MACA and MASOC held a series of five free webinars to increase understanding about children (5-12) with problematic sexual behaviors and how to effectively intervene.
Most children with problematic sexual behaviors will grow into healthy adults, especially if they receive early and effective interventions. Given the recent legislation which decriminalized these behaviors for children under the age of 12, Massachusetts has a unique opportunity to address these behaviors with a new pilot program. To help launch this pilot program, MACA and MASOC held a series of five free webinars to increase understanding about Problematic Sexual Behaviors and how to effectively intervene. You can view each of these webinars below as well as a short overview video for each one. To see a short 5 minute overview of this entire series, CLICK HERE!
- Normative sexual behavior for each developmental stage and the factors that can influence how problematic sexual behaviors may develop.
- The importance of families and caregivers in helping each child to grow into a healthy adolescence and adulthood.
- Differentiating between the students who need to be taught new skills and those students who have the skill but are having difficulty performing or generalizing.
- Teaching the child about personal and sexual boundaries and the importance of engaging in positive and healthy relationships.
- Collaborating with community-based supports.
- Establishing a solid safety planning process for the school community and the child.
This 90-minute webinar provides an overview of the assessment of children age 12 and under who demonstrate concerning and problematic sexual behaviors, ranging from self-focused sexual behavior to sexual behaviors with other children. Topics will include:
- Discerning the differences between “healthy and natural” sexual interest and play at one end of the spectrum of child sexual behavior, and harmful and problematic sexual behavior at the other
- Considering and understanding the sexual behavior, without either under- or over-responding to the behavior
- Building a foundation for both understanding the nature and context of the behavior and making well-informed decisions about how to best respond
- Understanding the range of interventions, from age-appropriate education, guidance, and direction to providing treatment in those cases where the behavior is harmful to the child and/or others.
Click HERE to view a short 5 minute overview of this module!
Click HERE to view the full recorded presentation and slides.
Click HERE to see just the powerpoint slides.
- The importance of caregivers and families in helping each child to grow into healthy adolescence and adulthood
- The caregiver/family role as a protective factor associated with prosocial and positive outcomes.
- The family engagement styles/strategies and offer resources for caregivers and families
This 90 minute webinar offers an overview is best practices when considering the best intervention for a child wih problematic sexual behaviors. The webinar will:
- Discuss how treatment interventions should be focused on healthy development and resilience
- Consider what factors define “risk” when working with younger children
- Examine how assessment informs treatment planning and intervention
- Highlight the importance of family/caretaker involvement in successful treatment
- Explore the different types of treatment interventions that might be utilized in different case presentations
