Transitioning youth with sexually harmful behaviour back into the community

Abstract

The current study aimed to examine the transitioning experiences of adolescents with sexually harmful behaviour following treatment and to explore whether additional services are needed to facilitate their successful transition into the community. Qualitative methods were employed on data collected from in-depth interviews with 12 adolescents and 16 parent/caregivers. The age of adolescent participants at the time of interview ranged from 17 to 21 (average = 18.6 years). The results identified four key transitioning areas—accommodation, education/employment, social life and leisure, and emotional support. Several main overarching themes were also identified: reaching out for help is hard; adolescents need a focus and something to strive for; advice on financial management/budgeting would be useful; and adolescent motivation was important for successful transition. In addition, follow-up would be advantageous, as would mentors/role models during the transition period. The results are discussed in relation to current transitioning literature on similar at-risk populations, and recommendations are made to inform transitioning practice.

Keywords:

• Transition
• youth
• sexual offending

Notes

1. Child, Youth and Family Services partner with and fund organisations to provide support and services, and work with communities, parents, and caregivers to help them keep kids safe. They also help young people take responsibility for their offending and build an offending-free future.

2. Work and Income provides financial assistance and employment services throughout New Zealand. They offer a single point of contact for New Zealanders needing job search support, financial assistance, and in-work support.