A new regulation that bans staring with “sexual nuances” and wolf whistling in schools has been passed in Indonesia.

The Religious Affairs Ministry in the southeast Asian country of Indonesia has banned what it describes as 16 different kinds of sexual violence in educational centres across the country, according to local media reports from Wednesday, 19th October.

A spokesperson for the ministry, Anna Hasbie, stated that the new regulation was put into action after it was signed by Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas.

The changes are reportedly aimed at reducing gender-based violence, online harassment and body shaming bullying in Indonesian schools, according to the country’s religious authority.

Hasbie added: “Passing remarks that contain seductive tones and (making inappropriate) jokes or whistling with sexual nuances targeted at the victim are also considered as forms of sexual violence.

“This also includes looking at the victim with sexual nuances.”

The new rules will be enforced in Indonesia’s religious educational centres, madrasas, Islamic boarding schools as well formal and informal educational centres.

Individuals that break the rules laid out in the new regulation will face criminal consequences and/or “administrative sanctions”, according to local media reports.

Entitled the ‘Regulation of the Minister of Religion (PMA) on the Handling and Prevention of Sexual Violence in Education Units’ the new PMA will be used as a guide to prevent sexual violence in schools, according to the Religious Affairs Ministry.

Hasbie added: “Hopefully, no other incidents of sexual violence (will take place) in education units in future.”