Welcome, to our special 100th blog as a team. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Journal, ATSA, the blogging team [thanks David and Jon] and all contributors, as well as everyone who reads the blogs. Here's to the next 100 blogs. Thanks. - Kieran
It was a little over two years ago that Robin Wilson handed over the reins of the SAJRT Blog to Kieran, who along with David and Jon have continued to shine a light on the challenges of mitigating sexual harm. Since then, this blog marks number 100; so we thought it would be a good time to reflect on ‘the big picture,’ if you will – how the etiologies, treatment, management, and prevention of sexual harm are a multifaceted, interdisciplinary matter. The links in this special, 100th blog are to selected SAJRT blogs that have been published over the last two years.
It was a little over two years ago that Robin Wilson handed over the reins of the SAJRT Blog to Kieran, who along with David and Jon have continued to shine a light on the challenges of mitigating sexual harm. Since then, this blog marks number 100; so we thought it would be a good time to reflect on ‘the big picture,’ if you will – how the etiologies, treatment, management, and prevention of sexual harm are a multifaceted, interdisciplinary matter. The links in this special, 100th blog are to selected SAJRT blogs that have been published over the last two years.
The SAJRT blog has offered
discussions, broadly, about ‘sex offender’ research,
risk,
treatment,
management,
prevention,
policies,
and practices.
Guest bloggers have included researchers
and practitioners
from across the field of sexual harm and from around
the world. The blog has highlighted how a multitude of voices (including victims,
advocates, professionals in many fields, media, even perpetrators…) are central
to understanding how to mitigate or prevent sexual abuse.
Sexual harm is often
discussed in the stark, polarizing terms of ‘victim’ and ‘offender’ (abuser or perpetrator),
which is problematic for many reasons.
Not only does every incident of sexual harm reach far beyond the two
individuals involved, the language
of sexual harm tends to reduce two people to their regrettable ‘roles’ – a
“victim” of sexual abuse, or a “sex
offender.” At a minimum, sexual harm
involves victims, perpetrators, families, friends, peers, institutions,
and communities. Broadly speaking,
sexual harm is never about just two people – it involves all of society, and therefore
prevention
requires public
engagement on a global
level.
Sexual offending is a
generic term for a continuum of mismanaged sexual behaviours. Typically we think of sexual misconduct as
being criminal behaviour, but sometimes it is a muddled breach
of social rules – nearly always it is a violation
of relationships. Sexual offending
between juveniles is often categorically different from sexual misconduct by
adults. Not
all sexual abusers are male. Sometimes,
sexual misconduct calls for a
measured response, while the most egregious cases of sexual violence force
difficult discussions about the use of civil
commitment, or perhaps even euthanasia.
Non-contact
sexual offenses are among the most perplexing. Getting the right
messages to juveniles is imperative.
The origins
of sexual harm are multifaceted, cross
all races and cultures, and is a world-wide
problem. Because the etiologies
of sexual harm are multidimensional, solutions must be interdisciplinary. For example, in
the UK, the Multi-Agency-Public-Protection-Arrangement (MAPPA) helps to
ensure coordination between many stakeholders.
While, historically, ATSA focused
more on the research and treatment of sexual abusers, it evolved in
understanding the interdisciplinary need for many professionals to work
together toward a common goal – the prevention
of sexual harm.
It’s important to recognise
that understanding and mitigating sexual harm requires social policies that
draw on perspectives from (at least) psychology, sociology, criminology, health
(mental-physical-public health), and even economics. Each of these disciplines deserve a place at
any table where sexual harm is discussed. While some professionals are concerned
primarily with perpetrators of sexual harm in clinical and treatment terms, colleagues
in other areas may be more involved with victims, or the economics of
treatment, maybe the practicalities of housing sex offenders, or perhaps the political
ramifications of sexual offending. Although
these are somewhat different matters, they are all valid perspectives on the
same broad issues – multiple stakeholders, nationally and internationally, coming
together, sharing information, developing a more complete picture of sexual
abuse, enabling us to provide the best responses – preventative or reactive. Multiple
disciplines and professional perspectives all bring something different, and
important, to the table - they open our eyes to different ways of developing
and applying
best practices to the effective
intervention, treatment,
and prevention
of sexual harm.
Over the last 100 blogs
we have tried to spotlight the professional, social, and practical issues of
mitigating sexual abuse, by promoting
new research, challenging colleagues to think outside
the box, to consider new
approaches to treatment, broaden our understanding
of ‘interventions,’ and be aware of the consequences
of misguided public policies. Reducing
and resolving sexual harm not only requires collaboration between many professions,
but more
engagement with the public.
By understanding the history,
evolution, and politics
of sexual misconduct, knowing the latest research, sharing
information, and working together between disciplines, we can develop a ‘big
picture’ about sexual abuse, more effectively balance
competing concerns, and promote best practices that truly lead to both better
lives and safer communities.
100 Blogs, and counting…
From the SAJRT Bloggers - Kieran
McCartan, David Prescott, and Jon Brandt
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