Young people who have sexually abused: what do they (and their parents) want from professionals? (original) (raw)
Related papers
The purpose of this phase of the study was to examine the current level of consensus in the UK and Republic of Ireland on intervention in respect of young people who have sexually abused. A three-stage Delphi procedure was used to survey the views of 78 experienced practitioners in this field. First, practitioners were asked to respond to a series of open-ended questions that addressed a broad range of intervention issues and components, including their philosophical and theoretical basis, and the challenges faced in practice. Subsequently, respondents were asked to scale their level of agreement or disagreement with statements that had emerged from the first stage of the exercise. This chapter summarises the main findings from this, the first of two Delphi studies undertaken, within the context of the overall research programme.
In Demand: Therapeutic Services for Children and Young People Who Have Experienced Sexual Abuse
This paper describes the key findings of an NSPCC study estimating need, in the UK, for therapeutic services for children who have experienced sexual abuse. This is based upon current estimates of the prevalence and impact of sexual abuse towards children and young people against the availability of therapeutic services in the UK. Data were collected on service location, availability, scope and coverage across England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. Researchers: (1) mapped 508 services; (2) collected data from 195 services via a structured questionnaire; (3) followed up 21 service managers and 11 service commissioners with a semi-structured interview; and (4) carried out two focus groups with young people.
Child Abuse & Neglect, 2002
Objective: This study was designed to determine whether it is possible to prevent those sexually abused boys who are at risk of abusing other children from doing so, and to assess whether factors associated with an experience of sexual abuse in young people who are offending can be dealt with as a key aspect of therapeutic work alongside treatment of offending behavior. Method: The author examined cross-sectional and longitudinal research which demonstrates the impact on sexually abused children of living in a climate of violence, suffering physical abuse, exposure to abuse of maternal figures, and suffering disruption and poor quality of care and supervision. These factors are confirmed in prospective research. Results: The application of these findings to therapeutic programs for boys who are sexually abused is described, including the assessment of care needs as well as the specific therapeutic work with the young person, and work to modify the family context. The specific treatment of victimization experiences in young people who have committed sexual offenses is also examined, with recommendations for modification of treatment approaches suggested. Conclusion: It is vital in therapeutic work with boy victims of sexual abuse that the issue of their abusive potential be considered, even if a relatively small proportion of such boys will go on to abuse others. Given that boys who do sexually abuse are likely to have grown up in a climate of violence and poor care, methods of dealing with such victimization experiences need to be developed alongside offending focused treatments.
Young people who sexually abuse
2008
Contents Glossary of key terms 4 Background 5 Principles of assessment 10 Identification 11 Assessment of risk and need 12 Individual needs 20 Heterogeneity of need 20 Needs of groups identified as sexually abusing 20 Young people with learning disabilities 21 Young people with co-morbid conditions 22 Young people from minority ethnic communities 23 Young women who sexually abuse 23 Communication 25 Communication pathways 25 Communications with the young person and family 26 The evidence base 28 Treatment approaches 28 Evaluation of treatment studies 29 Recidivism rates 32 Care, welfare and placement 33 Innovations in justice 34 Custodial placement 34 Service needs, priorities and interventions 34 Matching needs to levels of intervention 36 Case management 36 Transition 38 Coordination 38 Training 40 Principles and practice 40 Management 41 Responsibilities Service development 42 Needs and priorities 42 Coordination 42 Development of multi-agency partnership working 42 Developing local policy and guidance 43 Commissioning services 44 Tiered framework of provision 45 Monitoring and evaluation 48 Priorities and issues 48 Conclusions and key recommendations 51 Appendix A: Notes on risk assessment tools 53 Appendix B: Tables of studies 54
A Meta-Summary of Qualitative Findings about Professional Services for Survivors of Sexual Violence
Qualitative report (Online), 2010
Sexual violence occurs at alarming rates in children and adults. Survivors experience myriad negative health outcomes and legal problems, which place them in need of professional services. A meta-summary was conducted of 31 published qualitative studies on adults' responses to sexual violence, with a focus on survivors' use of professional services. Combined samples included 46 men, 984 women, and six couples who had experienced sexual violence at any point in their lives. Findings indicated that qualities of professional service providers and outcomes of professional services were perceived either positively or negatively (rather than neutrally) by survivors, regardless of the provider's professional discipline. Professionals who work with sexual violence survivors can use these findings to improve their practices.
