Insights from the 2025 MASOC/MATSA conference: Preventing sexual violence through assessment, treatment and safe management
May 2025
Written by Dan Howell
Not many look forward to pulling an all-nighter to attend conferences in other time zones but here I was for the fourth time, readying the coffee machine and a brain willing to absorb key insights from experts in the field of harmful sexual behaviour at the annual dual MASOC/MATSA conference in April.
The MASOC/MATSA Conference 2025 offered critical insights across two informative days (nights if you were in Australia), covering significant topics related to trauma, sibling sexual abuse, autism, and online safety.
Day one started with Dr Apryl Alexander, who highlighted the limitations of purely theoretical trauma-informed practices, particularly questioning the existence of “trauma-informed prisons”. She pointed out that 90% of girls involved in justice systems have experienced abuse, emphasising the need for genuine, culturally responsive care. Dr Alexander advocated for replacing labels such as “at-risk” with “at-promise,” reflecting a shift towards positive potential and hope. Hearing that the California governor in 2019 replaced “at-risk” with “at-promise” in the states education code was… promising.
Dr Sophie King-Hill and Dr Kieran McCartan from the UK, addressed sibling sexual behaviour and abuse, emphasising its prevalence and complexity, often linked to intergenerational trauma and domestic violence. They introduced the SSB Mapping Tool, advocating holistic, strength-based interventions that involve the whole family system. They both expressed a need for further research to better determine the difference between sibling sexual behaviour and abuse and that of peer-to-peer harmful sexual behaviour.
Clifford Ah-in-nist Sipes shared the importance of genuinely engaging youth voices in preventing harmful sexual behaviours, stressing that stable adult mentors and authentic conversations about relationships significantly reduce risk.
The second day began with Maree Crabbe and Dr Wenn Lawson from Australia discussing their work behind Porn is Not the Norm and their work with autistic young people and pornography. They described autism through the lens of monotropism—single-focused attention that increases susceptibility to online risks. Practical solutions included preventive education, promoting media literacy, and supporting healthy relationship skills. One important message was not to say “you can’t do that” to a young person who has done exactly what you said they can’t. In a literal mind, they have done it, so they can. Instead, we should adopt a coaching mindset: “You shouldn’t do that.”
For the second days keynote address, Kelly Socia presented on chaos theory, underscoring how seemingly random moments can profoundly influence life trajectories, emphasising that our past does not strictly define our future. He spoke about taking a telemarketing job that was so underwhelming that he ended up working in criminology. Made me think about my underwhelming experience selling newspaper subscriptions when I was at university, and how much that may have set me off on a trajectory into social work.
Susan Kennedy from the National Centre for Missing & Exploited Children tackled emerging online risks such as sextortion and AI-driven bullying, urging updates to internet safety messages that acknowledge new threats posed by generative AI. This was an eye-opening presentation, particularly the ease in which children can generate harmful AI imagery. This is an emerging space and something the CETC are paying close attention to.
Overall, the MASOC Conference 2025 highlighted the importance of practical, informed approaches that prioritise cultural responsiveness, trauma awareness, and the direct involvement of young people in their pathways to recovery and prevention.
