Child-on-Child Abuse - It's NOT Banter!

Prompted by the Women and Equalities Committee report, the DfE released guidance for schools entitled ‘Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Between Children in Schools and Colleges’. This guidance was then updated in light of the ‘Everyone’s Invited Campaign’ and the Ofsted Rapid Review of Sexual Abuse in Schools.

Comberton Village College established a staff working group to decide on our approach in addressing this important matter.

Child-on-child abuse is most likely to include, but may not be limited to:

• 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
• sexual violence, such as rape, sexual assault (this may include an online element)
• sexual harassment, such as sexual comments, remarks, jokes, and online sexual harassment
• causing someone to engage in sexual activity without consent
• consensual and non-consensual sharing of nude and semi-nude images and/or videos (sexting)
• upskirting, which typically involves taking a picture under a person’s clothing without their permission
• initiation/hazing type violence and rituals (this could include activities involving harassment, abuse or humiliation used as a way of initiating a person into a group, which may include an online element)

At Comberton Village College our focus will be on addressing child-on-child abuse (sexual & physical abuse, cyber bullying, and pornography) as well as healthy relationships and consent through educational assemblies and PSHE.

Our aim is to educate all students on appropriate behaviours, attitudes, and languages. Inappropriate behaviours, attitudes and languages can contribute to a culture of sexual harassment which could lead to sexual violence as presented in the pyramid below.

Age-appropriate assemblies are conducted in school for all students and staff receive training and reminders about child-on-child abuse and will be:

• ‘Calling Out’ students whose behaviour, attitude and language are unacceptable/harmful.
• ‘Calling In’ students to educate, helping students rethink and potentially change their behaviour, attitude, and language.

We encourgae and support students to report any incidents of child-on-child abuse and the following posters, designed by students at Comberton Village College are displayed around school.

Do take the time to watch the recent Panorama report shown on BBC Who’s Protecting Our Kids?

If you have any concerns, worries, or want to talk to someone, please contact us safeguarding@combertonvc.org.