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North Wales Safeguarding Board

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Children or young people who display sexually harmful behaviour

Sexually harmful behaviour is the term used to describe children or young people who sexually abuse other children, young people or adults. The sexual abuse perpetrated by children can be just as harmful as that perpetrated by an adult, so it is important to remember the impact on the victim of the abuse as well as to focus on the treatment of the child or young person exhibiting the sexually harmful behaviour.

Abusive/inappropriate behaviour is often characterised by a lack of true consent, the presence of a power imbalance and exploitation.

The boundary between what is abusive and what is part of normal childhood or youthful experimentation can be blurred. The ability of professionals to determine whether a child’s sexual behaviour is developmental, inappropriate or abusive will depend upon the related concepts of true consent, power imbalance and exploitation. This may include children who exhibit a range of sexually problematic behaviour such as indecent exposure, obscene telephone calls, fetishism, bestiality and sexual abuse against adults or children and downloading indecent images of children from the internet.

Children and young people, particularly living away from home, are vulnerable to physical, sexual and emotional bullying and abuse by their peers. Such abuse should always be taken as seriously as abuse perpetrated by an adult. It should be the same safeguarding children procedures as apply in respect of any child who is suffering or at risk of suffering Significant Harm from an adverse source.

A significant proportion of sex offences are committed by teenagers and, on occasion, such offences are committed by younger children. Staff and carers of children living away from home need clear guidance and training to identify the difference between consenting and abusive, and between appropriate and exploitative peer relationships. Staff should not dismiss some abusive sexual behaviour as “normal” between young people and should not develop high thresholds before taking action

NSPCC Harmful Sexual Behaviour Framework

To scope this area of work, the Safeguarding Board is one of the early adopter sites in the UK of the NSPCC Harmful Sexual Behaviour Framework.

Please find the attached audit tool and accompanying guidance to support the completion of the audit tool.

HSB Audit Tool

This post is also available in: Welsh

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Contact details

Regional Administration Officer to the Safeguarding Board
Email: regionalsafeguarding@denbighshire.gov.uk
Tel: 01824 712903

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Concerned about a child?

If you know a child who is at risk of abuse or is being abused, it’s very important that you let the council or the police know.

If the individual is in direct danger, call the Police immediately on 999. If not, telephone Social Services as soon as possible to share your concerns.

Anglesey
01248 725 888
01248 353 551 (out of hours)

Gwynedd
01758 704 455
01248 353 551 (out of hours)

Conwy
Social Services: 01492 575111
Out of Hours: 0300 1233079

Denbighshire
01824 712200: Monday – Friday 9am – 5pm
0345 053 3116: Evenings and weekends

Flintshire
01352 701 000
0345 053 3116 (out of hours)

Wrexham
01978 292 039
0345 053 3116 (out of hours)

Concerned About An Adult?

If you know of an adult who is at risk of abuse or is being abused, it is very important that you let the council or the police know

If the individual is in direct danger, call the Police immediately on 999. If not, telephone Social Services as soon as possible to share your concerns.

Anglesey
01248 750057
01248 353551 (Out of hours)

Gwynedd
Adults Department, Health and Wellbeing 01766 772577
01248 353551 (Out of hours)

Conwy
Adults:
0300 4561111 (Office hours)
0300 1233079 (Out of hours)

Denbighshire
0300 4561000
0345 053 3116 (Out of hours)

Flintshire
03000 858858
0845 053 3116 (Out of hours)

Wrexham
01978 292066
0345 053 3116 (Out of hours)

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