Citation

Ryan G. Child Abuse Negl. 2000; 24(1): 49-61.

Affiliation

The C. Henry Kempe National Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse and Neglect, Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2000, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

10660009

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: One goal in perpetration prevention has been to increase the awareness and competence of professionals and parents in understanding and responding to the sexual behavior of children in order to reduce the risk of children developing sexually abusive behavior. A decade of experience in disseminating information about children's sexual development and behavior is reviewed in this paper. METHOD: Curricula developed at the Kempe Children's Center, University of Colorado Health Science Center, were used to provide training to professionals and paraprofessional caregivers. The information has evolved into a variety of models for different purposes in different settings. RESULTS: Children engage in a wide range of sexual behaviors, some of which adults observe or are told about by other children. Adults can be trained to evaluate what is developmentally expected or problematic, and to respond consistently on the basis of objective definitions and universal goals, rather than relying on the personal beliefs and values of individuals. CONCLUSION: Because children's sexual behaviors may pose a risk to themselves or others, there is a legitimate need for adults to respond to what they see and hear in order to validate or correct sexual learning in childhood. Adults are often not well informed about childhood sexuality and are eager to access objective information to inform their decision making in the care of children.

Language: en