Child-on-child abuse

37. All staff are aware that children can abuse other children. This can happen inside or outside of our setting and online.

38. All staff will be trained in our policy and procedures with regard to child-on-child abuse and the important role they have to play in preventing it and responding to where they believe a child may be at risk from it.

39. All staff understand that even if there are no reports in our setting it does not mean it is not happening, it maybe abuse is just not being reported. When staff have any concerns regarding child-on-child abuse, even if there are no reports in our setting, they should still speak to the DSL (or a deputy).

40. All staff are expected to challenge inappropriate behaviours between peers, examples  of which are listed below, that are actually abusive in nature. Downplaying certain behaviours, for example dismissing sexual harassment as “just banter”, “just having a laugh”, “part of growing up” or “boys being boys” can lead to a culture of unacceptable behaviours, an unsafe environment for children and in worst case scenarios a culture that normalises abuse leading to children accepting it as normal and not coming forward to report it.

41. Child-on-child abuse is most likely to include, but may not be limited to:

• bullying (including cyberbullying, prejudice-based and discriminatory bullying);
• abuse in intimate personal relationships between children (sometimes known as ‘teenage relationship abuse’);
• physical abuse such as hitting, kicking, shaking, biting, hair pulling, or otherwise causing physical harm (this may include an element of online which facilitates, threatens and/or encourages physical abuse);
• sexual violence, such as rape, assault by penetration and sexual assault (this may include an online element which facilitates, threatens and/or encourages sexual violence);
• sexual harassment, such as sexual comments, remarks, jokes and online sexual harassment, which may be stand-alone or part of a broader pattern of abuse;
• causing someone to engage in sexual activity without consent, such as forcing someone to strip, touch themselves sexually, or to engage in sexual activity with a third party;
• consensual and non-consensual sharing of nudes and semi nudes images and or videos (also known as sexting or youth produced sexual imagery);
• up-skirting, which typically involves taking a picture under a person’s clothing without their permission, with the intention of viewing their genitals or buttocks to obtain sexual gratification, or cause the victim humiliation, distress or alarm, and
• initiation/hazing type violence and rituals (this could include activities involving harassment, abuse or humiliation used as a way of initiating a person into a group and may also include an online element).

42. We will actively seek to raise awareness of and prevent all forms of child-on-child abuse by:

• educating all governors, our senior leadership team, staff, students, and parents about this issue;
• educating children about the nature and prevalence of child-on-child abuse, positive, responsible and safe use of social media, and the unequivocal facts about consent, via the curriculum;
• engaging parents on these issues;
• supporting the on-going welfare of the student body by drawing on multiple resources that prioritise student mental health, and by providing in-school/college counselling and therapy to address underlying mental health needs;
• working with governors, senior leadership team, and all staff, students and parents to address equality issues, to promote positive values, and to encourage a culture of tolerance and respect amongst all members of the school/college community;
• creating conditions in which our students can aspire to, and realise, safe and healthy relationships fostering a whole-school/college culture;
• responding to cases of child-on-child abuse promptly and appropriately; and
• ensuring that all child-on-child abuse issues are fed back to the DSL and deputies so that they can spot and address any concerning trends and identify students who may be in need of additional support.

43. We will actively engage with TWSP in relation to child-on-child abuse, and work closely with, for example, children’s social care, the police and other education settings. The relationships our setting has built with these partners is essential to ensuring that we are able to prevent, identify early, and appropriately handle cases of child-on-child abuse. The DSL (or a deputy) will regularly review behaviour incident logs which can help to identify any changes in behaviour and/or concerning patterns or trends at an early stage.

44. We recognise that any child can be vulnerable to child-on-child abuse due to the strength of peer influence, especially during adolescence, and staff should be alert of such abuse among all children. Individual and situational factors can increase a child’s vulnerability to abuse by their peers. We know that research suggests:

• child-on-child abuse may affect boys differently from girls (i.e. that it is more likely that girls will be victims and boys perpetrators). However, all child-on-child abuse is unacceptable and will be taken seriously;
• children with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND) are three times more likely to be abused than their peers without , and
• some children may be more likely to experience child-on-child abuse than others as a result of certain characteristics such as sexual orientation, ethnicity, race or religious beliefs.