Harmful Sexual Behaviour

These guidelines were created by Stirling, Falkirk and Clackmannanshire Education departments to help schools deal with incidents of HSB and to better support the young people involved. 

Managing & Preventing Harmful Sexual Behaviour

The Guidelines sit within the wider scope of Management of Sexual Behaviour, along with other approaches such as TAC meetings, CARM, teaching RSHP, as shown in this diagram.

Below are sections of the Guidelines and resources to assist school staff. 

Step 1 – Prevention of Harmful Sexual Behaviour

Expert Group Report from the Scottish Government (202O) recommends that schools teach Relationships, Sexual Health & Parenthood Education as a key preventative measure. ‘Without the relevant skills and knowledge, how will children & young people know how to behave? This is particularly important for learners with additional support needs/learning disabilities who are less likely to receive RSHP and more likely to experience harmful sexual behaviour.’

This diagram demonstrates the key role of RSHP as a Preventative measure for ALL children and also for those who exhibit HSB.The recommended ‘go-to’ resource for RSHP (Scottish Government 2010) is the national RSHP resource rshp.scot.

Remember that effective RSHP needs to be age appropriate. Secondary school aged young people with learning disabilities need secondary school level RSHP (topics at levels 3, 4 and above, albeit adapted to an easier to read format if necessary). This ensures that their learning keeps up with their sexual development, fulfils their natural curiosity, equates to the real world they live in and helps to encourage appropriate, healthy behaviour.

Step 2 – When Harmful Sexual Behaviour occurs

Record all incidents on SEEMIS or in accordance to with your local Education authority (speak to your local Education Officer), from low to high level incidents. This helps to see what is happening in schools and where staff and students may need support.

Record all incidents on SEEMIS or in accordance with your local Education authority (speak to your local Education Officer), from low to high level incidents. This helps to see what is happening in schools and where staff and students may need support.

Complete the Monitoring Form. Recording of any incident should be factual and must include the child’s own explanation of events (Voice Of The Child is very important). Why did they do it? Use this Sexual Behaviour Monitoring Form, courtesy of the Aim Project. It records the voice of the child/children involved and the parents. Remember to be non-judgemental and have a trauma informed approach. It can take a lot of courage for a child to open up about what they have done, or what has been done to them.

Use the Traffic Light Tool and Hackett Continuum.  When HSB occurs, a good starting point is to consider- is it age appropriate, concerning or very concerning behaviour? The Traffic Light Tool (Cavanagh Johnson, T) offers a guide to sexual behaviour in different age groups. Always use the chronological age for children/young people with a learning disability as hormones/body changes/sexual drives and urges will happen at the same time as their peers.

This is a guide, but it is important that it is used alongside your own knowledge and understanding of the young person and the situation.

The Hackett Continuum also provides a Guide to Identifying Behaviour. It includes some of the motive and nature behind the behaviour- is it just bravado, a single occurrence, showing off? Or does it involve coercion, abuse of power, force?

Develop a consistent, clear response to the behaviour; this is for all teachers/parents/carers/adults who witness the behaviour at home and /or school. It should give a calm, clear, consistent message to the child/young person. For example, ‘That’s not ok’, ‘That’s for your bedroom’ and ‘We don’t allow….in school’

People who can help at this stage; your Child Protection co-ordinator can asses risk. Your local Education Officer can offer advice. See Further Information section at bottom of page for National Helpline, Safety Planning information etc.

Step 3 – Intervention and Action Plan

Use the Monitoring Form from step 2 to identify what support the child/young person needs. It is not enough just to stop the behaviour- we have to fulfil the needs of child/ young person to be successful. 
 
Use the Young Person’ Checklist based on the Good Lives Model theory of holistic intervention, and in line with the GIRFEC SHANARRI wheel. The Checklist looks at aspects such as Having fun, Achieving, Being my own person, Having people in my life, Having a purpose/ making a difference, Being safe, Emotional Health, Sexual health, General health.  These can all impact on behaviour, including HSB.
 
TAC meeting if required to allocate who does what, based on GIRFEC and the best person for each job. For example, schools should be responsible for RSHP, social works to support family, CAMHS assessment etc.
 
Create Action Plan and regularly review progress It can help you to formulate a child-centred Action Plan. You can use this Action Planning form to record your Action Plan. You can use this Review form. It is important to remember that Behaviour Change can be difficult, especially if certain behaviours have been ignored/allowed for some time. Children and young people need time to adapt. Just like adults, they may make progress but relapse. (How easy would it be for you to give up smoking/alcohol/chocolate tomorrow?) Patience is required.
 
Every Action Plan will involve some learning. Ensure good Relationships, Sexual Health & Parenthood Education is part of the process (see Step 1).
 

Additional Help and Support if required

  • Supporting a child or young person who has been harmed.  Use a trauma informed approach Record their version of events Offer support, counselling, safety planning arrangements if required. Use the CSA Guidelines on communicating effectively with the child and parents Helping education settings identify and respond to concerns – CSA Centre
  • Stop It Now Scotland Helpline and Website – Help and information for people/ parents/ professionals who are worried about their own, or others, sexual behaviour.
  • Childline – for young people who want to talk about their own behaviour
  • Local contact NHS Forth Valley Sexual Health Team Joanne Barrie joanne.barrie@nhs.scot
  • Scottish Government’s Expert Group Report and Guidelines 
  • Parents Protect website with information for parents and carers 
  • Taken from the Appendix of the Guidelines, some examples of approaches and interventions including Masturbation, Touching Others, Pornography, Grooming etc
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