Development and Pilot Testing of a Phase-Based Treatment for Preteen Children with Problematic Sexual Behavior

ABSTRACT

Few treatment models are available for preteen children displaying problematic sexual behavior (PSB), and those models that are available are group-based and may not be feasible in many community settings. This paper describes the developmental process of an individually-administered treatment protocol rooted in the current empirical evidence for treatment of childhood PSB. Given the various phenomenologies and etiologies of PSB, the protocol is divided into 3 separate standalone phases that can each be integrated into other treatment programs or delivered sequentially to constitute a unified treatment program. Following a description of the protocol, the results of a small pilot study are described and lessons learned through the pilot study are provided. Future directions for the development and validation of the protocol are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Sexual behavior
• externalizing problems
• sexual abuse
• evidence-based practice
• treatment

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by a grant from the Children’s Miracle Network to the first author.