Overview of Children's Treatment Programme

Programme Goals

• To help children to stop their sexually inappropriate / harmful behaviour.         
• To be clear on what is OK and not OK sexual behaviour.         
• Understand and take responsibility for their sexually inappropriate / harmful behaviour.         
• Understand the thoughts and feelings they had prior to sexually harming another child.         
• Understand the impact of their sexually harmful behaviour and how they may have affected others.         
• Make safe choices for the future.         
• Recommend treatment options if they have been sexually harmed themselves.

Treatment Programme

Consists of the following components over about 15 week period:  

Individual Therapy  

Individual therapy will most likely be effective when:           

• Ongoing support of the child is provided by a primary parent figure         
• A sense of safety has been or is being established for the child to protect against future victimization        
• The therapy with the child is occurring concurrently with therapy that is creating systems change and a non-abusing parent is having regular contact with the clinician in family therapy        
• The clinician is skilful, goal-orientated, conceptually clear, and willing to be directive in a supportive manner         
• The child is able to communicate regarding the inappropriate/sexually harmful behaviour and can tolerate the intensity of the therapy process  

Group Work   (If provided)     

• Careful screening and placement in a group based on:       
  • Developmental and emotional level       
  • Extent of the sexually harmful behaviour       
  • Gender         
• An interactive approach that allows for immediate practice and feedback of social skills and management of behaviour, impulses and emotions         
• Structured format moving into free play and a less anxiety-provoking activity        
• Group runs for 90 minutes weekly         
• Parallel parents group to provide education and support in order to ensure a safe environment for the child working to change sexually harmful behaviour  

Family Therapy :          

• Is child focused using playful approaches that enable the child to have a voice about matters than concern them         
• Aims to establish safe and clear boundaries that encourage the development of honesty and responsibility in the family system         
• Involves a systematic view that includes all members of the child’s system of concern e.g. absent parents          
• Supports the other therapeutic work that the child has engaged in where the flow of information is carefully and appropriately managed with due regard to confidentiality and the limits of this         
• Builds on the strengths and resources of the child and family         
• Attends to the cognitive ability of the child and to the verbal and non-verbal language of the child        
• Aims to facilitate conversations that assist in the negotiation of family relationships that continue in the child’s world outside of therapy