The Herefordshire Safeguarding Children Partnership has published a new guidance about Peer on Peer Abuse for all staff and frontline practitioners of agencies and organisations within Herefordshire (including the voluntary and community sector) that work with children, young people and their families.
Any child may be the victim, or the abuser, in peer on peer abuse. Peer-on-peer abuse is any form of physical, sexual, emotional and financial abuse, and coercive control exercised between children, and within children’s relationships (both intimate and non-intimate), friendships, and wider peer associations. It can include bullying, physical violence, abusive online activity such as cyber-bullying, up-skirting, initiations/hazing, harmful sexual behaviour, or exploitation, among other actions. Peer on peer abuse is a significant issue that can have a severe impact on children; each case should be addressed as a serious matter and not dismissed as a trivial issue between young people
The Peer on Peer Abuse guidance will help professionals to understand this problem, their role and what they should do to prevent, identify, and address instances of peer on peer abuse. All professionals in Herefordshire should familiarise themselves with the guidance, understand what peer on peer abuse is, their role and actions they should take.
You can access the Peer on Peer Abuse guidance on the West Midlands Child Protection Procedures page here: Sexually harmful behaviour tools and pathways (procedures.org.uk)
For any questions, contact admin.sbu@herefordshire.gov.uk