It is important to recognise that abuse isn’t always perpetrated by adults; children can abuse other children and it can happen both inside and outside of educational settings and online. This is referred to as ‘child-on-child abuse’ (formally known as peer on peer abuse), for the most up to date information, please click here.
Child-on-child abuse and can include:
- bullying, including cyberbullying, prejudice-based and discriminatory bullying
- abuse in intimate personal relationships between peers
- physical abuse such as hitting, kicking, shaking, biting, hair pulling, or otherwise causing physical harm; this may include an online element 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 standalone or part of a broader pattern of abuse
- causing someone to engage in sexual activity without consent
- consensual and non-consensual sharing of nude and semi nude images and or videos (also known as ‘sexting’ or ‘youth produced sexual imagery’)
- ‘Upskirting’ which involves taking a picture under someone’s clothing without them knowing; this is usually with the intention of viewing their genitals or buttocks for sexual gratification, or cause the victim humiliation, distress or alarm. Upskirting is a criminal offence and anyone of any gender, can be a victim
- initiation/hazing type violence and rituals.
Every child has the right to be safe at school, schools and educational establishments, and their staff, have a duty of care for each child. You can read the governments “Keeping Children Safe in Education 2024” here.