Honest Conversations: Navigating Peer-on-Peer Abuse

| By Darkness to Light
Categories: Featured Posts, General News, Honest Conversation

Peer-on-peer abuse is a difficult topic, and one we must address head on.

Our team at Darkness to Light hosted an Honest Conversations webinar with three leading experts in prevention to unpack this complex issue, share insights, and empower adults with the tools they need to navigate it effectively. 

We were joined by thought leaders from Thorn, The Moore Center for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse, and Stop It Now, each of whom brought a wealth of knowledge and experience to the discussion. Together, we explored the realities of peer-on-peer abuse, what the latest research reveals, and how adults can play a key role in prevention. 

Statistics Shared 

  • More than 70% of children who are sexually abused are abused by a peer (Gewirtz-Meydan, & Finklehor, 2020).
  • When looking at peer-on-peer sexual assault, incidents occurred most commonly at schools (44%) (Young et al., 2009).
  • The rate of recidivism, or the juvenile reoffending, is very low – between 5% and 14% and the most do not become adults who abuse. (National Center on the Sexual Behavior of Youth)  

Resources Shared 

Part 2: Policies and Practices

During this Part 2 follow-up session, we dove deeper into creating effective organizational policies and explored how organizations and communities can play an active role in preventing peer-on-peer abuse.

Our team discussed these topics with Tanya Ramos-Puig, CEO of Monique Burr Foundation for Children, Scott Eastman, CEO of Siskiyou Family YMCA, and Rachael Wise, Director of Consulting of The Redwoods Group.

 

Resources Shared 

What’s Next?  

Our discussion with these leading organizations was just the beginning. Preventing peer-on-peer abuse requires ongoing commitment from parents, educators, and communities.

If you missed the webinar, you can watch Part 1 here. Part 2 can be viewed here.

This series contains descriptions of adult subject matter, including child sexual abuse. It may not be suitable for everyone and viewer discretion is advised. If you need support after watching, please reach out to 800.656.HOPE (4673) for confidential support and resources. For more information on our Honest Conversations web series, click here.

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