Explore our collection of articles, research findings, and policy updates written by child safety experts.
In the context of HSB, children are resistant because they are fearful, or feeling guilty and ashamed, or all of these and more. If the behaviour is truly harmful ie: beyond the norm of sexual play which is developmentally appropriate, a child knows inherently this is not OK. Furthermore, caregivers and other adults who don't know how to respond to the HSB may emotionally or physically distance themselves from the child, causing feelings of rejection. This can impact their ability to trust and brings about resistance to interventions.
Read articleHarmful sexual behaviour between children is not a new problem. In fact, it's probably very, very old. Nevertheless, it is alarming especially so in the age of digital media and the access that children have, often unsupervised, to the internet.
Read articleI'm going out on a slightly vulnerable limb here and admitting that in dealing with HSB, I have had to encounter and work through my own resistance and not just that of the child (as I wrote about previously).
Read articleChildren engaged in harmful sexual behaviour need emotional connection and engagement. They need present and nurturing adults. They need appropriate, warm physical touch. They need to be shown and told in as many ways possible that they are loved.
Read articleThis article explores some of the evidence of how inappropriate sexual behaviours in children may originate. This is by no means definitive or conclusive. The factors for the more harmful and problematic end of the spectrum of behaviours are complex and we need to bear this in mind as we consider our responses to the issue.
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