Child-on-child abuse: A Christian parent’s guide to keeping children safe

As the Youth Endowment Fund reveals the scale of abuse in the UK of young people by other young people, Safeguarding charity Thirtyone:Eight provide 5 ways Christian parents can protect their children

Warning: This article contains information about child abuse that you might find distressing.

It’s not easy to think about, but recent figures show that cases of child-on-child abuse are on the rise across the UK. The latest data from the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) reveals that over half of recorded child sexual abuse and exploitation offences, where the offender’s age was known, involved young people aged just 10 to 17. Around 41% of these cases involve indecent images — often pictures or videos that teenagers have taken of themselves and shared, sometimes thinking it’s harmless or “normal” behaviour. The National Association for People Abused in Childhood (NAPAC), describe this as a “fundamental shift” in the way abuse is happening today.

as scary as the statistics may sound, the good news is that with God’s help, parents can make a huge difference in preventing child-on-child abuse

In scripture, God’s love and protection for children is clear. Jesus said, “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea” (Matthew 18:6, NIV). Without exception, Jesus welcomed children and treated them with respect and dignity. This is the model for how we should treat children, as parents, adults, but also children to one another, as peers.

As parents and caregivers, the culture at home and what we model can have a big impact on protecting our children. And, as scary as the statistics may sound, the good news is that with God’s help, parents can make a huge difference in preventing child-on-child abuse.

What is child-on-child abuse?

Child-on-child abuse, also referred to as ……