Child-on-child abuse and coercion with Adele Eastman, Senior Counsel in Farrer and Co’s safeguarding unit and a board member for The Centre for Social Justice

We talk to Adele Eastman, Senior Counsel in Farrer and Co’s Safeguarding Unit and a board member for the Centre for Social Justice, about child-on-child abuse and coercion. Adele defines child-on-child abuse and explains the issue of child sexual exploitation (CSE) and child criminal exploitation (CCE). Additionally, we cover key updates on contextual safeguarding, intersectionality and adultification, and address the issue of harmful sexual behaviour, including the impact on children and young people watching pornography. Finally, Adele shares her solutions for preventative interventions.

We want to reiterate that whilst the issue of child-on-child abuse can be very complex and challenging, there is hope and it’s important not to feel overwhelmed by it – there are numerous resources and services offering effective support and solutions (you’ll find the links to these under the podcast).

Here are links to the materials mentioned in the podcast:

• Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE 2022): https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1101454/Keeping_children_safe_in_education_2022.pdf
• Contextual Safeguarding Network: https://www.contextualsafeguarding.org.uk/
• Jahnine Davis (a leading expert in intersectionality) and organisation she co-founded – Listen Up: https://listenupresearch.org/
• Report published by the Children’s Commissioner for England, ‘A lot of it is actually just abuse’ Young people and pornography, 31 January 2023: https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/report/a-lot-of-it-is-actually-just-abuse-young-people-and-pornography/
• Guardian article on County Lines, 10 December 2022: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/dec/10/county-lines-gangs-cost-of-living-crisis

If you are a staff member you can refer to Adele’s Key Points on Prevention: A Whole School Approach below.

Schools should actively seek to raise awareness of and prevent all forms of child-on-child abuse by:

• educating all governors, their SLT, staff, students and parents about this issue
• supporting and promoting the on-going wellbeing and mental health of the student body
• working with governors, their SLT, and all staff, students and parents to address equality issues, promote positive values, and encourage a culture of tolerance and respect amongst all members of the school community
• creating an inclusive and equitable school culture where students from all racial and ethnic backgrounds feel safe and can thrive
• creating conditions in which students can aspire to, and realise, safe and healthy relationships
• responding to cases of child-on-child abuse promptly and appropriately; and
• ensuring that all child-on-child abuse cases are fed back to safeguarding team – so that they can ensure that (i) any referrals which may be necessary are made to the relevant statutory services as appropriate, (ii) spot and address any concerning trends, (iii) identify students who may be in need of additional support, and (iv) address any locations in or around the school in need of attention.

The new child-on-child abuse resource has been developed in collaboration with Professor Carlene Firmin (of Durham University), Professor Andy Phippen (of Bournemouth University), Delyth Lynch (Deputy Head (Safeguarding) of Wellington College), and Elizabeth Prochaska (then a barrister).