Children with Sexual Behavior Issues

1. Children with Sexual Behavior Issues Jane F. Gilgun, PhD, LICSW School of Social Work University of Minnesota, Twin Cities jgilgun@umn.edu http://ssw.che.umn.edu\faculty\jgilgun.htm Day 1 June 19, 2007

2. Topics • A Continuum of Child Sexual Behaviors • Typologies of Children with Sexual Behavior Issues • Risks and Protective Processes Related to Children’s Sexual Behavior Issues • Family Issues Related to Children’s Sexual Behaviors • Emotion Regulation and Trauma

3. Children’s Sexual Behaviors • Begin in womb • Continue over the life course

4. Children’s Sexual Behaviors • Sex in US culture • Taboo • Fascinating • Linked to violence • Rarely life-enhancing

5. A Continuum of Child Sexual Behaviors • Developmentally Appropriate • Inappropriate but Easily Correctable • Inappropriate and Problematic • Origin not known • Abuse-reactive • Sexually manipulative • Sexually abusive

6. Harborview Medical Center Clinical Typology of Problematic Child Sexual Behaviors • Precocious • Inappropriate • Coercive Source: Berliner, L, O. Manaois, & C. Monastersky (1986). Child sexual behavior disturbance: An assessment and treatment model. Seattle, WA: Harborview Medical Center.

7. A Continuum of Problematic Child Sexual Behaviors • Sexually Inappropriate • Sexually Intrusive • Sexually Aggressive Source: Bonner, Walker, & Berliner (2004)

8. Johnson’s Clinical Typologyof Child Sexual Behaviors • Natural and Healthy • Of Concern • Seek Professional Help Source: Johnson, Toni Cavanagh (n.d.). Understanding children’s sexual behaviors: What’s natural and healthy. www.TCavJohn.com

9. Johnson’s Clinical Continuum of Child Sexual Behaviors • Natural and healthy • Sexually reactive • Children who molest Source: Johnson, Toni Cavanagh (n.d.). Understanding children’s sexual behaviors: What’s natural and healthy. www.TCavJohn.com

10. Johnson’s Clinical Continuum of Child Sexual Behaviors • Natural and healthy • Sexually reactive • Children who molest Source: Johnson, Toni Cavanagh (n.d.). Understanding children’s sexual behaviors: What’s natural and healthy. www.TCavJohn.com

11. A Clinical Continuum of Sexualized Behaviors Normal Sexual Sexually Extensive Mutual Children Exploration Reactive Sexual Behaviors Who Molest Source: Gil & Johnson (1993)

12. A Typology of Children with Problematic Sexual Behaviors • Angry • Anxious • Hollow • Disassociated • Emotionally Disorganized

13. Risks & Protective Factors Related to Children’sSexual Behavior Issues • Assess child, family, and other ecologies • Identify risks • Identify competencies and resources

14. Risks & Protective FactorsRelated to Children’sSexual Behavior Issues • Assess child, family, and other ecologies • Identify risks • Identify competencies and resources • How can treatment build on protective processes to manage risks?

15. Family Issues Related to Children’s Sexual Behaviors • Low Risks/High Protective Factors • High Risks/High Protective Factors • High Risks/Low Protective Factors

16. Emotion Regulation & Trauma • Emotion Regulation: Capacities to modulate emotional responses in a range of situations • Trauma: life events that overwhelm everyday coping capacities

17. Regulation & Dysregulation • Occurs across systems • Related to • Styles of attachment • Internalized working models • Gender • Genes

18. Trauma • An event that overwhelms everyday coping capacities • Persistent re-experiencing of the event • Persistent avoidance of situations associated with trauma and/or numbing of general responsiveness • Physiological arousal

21. From LeDoux (1996)

22. The End