The Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse (CSA Centre) has published a report compiling recent studies on children and young people who display harmful sexual behaviour. Findings include: during 2021/22 in England harmful sexual behaviour accounted for 40% of referrals to local authority children’s services involving sexual abuse; and some forms of harmful sexual behaviour are so common in education settings that they have become ‘normalised’ to young people. Recommendations include: assessments should be holistic and should view harmful sexual behaviour through the lens of trauma; and the role of patriarchal values and attitudes in the development of harmful sexual behaviours needs to be considered.
Read the report: Key messages from research on children and young people who display harmful sexual behaviour
Source: CSA Centre
Date: 23 February 2023
