This article reports on an exploratory study into young people's exposure to aggression and violence. It undertakes a collective examination of the domains occupied by young people and in doing so focuses on an area that has for the most part been overlooked by previous researchers in the UK. The analysis is based on the responses of 98 young people aged 13-16 from two secondary schools in the north-west of England. The main findings reveal that the young people's exposure to violence as a bystander is a regular occurrence and that their communities were no more or less damaging than the schools they attended. Observations are also offered in relation to policy initiatives intended to promote pupil well-being and a more conducive learning environment within primary and secondary schools. (Contains 1 note and 3 figures.)