Treatment of a Nine Year Old Girl's Public Masturbatory Behavior

ABSTRACT

Few data are available concerning the treatment of public masturbatory behavior in children. This case report describes treatment of a 9 year old girl for nearly constant masturbatory behavior in her classroom. A previous intervention implemented by her teacher had relied on the provision of positive reinforcement for nonmasturbatory behavior. It was not successful due to the embarrassment experienced by the girl in having her teacher publicly acknowledge appropriate behavior. Wanting to employ the least restrictive alternative treatment approach, the use of medication, punishment paradigms, or intensive individual psychotherapy was rejected. Instead, a response cost procedure was employed to eliminate the girl's public masturbatory behavior. Details of this economical and simple intervention are provided. This case illustrates an alternative treatment approach that can be used to reduce undesirable public behaviors when other treatment approaches are problematic.