Child on child abuse is when children abuse other children, this type of abuse can take place inside and outside of school, and online.  It is most likely to include but is not limited to :

• Bullying (including cyber-bullying, 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 (this may include an online element which facilitates, threatens and/or encourages physical abuse)
• Sexual harassment, such as sexual comments, remarks, jokes and online sexual harassment, which may be standalone or part of a broader pattern of abuse
• 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)
• Causing someone to engage in sexual activity without consent, such as forcing someone to strip, touch themselves sexually, or to engage in sexual activity with a third party
• Consensual and non-consensual sharing of nudes and semi nudes images and/or videos (also known as sexting or youth produced sexual imagery)
• Upskirting, which typically involves taking a picture under a person’s clothing without their permission, with the intention of viewing their genitals or buttocks to obtain sexual gratification, or cause the victim humiliation, distress or alarm
• 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 and may also include an online element)
• Where children abuse their peers online, this may take the form of abusive, harassing, and misogynistic messages; the non-consensual sharing of indecent images, especially around chat groups; and the sharing of abusive images and pornography, to those who don't want to receive such content.

The schools approach to dealing with child on child abuse can be found in more detail on our policies and procedures page: Shenley Brook End School - Policies and Procedures (sbeschool.org.uk)

Is child abuse where children and young people are manipulated coerced into committing crimes:  

We recognise that identifying, tackling and preventing the exploitation of children is a complex task that requires a coordinated collaborated approach through partnership working in conjunction with the victim/survivor, their family, and the community.  

Please click here for detailed information

Child trafficking involves moving children across or within national or international borders for the purposes of exploitation. Exploitation includes children being used for sex work, domestic work, restaurant/ sweatshop, drug dealing, shoplifting and benefit fraud. Where Shenley Brook End school is made aware of a child is suspected of or is being trafficked/exploited, we will report our concerns to the appropriate agency.

More information can be accessed here.

Children and young people can be exploited and suffer bullying through their use of modern technology such as the Internet, mobile phones and social networking sites. In order to minimise the risks to our children and young people, Shenley Brook End school will ensure that we have in place appropriate measures such as security filtering (Smoothwall), and an acceptable use policy linked to our Online Safety policy. We will ensure that staff are aware of how not to compromise their position of trust in or outside of the school and are aware of the dangers associated with social networking sites. Where it is suspected that a child is at risk from Internet abuse, cybercrime or cyberbullying we will report our concerns to the appropriate agency. 

For further information please refer to our Online safety policy, which can be found here:  Online Safety Policy

Useful guidance for parents/carers and students: Keeping their activities safe  

Children are best protected by regularly attending school where they will be safe from harm and where there are professionals to monitor their wellbeing. All children, regardless of their circumstances, are entitled to a full-time education which is suitable to their age, ability, aptitude, and any special educational needs they may have. Local authorities have a duty to establish, as far as it is possible to do so, the identity of children of compulsory school age who are missing education in their area. 

At Shenley Brook End school, we will encourage full attendance for all our children at school. Where we have concerns that a child is missing education because of suspected abuse, we will liaise with the appropriate agency including the Education Attendance Service to effectively manage the risks and to prevent abuse from taking place. 

A child going missing from education is a potential indicator of abuse or neglect. School will follow the Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy and follow local procedures for dealing with children that go missing from education, particularly on repeat occasions, to help identify the risk of abuse and neglect, including criminal and sexual exploitation, and to help prevent the risks of their going missing in future. 

Staff receive regular continual professional development to enable them to identify children at risk.  

An important part of the school's role in educating young people in relation to healthy relationships and sex education includes working in partnership with external agencies – we work with iCaSH who provide sexual health information and services to young people across MK in and out of school settings. They provide a confidential, in school service for students (Year 10-13) to discuss worries concerning their sexual health and relationship issues, as well as providing contraception and sexual health screening. iCaSH will encourage students to talk to their parents/carers about the service they have received however as this is a confidential service, parents will not be notified unless the young person gives consent.  

Being homeless or being at risk of becoming homeless presents a real risk to a child’s welfare. The designated safeguarding lead (and any deputies) should be aware of contact details and referral routes in to the Local Housing Authority so they can raise/progress concerns at the earliest opportunity. Indicators that a family may be at risk of homelessness include household debt, rent arrears, domestic abuse and anti-social behaviour, as well as the family being asked to leave a property. Whilst referrals and or discussion with the Local Housing Authority should be progressed as appropriate, this does not, and should not, replace a referral into children’s social care where a child has been harmed or is at risk of harm.  

We will support young people aged over 16, to access support through children's social care which will enable them to stay at home and to discuss what other options may be available to them.  

For information on external support available - please click here 

'Honour-based’ violence (HBV) encompasses incidents or crimes which have been committed to protect or defend the honour of the family and/or the community, including female genital mutilation (FGM), forced marriage, and practices such as breast ironing. Abuse committed in the context of preserving “honour” often involves a wider network of family or community pressure and can include multiple perpetrators. It is important to be aware of this dynamic and additional risk factors when deciding what form of safeguarding action to take. All forms of HBV are abuse (regardless of the motivation) and should be handled and escalated as such. It is important to be alert to signs of distress and indications such as self-harm, absence from the school and truancy, infections resulting from female genital mutilation, isolation from peers, being monitored by family, not participating in school activities and unreasonable restrictions at home. Where it is suspected that a child/young person is at risk form Honour based violence, Shenley Brook End school will report those concerns to the appropriate agency in order to prevent this form of abuse taking place. 

Some members of our communities hold beliefs that may be common within particular cultures but which are against the law of England. Milton Keynes Safeguarding Partnership does not condone practices that are illegal and which are harmful to children. Examples of particular practices are: 

-Domestic abuse 

-Theft (eg passport) 

-False imprisonment 

-Kidnapping 

-Child abduction 

Some faiths believe that spirits and demons can possess people (including children). What should never be considered is the use of any physical or psychological violence to get rid of the possessing spirit. This is abusive and will result in the criminal conviction of those using this form of abuse even if the intention is to help the child. 

The Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum age) Act 2022 is in effect from Monday 27^th February 2023.  The Act has raised the minimum age of marriage and civil partnership to 18 in England and Wales to protect children from forced marriage.  It is now a criminal offence to cause a child under the age of 18 to enter a marriage or civil partnership in any circumstances, this includes ceremonies of marriage in community or traditional settings which are not legally binding. 

Further information can be found here Implementation of the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Act 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Forcing someone into marriage is a crime. A forced marriage is one entered into without the full and free consent of one or both parties and where violence, threats, or any other form of coercion is used to cause a person to enter into a marriage. Threats can be physical or emotional and psychological. Staff receive training around forced marriage and the presenting symptoms.  

For further information regarding forced marriage please contact forced marriage unit on 0207 0080151 or fmu@fco.gov.uk