Active Research

Building a knowledge frame for responding to the needs of children and young people who have engaged in harmful sexual behaviour

Response to child sexual abuse

Prevention of child sexual abuse
Understanding child sexual abuse

Research Topic areas

Drivers of child sexual abuse
Harmful sexual behaviours
Therapeutic responses

Project Duration

Start: September 2022

End: March 2024

Geographical Scope

Multi-national (including Australia)

Populations

Workforce

Young adults (18-25 years)Adults (26-65 years)Older adults (>65 years)

Gender

All genders

Project Lead

Associate Professor Dominiek Coates, The National Centre for Action on Child Sexual Abuse

Dr Joe Tucci, The Australian Childhood Foundation

Project lead email: research@nationalcentre.org.au

Project Team

Cyra Fernandes, The Australian Childhood Foundation

Background

There is a need to develop clinical guidelines in relation to harmful sexual behaviours (HSB). HSB are sexual behaviours displayed by children and young people that fall outside what may be considered developmentally, socially and culturally expected, may cause harm to themselves or others, and occur either face to face and/or via technology. When these behaviours involve another child or young person, they may include a lack of consent, reciprocity, mutuality, and involve the use of coercion, force or a misuse of power.

This project was funded by the National Office for Child Safety (NOCS) to help address this gap.

Aims

To inform the development of a clinical framework to prevent and respond to HSB, and outline current evidence and best practice recommendations in relation to:
I. The factors that contribute to the development of HSB
II. Assessment
III. Intervention and response
IV. Early intervention and prevention
V. Workforce development

Methods

Since there is no existing theory or framework to understand and respond to HSB, this study employs an exploratory approach, informed by principles of grounded theory.
Data collection and analysis are conducted across multiple study phases and include the following datasets that will be integrated to address the research questions:
• Forty key informant interviews with Australian and international experts,
• A comprehensive mapping of the national and international service landscape, using information available from the services’ websites, and
• A comprehensive review of the literature, consisting of a two-phased approach: systematic evidence mapping, followed by a series of integrative reviews

Significance and Dissemination

This study will inform the development of a framework to prevent and respond to HSB, and recommendations for services for children, young people, and their families, that includes:
• An understanding of the diversity of children and young people who engage in HSB
• A conceptual framework for understanding the development of HSB
• A framework to inform holistic and developmentally appropriate assessment
• A framework to guide intervention and response, including best practice principles and Holistic and multisystemic approaches
• Recommendations for prevention
• Recommendations for workforce development
• Insights to guide practice for specific populations, specifically children and young people with an intellectual and developmental disability and First Nations young peoples.

Further Details

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Funding body:
The National Office for Child Safety

Monitoring and governance:
This project is guided by oversight of the National Centre for Action on Child Sexual abuse and the Australian Childhood Foundation

Australian Human Research Ethics Committee:
This project is subject to ethical oversight by the University of Technology Sydney Human Research Ethics Committee

Webpage link:
https://nationalcentre.org.au/research/towards-a-framework-to-prevent-and-respond-to-children-with-harmful-sexual-behaviours/

Prevention of child sexual abuse

From bystanders to allies: a structural feminist perspective for supporting child victims and adult survivors of child rape and torture.

Emma Rees
Queensland University of Technology

Understanding child sexual abuse

Preventing child sexual abuse by understanding perpetrators’ motivations

Kelly Richards
Queensland University of Technology, School of Justice

Needs of victims and survivors

Supporting Victims and Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse: Rapid Evidence Reviews

Michaela Guthridge
The National Centre for Action on Child Sexual Abuse