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Peer-on-peer abuse toolkit

Insight

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Devised by Farrer & Co's Safeguarding Unit, in collaboration with Dr Carlene Firmin, MBE, University of Bedfordshire

Peer-on-peer abuse is one of the most significant risks facing our children today. Despite this, it has, until more recently, received relatively little attention from academics, policy makers and practitioners alike. In addition, it can remain under-recognised by professionals working with children, and under-reported by children themselves. As a result, neither the nature nor the true scale of peer-on-peer abuse is fully understood, and schools can continue to struggle to address this issue in a comprehensive way, if at all, with obvious safeguarding implications for children.

The peer-on-peer abuse toolkit is the Safeguarding Unit's and Dr Firmin's combined response to this. It provides practical guidance for schools on how to prevent, identify early and respond appropriately to peer-on-peer abuse. It encourages schools to adopt a clear and comprehensive approach to such abuse - tailored to the school's specific safeguarding circumstances, to look behind children's behaviour, and to identify and challenge any underlying attitudes, social conditions and contextual dynamics that may have led to peer-on-peer abuse.

Please click here to download a PDF of our peer-on-peer abuse toolkit.

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About the authors

David Smellie safeguarding lawyer, employment lawyer

David Smellie

Partner

David is consistently rated one of the top employment and safeguarding lawyers in the UK. Whether advising on senior executive moves within PLCs or private equity, or the handling of serious or high-profile safeguarding cases, either past or present, David is acknowledged for the clarity and astuteness of his advice – always looking several steps ahead in an attempt to futureproof whatever action is contemplated now.

David is consistently rated one of the top employment and safeguarding lawyers in the UK. Whether advising on senior executive moves within PLCs or private equity, or the handling of serious or high-profile safeguarding cases, either past or present, David is acknowledged for the clarity and astuteness of his advice – always looking several steps ahead in an attempt to futureproof whatever action is contemplated now.

Email David +44 (0)20 3375 7394
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