Child Abuse & Neglect
Harmful sexual behavior carried out by children and young people accounts for about half of all child sexual abuse perpetration. The aim of this study was to draw on the insights of young people who had been sexually abusive to enhance the current prevention agenda. The study involved semi-structured interviews with 14 young people and six treatment-providing workers. Sampling was purposive and the young people had previously completed a treatment program for harmful sexual behaviour in Victoria, Australia. The young people were approached as experts based on their previous experience of engaging in harmful sexual behavior. At the same time, their past abusive behavior was not condoned or minimised. Constructivist Grounded Theory was used to analyse the qualitative data. Opportunities for preventing harmful sexual behavior were the focus of the interviews with young people and workers. The research identified three opportunities for prevention, which involved acting on behalf of children and young people to: reform their sexuality education; redress their victimization experiences; and help their management of pornography. These opportunities could inform the design of initiatives to enhance the prevention agenda. 1. Introduction Child sexual abuse has negative, far-reaching impacts on victims. In this paper, child sexual abuse is defined as: The involvement of a child in sexual activity that he or she does not fully comprehend, is unable to give informed consent to, or for which the child is not developmentally prepared, or else that violates the laws or social taboos of society. Children can be sexually abused by both adults and other children who are-by virtue of their age or stage of development-in a position of responsibility, trust or power over the victim. (World Health Organization, 2006, p. 20) Child sexual abuse can include contact offences, such as vaginal or anal penetration, or non-contact offences, such as coercing a child to watch pornography or involving a child in sexual exploitation (World Health Organization, 2006). The impacts of child sexual abuse include: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder; depression and self-harming behavior; sexually reactive and harmful sexual behavior; and poor academic outcomes (Paolucci, Genuis, & Violato, 2001). The impacts of child sexual abuse are also associated with significant economic costs. During the 2012-2013 period in the United Kingdom, the economic costs of child sexual abuse was £3.2 billion (Saied-Tessier, 2014
Child & Family Social Work, 2016
This paper presents the findings of a qualitative study with children affected by sexual abuse who had recently completed a therapeutic intervention (N=12), and their carers (N=17). Four themes emerged from the thematic analysis that influenced participants' satisfaction with the service: the attribution of the child's recovery to the therapeutic support received; the therapeutic relationship between the child and practitioner; children's recollection of important aspects of the intervention; and the relationship between the carer and the child's practitioner. The findings indicate that the process elements of therapeutic support, including the development of strong relationships and allowing children choice and control, are as important as the content.
Adolescents who experienced sexual abuse: fears, needs and impediments to disclosure
Child Abuse & Neglect, 2004
Objective: Understanding the impediments that prevented sexually abused adolescents from disclosure to their family or to professionals, and analyzing the responses they received when they did disclose. Methods: In depth anonymous interviews were conducted in Italy through a toll-free telephone line with 36 young people who experienced sexual abuse in adolescence. A qualitative analysis was carried out of the adolescents' feelings, fears and needs, and of the help received, if any. Results: The main impediments to disclose to a family member were fear of not being believed, shame, and fear of causing trouble to the family. The main impediments for not seeking services were ignorance of the existence/functioning of protective agencies, wish to keep the secret, lack of awareness of being abused, mistrust of adults and professionals, and fear of the consequences of disclosure. When they did disclose to professionals, the teens received very limited support. Conclusion: Adolescents need to receive proper information about the risk of being sexually abused and about the help they can receive from their social network and protective agencies. There is a crucial need for appropriate training of professionals.
Children and Youth Services Review
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Family Responses to Young People Who have Sexually Abused: Anger, Ambivalence and Acceptance
Children & Society, 2012
Data on 117 British young people who had sexually abused others were examined in order to investigate the nature and impact of family responses on the management of young sexual abusers. Parental responses were varied, ranging from being entirely supportive of the child, through to ambivalence and uncertainty and, at the other end of the continuum, to outright rejection. Parents were more likely to be supportive when their child's victims were extra-familial and condemnatory when the victims were intra-familial. Sibling responses were complex and strongly influenced by whether that sibling was the victim of the young person's abuse or not. Policy and practice implications are discussed.