Working with children and young people, with disabilities who are displaying harmful sexual behaviours

1. Understanding Harmful Sexual Behaviours (HSB)

Learning Focus:

Build a shared, clear, non-judgmental understanding of harmful sexual behaviours in the context of disability.

• What is developmentally typical, concerning, and harmful sexual behaviour
• How disability, communication needs, cognitive differences, trauma, and environment influence behaviour

2. What the Research Says

Learning Focus:

Ground practice in contemporary, disability informed evidence.

• Evidence on prevalence, vulnerability, and contributing factors
• Common myths and misconceptions
• What research tells us about effective intervention and prevention

3.  Statistics & Context

Learning Focus:

Help participants contextualise behaviour patterns while recognising the limitations of available data.

• Current national and international statistics on harmful sexual behaviours
• Disability specific data where available

4. What Behaviours Are Considered Harmful?

Learning Focus:
Equip clinicians to identify risk in a balanced, clinically sound, disability affirming way.

• Developmental norms vs. concerning vs. harmful
• Impact of intent, frequency, coercion, power differences, and contextual factors

5. Consequences of Harmful Sexual Behaviour

Learning Focus:

Understand impacts without pathologising the young person; emphasise early and compassionate intervention.

• Potential involvement of statutory services
• Risks of punitive responses and the importance of trauma informed care

6. Counselling Methods

Learning Focus:

Provide clinicians with practical intervention tools tailored to disability and communication needs.

• Therapeutic approaches (e.g., strengths based, trauma informed, CBT adaptations, narrative approaches)
• Disability affirming and neurodiversity affirming therapy

7. Limitations, Boundaries & Ethical Practice

Learning Focus:

Ensure practitioners understand their scope, responsibilities, and when to involve other agencies.

• Limits of counselling in isolation
• Supporting families and workers safely

8. Case Application & Practice Integration

Learning Focus:
Support participants to translate knowledge into practical, everyday work.