ABSTRACT
Warr was particularly concerned to explore the nature of peer influence on 'delinquent' behaviours and like others established that individuals are more influenced by peers to engage in 'risky' behaviours during adolescence than during adulthood or the earlier stages of childhood. In the absence of a contextual account of peer-on-peer abuse, vulnerability has been constructed through an individualistic lens, pathologising young people and families affected by the phenomenon. A reciprocal relationship between individual decision-making and peer group behaviours has been noted about offending in general and peer-on-peer abuse more specifically. If peers could be supported to be pro-social and supportive, and in doing so challenge abusive norms, then they could complement, rather than undermine, interventions with families and individuals affected by peer-on-peer abuse. Finally, it is critical that policymakers and practitioners interrogate and respond to the nature of the environments in which abuse occurs.
