Theme of the Month - Peer on Peer Abuse and Bullying

Peer-on-peer abuse is any form of physical, sexual, emotional and financial abuse, and coercive control carried out between children (those under the age of 18), and within their relationships, friendships, and wider peer associations.

Peer-on-peer abuse can take various forms, including:

• Physical and sexual abuse

• Sexual harassment and violence

• Emotional harm

• On and offline bullying

• Teenage relationship abuse

Examples of Peer on Peer Abuse include:

• 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; 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 sexting or youth produced sexual imagery)