Girls of 14 'forced into sex'

Nearly a quarter of 14-year-olds are forced to engage in sexual practices, new research has found.

One in four 16-year-olds have been hit or hurt in some way by the person they are dating, while more than half of 14- and 15-year-olds have been publicly humiliated by their partner. The online survey was conducted by teenage magazine Bliss. Nicola Harwin, the chief executive of Women's Aid, said: "It's shocking that 25 per cent of 14-year-olds have been forced or coerced into sex - and that's them admitting it."

The Government announced last month that lessons in relationships would be introduced in secondary schools.