Commissioned research

Evaluating a harmful sexual behaviour education program in a residential care setting

  • Children & young people
  • Education
  • Harmful sexual behaviours
  • Out-of-home care
  • Workforce
Project Length
12 months
Project Budget
(funded by National Centre)
$35,000
Funding Stream
Quality Improvement

Project Lead

Melinda Clarke, Life Without Barriers

Project Team

Cathy Webb, Life Without Barriers

Marina Dickson, Life Without Barriers

James Dalesio, Life Without Barriers

Background and Aim

This project aims to evaluate the outcomes of Life Without Barriers’ Understanding Harmful Sexual Behaviour education program in a residential care setting. The program’s goals are to increase understanding of, and capacity to identify and respond appropriately to, harmful sexual behaviour among children and young people in out-of-home-care.

Methods

The project will explore the effectiveness of the training program at impacting staff knowledge and behaviour. With the support of our academic partner, we will design a methodology drawing on survey, interviews, and examination of records, involving the participation of over 120 direct support staff in residential care teams, in six locations across Australia.

Significance

Young people in residential care are at higher risk of engaging in, and being impacted by, harmful sexual behaviour than the broader population. The capability of individuals and organisations to prevent and respond appropriately to harmful sexual behaviour is crucial to preventing and mitigating further trauma to children and young people in residential care.

Related posts: 
  • Children & young people , 
  • Education , 
  • Harmful sexual behaviours , 
  • Out-of-home care , 
  • Workforce
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The National Centre for Action on Child Sexual Abuse (National Centre) respectfully acknowledges and celebrates the many Traditional Owners of the lands throughout Australia and pay our respects to ancestors of this country and Elders past and present. We recognise that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, culture and lore have existed within Australia continuously for over 65,000 years.

We acknowledge the ongoing leadership of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across Australia and those who have and continue to work tirelessly to address inequalities and improve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander justice outcomes for children and young people. The National Centre is committed to ensuring that the voices of those whose lives are affected by the decisions governments make should fundamentally inform those decisions. First Nations voices must be heard, raised and amplified through a Voice to Parliament. It is time for genuine and significant reform to progress healing through the Uluru Statement from the Heart.

We seek to honour the lived and living expertise of all victims and survivors of child sexual abuse, harnessing all ages, cultures, abilities and backgrounds, and commit to substantially addressing the harm of child sexual abuse, now and well into the future. We recognise that there are children and young people today who are experiencing sexual abuse and dedicate ourselves to doing all we can to promote their effective protection and care.

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