Crossed Lines: Responses to Harm in Young People's Relationships

The Crossed Lines framework aims to articulate best practice in responding to peer-based sexual harm among young people, suggesting preventative and early intervention responses.

The title Crossed Lines speaks to what happens when boundaries of trust, respect, and equality between young people are blurred or broken. It describes how peer relationships can shift from connection to control, from care to coercion, and when power, status, or vulnerability are used to harm.

These “crossed lines” are not only personal but social — shaped by gender, belonging, and the spaces young people move through. Naming when lines have been crossed helps us see the harm more clearly and opens the way to help young people rebuild safety, dignity, and respect for themselves, and for others.