Overview of the Research on Children and Adolescents Engaging in Problematic Sexual Behavior

Course overview

Course Description: This course is based on material published by the Massachusetts Legislative Task Force on the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse and is available as an open-access article. Children are sexually abused across all socioeconomic levels as well as all racial, ethnic, and cultural groups throughout the Commonwealth. According to national research, 1 in 5 girls and 1 in 20 boys will be sexually abused before their 18th birthday. Over 90% of children and families know the person who harmed them. These are generally accepted facts about this epidemic. However, more recently, there has been an increasing awareness as well as a number of research studies about the high number of children (0-18 years) who are sexually abused by other children or adolescents. Addressing this issue is crucial because most children and adolescents with problematic sexual behavior (PSB) who receive appropriate interventions will not re-offend. In fact, studies show that 85-95% of children and adolescents with PSB who receive appropriate interventions will not reoffend, and they are at no greater risk than the general population to grow up and continue to sexually offend as adults. This course on problematic sexual behavior of children and adolescents is designed for clinical social workers, psychologists, professional counselors, nurses, and substance abuse counselors who do clinical work. This course is appropriate for intermediate and advanced level practitioners who wish to develop their expertise with problematic sexual behavior of children and adolescents. The course material includes a literature review of research. It may also be useful for licensed clinicians who require continuing clinical education courses for license renewal. The course is based on a journal article that includes research. It contains statistical analysis and data that some clinicians enjoy reading and others do not. A significant benefit of reading peer-reviewed research-based articles for continuing education is that they provide practitioners with the latest findings in their field. Authors: The Massachusetts Legislative Task Force on the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse Learning Objectives: This course will provide the practitioner with detailed information regarding the problematic sexual behavior of children and adolescents. Specifically, a professional will: Recognize characteristics of problematic sexual behavior for children and adolescents. Describe the effects of problematic sexual behavior on children and adolescents. Identify evidence-based intervention practices for problematic sexual behavior. Citation: The Massachusetts Legislative Task Force on the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse. (February 2023). Overview of the Research on Children and Adolescents Engaging in Problematic Sexual Behavior. https://masoc.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Youth-PSB-Report-2023-6.pdf