School Responses to Children with Sexually Harmful Behaviours The AIM Project School Responses to Children with Sexually Harmful Behaviours

The AIM Project An inter agency project working across 10 Local Authority areas and key agencies in Greater Manchester in respect of children and young people (and their families) who display sexually harmful behaviour to develop professional, multi-agency, appropriate and consistent responses.

Core: Aims and Objectives Develop policies and procedures A common framework of response Develop a range of assessment models Develop a range of interventions Provide training and support mechanisms De-mystify this area of work

AIM - Inter-Agency Working Break down barriers between agencies in order to work more effectively to achieve wider goals than any single agency can encompass Children and young people’s needs are often complex and require an inter woven response by a range of agencies and disciplines as equal partners aligned to a common purpose Dependent on clear, efficient processes at and between levels of strategic management and operational implementation Good inter-agency work is more than the sum of its parts Education’s role is key

Education Guidelines Aim: To help education staff feel more informed and confident in identifying, understanding and managing sexual behaviour problems in education settings Objectives: To provide information from research and practice To provide checklists and tools for recording and evaluating sexual behaviour To look at managing risks and meeting needs on a whole school / college basis, as well as work with individual pupils

Education Guidelines Content Understanding section Definitions and characteristics of healthy, problematic and harmful sexual behaviours Information from research and practice Assessment section Checklists / Outcomes / Interventions Guidance for Autistic Spectrum Disorders Initial Responses for Staff Talking to Parents / Carers

Education Guidelines Content Management Section Whole School / College Individual Work Specific Issues Risk and Needs Appendices Monitoring Form Timeline / Chronology Safety and Support Plan, including Contract Resources / References

Understanding: Younger Children The younger the child, with more serious behaviours, the more likely that they will have witnessed or experienced highly sexualised environment or actual abuse Have experienced disturbed or disrupted sexual development where a child’s emotional and physical space is routinely violated Adult sexual activity has overwhelmed their developing sexuality; the behaviour is a way of diffusing tension, confusion and anxiety

Understanding: Adolescents Home Office statistics: 30% of all sexual offences are committed by young people Peak age 15 years 97% are male Most young people who sexually abuse will abuse someone known to them As with other types of adolescent offending most young people do not go on to offend sexually as adults Recidivism studies vary from 7% to 14%

Understanding: Learning Disabilities Over represented in criminal statistics More closely monitored and less social opportunities Less sophisticated and more likely to be caught and admit More impulsive, i.e. public places More repetitive and habitual in choice of victim Indifference to the social taboos around sexual behaviour May relate on a psychosocial level to younger children whose functional age is similar to their own However, there may be a reluctance to refer this group by professionals

Understanding: Autistic Spectrum Less likely to be involved in the more serious or violent sexual offences More involved in masturbation in public places, inappropriate touching of own/ others private parts More likely to be impulsive, due to frustration rather than planned Ability levels important

Assessment: Checklist Can be used to evaluate individual incidents or a series of incidents retrospectively, are a guide for decision making about level of concern/ intervention Need to be checked against all 8 factors otherwise only a partial assessment If limited information available they should provide a prompt for the information that needs to be gathered

Assessment: Checklist 1.Type of sexual behaviour 2. Context of behaviour 3. Young person’s response when challenged about their behaviour 4. Response of others 5. Relationship between the children / young people / targeted adult 6. Persistence of the behaviour 7. Other behavioural problems 8. Background information known

Healthy / OK Sexual Behaviours Mutual Consensual Choice Exploratory No intent to cause harm Fun / humorous No power differentials

Problematic Sexual Behaviours Not age appropriate One off incident or low key touching over clothes Peer pressure Spontaneous rather than planned Self directed; masturbation Other balancing factors; no intent to cause harm, level of understanding, acceptance of responsibility Other children irritated or uncomfortable but not scared, they feel free to tell someone Parents / carers concerned, supportive

Harmful Sexual Behaviours Not age appropriate Elements of planning, secrecy, force, coercion Power differentials; size, age, status, strength The response of others; fear, anxiety, discomfort Blames others Frequent incidents or increasing frequency and disproportionate to other aspects of their lives Not easily distracted, compulsive despite intervention Other difficult behaviours, conduct disorders, anger, poor peer relationships

Outcomes Step one: Take each of the 8 checklist factors and decide which of the healthy / problematic / harmful behaviours, the observed or reported sexual behaviour(s) most resemble. This gives an outcome for each factor Step Two: Put all 8 outcomes together to get an overall outcome for the sexual behaviour(s). Step Three: Guidance re: referral on / level of intervention

Guide Healthy – no need for intervention Problematic Low – Home / Ed liaison Problematic Medium – Discussion with Social Care Harmful – Referral to Social Care

Management: Whole school Prevention: Ethos, Curriculum and pastoral work, modelling respect, privacy and personal space, risk assessment of the environment – hotspots Polices: Integration with Child Protection / Safeguarding Policy and other policies Training: For all education staff and governors

Management: Specific Issues Identified lead person Looked after children Recording and pattern mapping Supervision Working with education colleagues / external agencies Dealing with the impact on the victim Protection of other pupils Working with parents Threats from other pupils Exclusions Work experience Transitions Internet and mobile phones

Management: Individual work Links with the National Curriculum and Key Stages Safety and support plans Suggestions for exercises