Characteristics of adolescent boys who have displayed harmful sexual behaviour (HSB) against children of younger or equal age

Scoping Review of the Definitions Used to Describe and Understand Harmful Sexual Behaviors in Children and Young People

There is a growing body of evidence that adolescents, and other children, are responsible for a significant proportion of sexual abuse against children. However, there are substantial differences in how this phenomenon is defined and conceptualized between and within sectors. This scoping review explored the current definitions of harmful sexual behaviors (HSB), and other similar terms, used across a range of stakeholder groups. In all, 141 papers were reviewed from both empirical and gray literature sources, including key policy and practice documents. Included papers needed to list a clear definition for the behavior of interest. There was disagreement and inconsistency across the included papers in their conceptualization of harmful, abusive, or problematic sexual behavior (PSB) in children and adolescents. Although the term HSB has been adopted as an umbrella term or continuum in many policy, practice, and research settings, there is a large variance in behaviors, treatment needs, etiology, and harms present across different types of sexual behavior. Relying solely on one term to describe a wide range of sexual behaviors in children and young people may limit the understanding of this issue and imply similarities between groups that are not present. We suggest that clearly defined subsets of HSB, such as sexual abuse, technology-assisted HSB, and PSB, may give more context to the behavior of concern and may be helpful in informing further research, prevention, and best practice approaches.

A conceptual analysis of system responses to the issue of problematic sexual behaviors in children and recommendations for future work in Children's Advocacy Center multidisciplinary teams

Problematic sexual behavior (PSB) in children is a common, yet frequently misunderstood and mishandled issue facing communities. Because of the intersection of children both causing harm and being harmed, societies across the globe struggle with whether to punish or support during these times. For Children's Advocacy Centers (CACs), whose mandate it is to support victimized children, this tension is exacerbated. CACs have historically relied on identifying a "perpetrator" and "victim" when providing their services, however PSB displaying youth do not fit this classic dichotomy. Compared with other children, PSB displaying youth are more likely to experience greater incidents and types of violent childhood trauma, have increased parent instability, decreased familial support, and struggle with co-occurring mental health diagnoses. Due to the stigma and fear surrounding sexual behaviors in children and systemic barriers including varied definitions of PSB, uncertainty regarding how to respond within the context of child-serving roles, and the criminalization of children's behaviors, access to supportive services is complicated and challenging. Treatment completion rates for this population are as low as 13%, despite most methods being short-term, non-invasive, and community based. This conceptual analysis paper identifies five key themes in the literature that influence these barriers and proposes an interdisciplinary approach for CAC multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) to better support this vulnerable population.

Interrater reliability and experiences of Assessment, Intervention, and Moving-on 3 Assessment Model in a multidisciplinary Norwegian sample

Background

Assessing minors with harmful sexual behavior (HSB) is a complex and sensitive task. The AIM3 Assessment Model was developed to assist practitioners with information collection and HSB evaluations.

Objective

In this study, we explore the interrater reliability and the practitioners' experience with the AIM3.

Participants and setting

The multidisciplinary sample (n = 56) was recruited in Norway. The participants' mean age is 43.2 years (SD 9.5). The sample is 79% female and 21% male. Mean years of experience is 17.6 years (SD 9.5).

Methods

The participants used the Norwegian version of the AIM3 to score three case vignettes. A survey containing questions about competence and experience was filled out. We used the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) to estimate interrater reliability as well as descriptive statistics to show experience.

Results

The estimated ICC for overall AIM3 factors is 0.547 (95% CI = 0.471, 0.634); for domain scores, the estimated ICC is 0.697 (95% CI = 0.548, 0.852). Both are in the moderate range. The majority of the participants reported that they will probably use the AIM3 in the future and that their experience with the AIM3 was highly useful with, for example, empirically informed decision-making and for intervention and safety planning.

Conclusion

The moderate ICC results and the sample's generally positive experience with the AIM3 may indicate further usefulness in a Norwegian multidisciplinary setting. We provide recommendations on how the AIM3 and similar HSB assessments can be further evaluated and developed.