pornographic content depicting adults roleplaying or pretending to be under the age of 16, a critical loophole persists for older teens. The campaigners explain: Whilst the current law prohibits the depiction of someone pretending to be under 16 in pornography (but not those 16-18) to protect all young people and to remove this grey area, we urge you to ban the use of school uniform in porn.
Expanding on this concern, the students noted: Whilst we welcome this significant step and applaud the tireless campaigning that made it possible, the students of the Little Feminist Bookclub believe a dangerous loophole still remains,
detailing further: Under these new rules, anyone wearing a school uniform in pornographic content can simply claim to be depicting a 17-year-old. Yet a school uniform is explicitly designed to evoke childhood and school-age identities, contributing directly to the casual sexualisation of children.
The petition concludes: Itās clear that creating a law to ban school uniform in pornography and restrict the promotion of buying school uniform costumes is a necessary step forward into freeing minors from the abuse that they continue to be subjected to under the highly dangerous gap that festers in your shield for them.
Parliamentary Endorsement and Local Support
The studentsā efforts have garnered strong backing from political representatives, including Member of Parliament Calum Miller, who praised the teenagers’ resolve to advocate for broader societal safeguards.
I am full of admiration for the members of the Little Feminist Bookclub at the Cooper School. These fierce campaigners have identified an issue that affects them and does harm to many other girls and women. I was shocked to hear some of them feel anxious to wear uniform because adults make sexual comments towards them. I am proud to support them to achieve their goal of changing the law.
said MP Calum Miller.
Why This Matters
The campaign initiated by the Little Feminist Bookclub addresses the lingering boundaries of online safety legislation and child protection measures in the United Kingdom. Although recent statutes criminalized the depiction of performers pretending to be under the age of 16 in adult material, youth advocates and campaigners assert that the 16-to-18 age gap allows commercial adult creators to continue utilizing authentic school attire under the premise of depicting older adolescents. By seeking an outright prohibition on school uniforms in adult material and curbs on the marketing of uniform costumes, the campaigners and their high-profile alliesāsuch as Emily Atack and MP Calum Millerāaim to close interpretive gray areas and alleviate the real-world harassment experienced by school-age girls.
Frequently Asked Questions
What specific change are the students from The Cooper School requesting?
The Little Feminist Bookclub is calling on Parliament and the Prime Minister to enact legislation that outright bans the use of school uniforms in pornographic content and places restrictions on the marketing and sale of school uniform costumes.
What does current UK law say about age depiction in pornography?
Current legislation makes it a criminal offence to possess or share adult content featuring people pretending to be under the age of 16. However, it does not explicitly ban depictions pretending to be individuals between the ages of 16 and 18, which campaigners argue allows producers using school uniforms to exploit an age loophole.
Why did Emily Atack join the campaign?
Emily Atack previously investigated the sexualisation of schoolgirls in uniforms for her 2023 documentary Emily Atack: Asking For It?, where she heard firsthand from young women about the street harassment and online vulnerability they experienced while wearing their uniforms.
