Understanding Lateral Violence: What It Is and How to Address It

Lateral violence is a term that comes up often in Indigenous communities and other marginalized groups, but it’s not always well understood outside of them. Addressing it starts with naming it clearly.

What lateral violence actually is

Lateral violence refers to harmful behaviour — bullying, gossip, exclusion, undermining, infighting — directed at members of one’s own community rather than at the systems or people actually responsible for oppression or harm. It’s a pattern that tends to emerge in communities that have experienced sustained trauma, colonization, or systemic marginalization.

Why it happens

Lateral violence isn’t a character flaw in the people who display it — it’s a learned response to powerlessness. When people can’t safely direct frustration, grief, or anger at the actual source of harm, that energy often gets redirected toward people closer at hand, including family, peers, and community members.

How it shows up in schools and youth programs

Among youth, lateral violence can look like exclusion, rumour-spreading, undermining peers who are trying to succeed, or tearing others down rather than lifting them up. Left unaddressed, it erodes trust within a school or community and makes it harder for young people to support each other.

Breaking the cycle

Addressing lateral violence starts with naming it — many young people have never heard the term and don’t recognize the pattern in their own behaviour or the behaviour around them. From there, the work is building safer spaces for people to express frustration constructively, modelling support over competition, and helping communities reconnect with a shared sense of purpose rather than internal division.

Why this matters for schools and communities

A school or community that actively works to address lateral violence sees real benefits — stronger peer relationships, less bullying, and a culture where young people build each other up instead of tearing each other down.

Carlin offers a dedicated Lateral Violence workshop for schools and communities. Get in touch to learn more or book a session.