Published: 1/20/2021 5:20:44 PM
GREENFIELD — The Children’s Advocacy Center of Franklin County and North Quabbin Inc. is collaborating with Clinical & Support Options (CSO) to offer a program for children who engage in problematic sexual behavior, or what was once more commonly labeled “child-on-child sexual abuse.”
Children’s Advocacy Center Case Manager and Multi-Disciplinary Team Facilitator Samantha Staelens said a large part of the program is psycho-education for caregivers, service providers and the community on normative sexual behavior and how to educate children in a way that doesn’t label them as “offenders” or “predators.”
“We’re really excited about this program,” Staelens said. “It’s fairly groundbreaking. The program will help children ages 7 to 12 to start.”
Through education, adults will learn to teach their children what to expect from their bodies as they grow, and they will learn to help children feel comfortable asking questions, Staelens explained. Children who participate in the program will work with therapists at CSO who use problematic sexual behavior cognitive behavioral therapy, or PSB-CBT.
Program Manager Kelly Broadway, with CSO on Arch Street, said children will attend 16 to 20 sessions, or in some cases more, over a period of about six months. During the pandemic at least, the children will meet with therapists online over Zoom.
“The program is caregiver intensive,” Broadway said. “They do the coaching and monitoring of behavior.”
She said children learn rules of sexual behavior and graduate from the program when they have achieved certain milestones like becoming fully aware of their behavior, not breaking rules for three months and writing an apology letter to the person they impacted, even if the letter is never given to that person.
“Then, we have an awards ceremony,” Broadway said. “By that time, children have learned what’s appropriate and how to find other ways to meet their urges.”
While the new program works with children involved in problematic sexual behavior, a large focus is on caregivers, service providers and the community who will learn about normative sexual behavior and how to educate children in a way that doesn’t label them.
“These are still children and they deserve the appropriate support,” Staelens said. “The children in this new program deserve clinical intervention, and parents and caregivers will be able to teach their children about body safety, romantic relationships and more — many of the things that are uncomfortable to talk about.”
Staelens said children who engage in this type of behavior don’t necessarily grow up to be offenders, especially if they have the right help early on. She said before 2018, a child under the age of 12 could be charged with an offense.
“What we’d like to do is prevent this type of behavior,” she said. “We don’t want children, siblings offending each other. This very intensive family therapy, for instance, is so efficient that children can stay in the same home.”
Children will learn coping skills and how to regulate emotions, solve problems, deal with impulse control and make friends. Adults will learn how to recognize developmentally inappropriate sexual behavior in children.
“This is a behavioral problem, not a sexual problem,” Staelens said. “Behavioral problems can be redirected.”
Clinical & Support Options provides interventions and therapeutic services to support adults, children and families. It offers numerous programs, including family support and crisis programs, mental health and addiction recovery, and housing and homelessness programs.
The Children’s Advocacy Center works with children who have been sexually abused and their families. It works with law enforcement, the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office, child protective services and others.
Staelens, who handles referrals for the program, can be reached at 413-772-9069.
Reach Anita Fritz at 413-772-9591 or afritz@recorder.com.
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