Addressing Harmful Sexual Behavior in Youth: Insights from the NL-ATSA Conference

By Minne De Boeck, Nina Stalpaert, Zohra Lkasbi, & Kasia Uzieblo

Sexual offenses committed by young people often remain underexplored in the forensic field. However, addressing this issue is essential due to significant differences between adult and youth offenders, including the underlying characteristics, motivations, recidivism rates, and treatment needs. To spotlight this critical topic, NL-ATSA, the Dutch-speaking association for the prevention of sexual offenses, organized a specialized conference on November 7, 2024, at the University of Antwerp. The event focused on individuals under 23 years old who have exhibited harmful sexual behavior (HSB). Both national and international experts shared their knowledge and experiences on the prevention, guidance, and treatment of these individuals.

Youth and Harmful Sexual Behavior: Prevention and Treatment

Stuart Allardyce, Director of Research at the Lucy Faithfull Foundation and Stop It Now! UK and Ireland, opened the conference with a presentation on prevalence rates and the unique characteristics of this group. Global studies reveal that 18% of girls and 7.6% of boys report being victims of sexual abuse, with a significant portion—between one-third and half—of these offenses committed by minors. Allardyce highlighted key patterns within HSB cases: Most offenses are committed by boys, many of them have experienced abuse themselves, victims are predominantly girls and the majority occur within domestic settings.

Not all HSB qualifies as abuse; one-third falls into the broader category of inappropriate behavior. Interestingly, there is limited overlap between adolescent and adult sexual offenders. Adolescent behavior is often situational and opportunistic rather than rooted in deviance, although persistent adult offenders often begin in adolescence.

Allardyce underscored the profound impact of HSB not only on victims but also on the young offenders and their families. Crucially, he stressed the importance of recognizing these individuals as children first. This necessitates a holistic and child-centered approach tailored to their developmental stage. He advocated for avoiding stigmatizing labels like "young sexual offenders," instead referring to them as "young people exhibiting harmful sexual behavior."

Despite research indicating low recidivism rates for new sexual offenses among youth, these individuals often struggle with forming healthy relationships and achieving stability later in life. Effective interventions should, therefore, not only aim to reduce recidivism but also focus on broader developmental goals and the overall well-being of these youths.

Allardyce outlined several key principles for effective interventions:

• Trauma-informed and systemic approaches;
• Contextualized support;
• Prioritization of the young person’s broader development;
• Strong relationships between professionals and young people, as genuine care and active listening foster trust;

·       Ongoing aftercare to address challenges these young people may encounter later, such as in relationships or the workplace;

Preventive measures, including comprehensive sexual education and early identification of risk factors—such as past victimization, antisocial tendencies, poor sexual boundaries, and problematic pornography use—are equally critical to addressing HSB in youth.

He also emphasized the importance of self-care for professionals working with this population to maintain their capacity for support.

Recidivism and Desistance in Young Sexual Offenders

Chantal van den Berg, criminologist and researcher at the University of Amsterdam, presented her extensive longitudinal research (>20 years) on youth sexual offenders. Her study explored the factors contributing to sexual delinquency, their lives following the offense, and the impact of stigma and social context.

Van den Berg’s findings challenge the stereotype of the chronically reoffending young sexual offender. Over 20 years, only 7.7% of the studied individuals reoffended sexually. Familial factors, such as upbringing and substance use, alongside personal traits like low self-esteem, were significant contributors to delinquent behavior.

Among recidivists, those who reoffended sexually often had a history of similar offenses, while non-sexual recidivists tended to commit a broader range of crimes. Stigma and social context, including responses from parents and schools, played a substantial role in their trajectory. Parents often reported difficulties with constant monitoring but appreciated treatment efforts despite the challenges.

Van den Berg stressed the importance of interventions addressing both individual traits and the social context to prevent recidivism effectively.

Practical Approaches in Treating Harmful Sexual Behavior

The youth team from I.T.E.R., a Flemish treatment center for sexual deviance and prevention, presented their structured approach to addressing HSB in residential settings. Their method, referred to as “the sex reflex,” revolves around:

1. Encouraging open conversations about sexuality;
2. Supporting the healthy sexual development of youth;
3. Appropriately responding to problematic or harmful sexual behavior.

The approach balances safety with allowing space for exploration and emphasizes a positive perspective on sexuality. It also involves creating safety plans to guide recovery following incidents, helping professionals foster secure environments. Regular evaluation of interventions ensures they remain clear, concrete, and future-oriented.

Self-care for professionals, multidisciplinary collaboration, and fostering the youth's perspective are also central to this approach, which aims to build confidence and reduce apprehension in addressing HSB.

The Viersprong, a Dutch specialized treatment center for people who exhibit personality disorders, shared their application of Multi-Systemic Therapy for Problem Sexual Behavior (MST-PSB). This family-centered therapy focuses on creating safety, fostering accountability, and restoring family dynamics. The approach involves identifying risk factors, creating safety plans, and fostering acknowledgment of the behavior by both the young person and their family. Where appropriate, reunification with victims may also be facilitated. MST-PSB has shown promising results, including reduced recidivism, fewer out-of-home placements, and improved parenting skills.

Conclusion

The NL-ATSA conference highlighted the importance of a holistic approach to addressing harmful sexual behavior in youth. Such interventions must focus on the development and recovery of the young person, prioritizing both recidivism prevention and their overall well-being. Central to this is a systemic understanding of the individual’s context and the challenges they face. By fostering supportive environments and emphasizing developmentally appropriate, trauma-informed care, we can create pathways for young people to heal, grow, and build positive futures.