Understanding Sexualised Behaviour

Sexual exploration and play are a natural part of childhood development which helps children to learn about themselves and their own bodies and identify, identity of others, social understanding and the diversity of relationships and the boundaries which exist within them. This training course defines the meaning of and comparison between healthy, problematic and concerning (sometimes referred to as ‘harmful’) sexualised behaviour and identifies behaviours which could constitute both physical and non-physical problematic or concerning sexualised behaviour.

This training course explains how early life influences and attachment (including reactive attachment) can relate to causes of concerning sexualised behaviour as well as how cognitive development, educational and social opportunities and social media can influence sexualised behaviour. The course describes ways of working with young people and identifies the importance of safeguarding against allegations and debriefing as part of supporting young people who can present concerning sexualised behaviours.