Child on Child Abuse

Young people can abuse other children. This can happen in school, the local community and online. Child on child abuse can upset and hurt others both physically and emotionally. These affects can have a lasting impact on wellbeing.

Bullying, including physical abuse (hitting, kicking etc), cyberbullying, prejudice-based and discriminatory bullying, are the most obvious form of abuse. Child on child abuse includes wider forms of abuse such as exploitation, manipulation, control, harassment and cruelty. Young people may not initially be able to recognise all forms of abuse because they don’t understand it, recognise it is happening or believe it to be ‘messing’, ‘joking’ or ‘banter’.

Other forms of abuse include:

Abuse/ controlling behaviour in friendships and personal relationships between peers,
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 youth produced sexual imagery)
‘Up skirting’,
Criminal exploitation, county lines.

All of our staff are aware of peer on peer abuse. Our staff:

contribute to a school culture which is compassionate, respectful and committed to protecting young people from peer on peer abuse,
understand how and when to log any peer on peer abuse on CPOMS,
can offer support and guidance to students who may have experienced a form of peer on peer abuse,
understand the importance of challenging inappropriate behaviours between peers that are abusive in nature,
recognise the impact of wider societal factors such as everyday sexist stereotypes and everyday sexist language on young people’s attitudes,
are good role models throughout the school.

Harmful sexual behaviour

Sexual violence and sexual harassment can occur between two children of any age and sex from primary through to secondary stage and into colleges. It can also occur through a group of children sexually assaulting or sexually harassing a single child or group of children.

Laurus Cheadle Hulme is committed to a school culture which is compassionate, respectful and committed to protecting young people from peer on peer abuse and harmful sexual behaviour. Staff will strive to respond quickly and efficiently to inappropriate behaviour (even if it appears to be relatively innocuous) as this can be a crucial intervention that helps prevent problematic, abusive and/or violent behaviour in the future.

Through staff and student training, Laurus Cheadle Hulme educates how to recognise this behaviour and does not underestimate behaviour between peers or class potential abuse as “banter”, “just having a laugh” or “part of growing up”. The school recognises the impact of wider societal factors such as sexist stereotypes and sexist language on young people’s attitudes. Staff will educate, respond to and challenge any students who may display these attitudes at Laurus Cheadle Hulme.

Young people who may have been subjected to inappropriate behaviours will always be taken seriously and given the support and reassurances they require.

For further support with online Harmful Sexual Behaviour view the school’s online sexual exploitation page.