Child on Child Abuse

Child-on-child abuse is behaviour by an individual or group, intending to physically, sexually or emotionally harm others.  It can happen to children of a similar age or stage of development and can be harmful to the children who display it as well as those who experience it. 

Child-on-child abuse can happen in a wide range of settings, including:

• at school
  at home
  in someone else's home
  in the community
  online 

It can take place in spaces which are supervised or unsupervised.  Within a school context, for example, child-on-child abuse might take place in spaces such as toilets, the playground, corridors and when children are walking home (Contextual Safeguarding Network, 2020). 

Online child-on-child abuse is any form of child-on-child abuse with a digital element, for example:

• sexting

• online abuse

• coercion and exploitation

• child-on-child grooming

• threatening language delivered via online means

• the distribution of sexualised content and harassment 

As children develop healthily, it is normal for them to display certain types of behaviour.  It is important that adults who work or volunteer with children can identify if any behaviour has become harmful or abusive, and respond proportionally to keep all the children involved safe.

It is essential that all our staff understand the importance of challenging inappropriate behaviours between peers.  Child-on-child abuse will never be accepted or dismissed as ‘children being children’. 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.

If one child causes harm to another, this should not necessarily be dealt with as child-on-child abuse: bullying, fighting and harassment between children do not generally require multi-agency intervention.  

However, it may be appropriate to regard a child’s behaviour as abusive if:

• there is a large difference in power (for example age, size, ability, development) between the children concerned; or

• the perpetrator has repeatedly tried to harm one or more other children; or

• there are concerns about the intention of the alleged child. If the evidence suggests that there was an intention to cause severe harm to the

  victim or to exploit them, this should be regarded as abusive whether or not severe harm was actually caused. 

What are the Indiciators and signs that a child is being abused by their peers?

Indicators and signs that a child may be suffering from child-on-child abuse can also overlap with those indicating other types of abuse and can include:

• failing to attend school, disengaging from lessons, or struggling to carry out school related tasks to the standard ordinarily expected

• physical injuries

• experiencing difficulties with mental health and/or emotional wellbeing

• becoming withdrawn and/or shy; experiencing headaches, stomach aches, anxiety and/or panic attacks; suffering from nightmares or lack of sleep or sleeping too much

• broader changes in behaviour including alcohol or substance misuse

• changes in appearance and/or starting to act in a way that is not appropriate for the child's age

• abusive behaviour towards others

Abuse affects our children and their presenting behaviours in different ways and the list above is not exhaustive. Children who present with one or more of these signs are not necessarily victims of abuse and their behaviour will depend on their individual circumstances.

ALL staff are alert to behaviour that may cause concern and think about what the behaviour might signify. We actively encourage children to share with us any underlying reasons for their behaviour, and, where appropriate, to engage with their parents/carers so that the cause(s) of their behaviour can be investigated and understood with the appropriate support in place.

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 to signs of such abuse amongst all children.

How will the school respond?

A member of the safeguarding team (DSL/Deputy DSL) will discuss the concerns or allegations with the member of staff who has reported them and will, where necessary, take any immediate steps to ensure the safety of the child/all children affected.

The DSL/Deputy DSL will use their professional judgement to determine whether it is appropriate for alleged behaviour to be dealt with internally and, if so, whether any external specialist support is required. This may include consultation with children’s social care and/or any other external agencies on a no-names basis to determine the most appropriate response.