Child-on-child abuse
FAO: HEADTEACHERS, DSLS, SENIOR LEADERS, PHSE LEADS
Understand what child-on-child abuse is
Child-on-child abuse is most likely to include, but may not be limited to:
- Bullying (including cyberbullying, prejudice-based and discriminatory bullying)
- 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)
- Abuse in intimate relationships between peers (this is sometimes known as 'teenage relationship abuse')
- Sexual violence and sexual harassment
- Causing someone to engage in sexual activity without consent
- Upskirting, which typically involves taking a picture under a person’s clothing without their permission, to obtain sexual gratification or cause the victim humiliation, distress or alarm
- Consensual and non-consensual sharing of nude and semi-nude images and/or videos (also known as sexting or youth-produced sexual imagery)
- Initiation/hazing type violence and rituals, which 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
This is explained in paragraph 35 of Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE).
Challenge inappropriate behaviours
Schiols are required to have a behaviour policy and measures in place to prevent all forms of bullying. Schools child protection policy should also include the procedures you have in place to minimise the risk of child-on-child abuse.
Make sure staff challenge inappropriate behaviours by, for example:
- Making clear that sexual violence and sexual harassment is not acceptable, will never be tolerated and is not an inevitable part of growing up
- Not tolerating or dismissing sexual violence or sexual harassment as ‘banter’, ‘part of growing up’, ‘just having a laugh’ or ‘boys being boys’
Dismissing inappropriate behaviour risks leading to:
- A culture of unacceptable behaviours
- An unsafe environment for children
- A culture that normalises abuse, leading to pupils accepting it as normal and not coming forward to report it
This is outlined in paragraph 34 of KCSIE, linked above.
Schools play a crucial role in preventative education
This is in the context of a whole-school approach to preparing pupils for life in modern Britain and a culture of zero tolerance to sexism, misogyny/misandry, homophobia, biphobia and sexual violence/harassment. This will be underpinned by:
- The schools behaviour policy (as mentioned above)
- A pastoral support system
- A planned programme of relationships, sex and health education (RSHE), which is inclusive and delivered regularly, tackling issues such as:
- Healthy and respectful relationships
- Boundaries and consent
- Stereotyping, prejudice and equality
- Body confidence and self-esteem
- How to recognise an abusive relationship (including coercive and controlling behaviour)
- The concepts of, and laws relating to, sexual consent, abuse, grooming, coercion, harassment, rape, domestic abuse, so called honour-based violence such as forced marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM), and how to access support
- What constitutes sexual harassment and sexual violence and why they’re always unacceptable
This is based on paragraph 130 of KCSIE.
Dani Lang – Senior School Improvement Advisor for Safeguarding & Inclusion