Page 65 - Getting it Right for Vulnerable Children and Young People in North Ayrshire

Children and young people with problematic sexual behaviour. Definition Sexually harmful behaviour includes sexual activity that does not involve mutual consent by the individual involved or where their relationship includes an imbalance of power, for example due to age, intellectual ability, race or physical strength and where the behaviour has the potential to cause physical and or emotional harm. Brief overview There are a number of ways that sexually harmful behaviour can manifest itself - from extensive mutual behaviours with siblings, to reactive, inappropriate where the behaviour was not intended to harm, through to abusive behaviours. Promiscuous behaviour can also be understood to be sexually harmful however the needs that the young person may be seeking to meet through this behaviour may be very different and could reflect a high level of vulnerability. There is a growing concern around the use of the internet by children and young people who access, or upload indecent images of children, and the contact that these children/ young people may have with adults through social media and the risk that this poses. Understanding the pathway into the behaviour and the needs that young people are seeking to meet is essential in getting the interventions correct. The AIMS II assessment enables staff to gain an understanding of pathways, and needs as well as the type of offending and creates an intervention plan to address these issues and manage and reduce risk through safety plans. How to respond Where there is a concern about a young person who displays problematic sexual behaviours, then a discussion should be had with the local Social Services area team in the area where the young person resides. You may be required to attend a Risk Management Meeting in regards to the concerns raised and to bring specific concerns of the nature of the behaviours to this meeting to help inform decision making and Risk Management. Further information in the form of Practice Guidance is available - Risk 32 Management of Young People Displaying Sexually Harmful Behaviours, March 2012. Further Guidance Children’s (Scotland) Act 1995, the Children's Hearing (Scotland) Act 2011 and the Criminal Procedures Scotland act provide the legal framework to protect the public and vulnerable children and young people from such behaviour. The SWIA/HMIE report following the tragic killing of Karen Dewar highlights that effective risk management measures must be put in place. This includes a coordinated approach on the part of Social Services, youth justice, police, education and health. 32 http://www.north-ayrshire.gov.uk/Documents/SocialServices/PG-RiskMangYoungSexBehaviour.pdf Getting It Right For Vulnerable Children and Young People in North Ayrshire DRAFT V1.1 March 2014 Page No:65