Parents and carers with children who have displayed harmful sexual behaviour have been helped to safeguard their family homes with the aid of a brand-new pilot project being run by NSPCC staff in Leeds and Bradford.
The charity says that around a third of child sexual abuse is committed by other children and young people and that these young people who sexually harm others are frequently misunderstood.
The NSPCC’s Turn the Page service has been helping children and young people regain control and overcome feelings that have made them harm another child sexually for over six years.
Safe Home is a pilot project developed by the NSPCC’s National Clinical Assessment & Treatment Services (NCATS) for parents and carers of those children and young people who have displayed harmful sexual behaviour.
Safe Home is an opportunity for parents to spend 12-15 sessions alongside a skilled practitioner in an open, curious, collaborative, and non-judgemental way. The aim is to provide space for parents/carers to reflect on what has happened, develop their understanding of harmful sexual behaviour, and to develop practical steps to create a safer home environment.
Zoe Gracey, NSPCC practitioner who has led the pilot of Safe Home at the Leeds/Bradford centre said “Safe Home has worked really well for our parents and carers, helping them to understand more about the Harmful Sexual Behaviour (HSB) that their child has displayed, the factors that have led to this behaviour and how to prevent future HSB by developing realistic and balanced safety plans.
“The programme allows parents the time and space to name and explore their thoughts and feelings in response to the HSB but more importantly highlight that they are not alone in this process as there are many other parents in similar situations experiencing similar emotions and challenges. It helps parents reframe their experiences with an emphasis on hope for the future”.
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