Young people in out-of-home care and secure settings who have experienced trauma often display a wide range of behaviours that feel difficult to understand and challenging to effectively respond to. One of the challenging behavioural presentations are Harmful Sexual Behaviours. These behaviours can be both personally confronting for carers and staff as well as raise concerns for the risk and safety of other young people in their care. 

This virtual workshop will provide a foundational understanding of the development of Harmful Sexual Behaviour. This session will equip participants with strategies to effectively support and manage young people exhibiting these behaviours through tailored, needs-based responses that are within a child-focused safety framework.

Learning outcomes:

• Explore personal values in approaching this work and how it impacts on how you respond to young people.
• Understand the continuum of sexual behaviour – Normal --> Problematic/Concerning --> Violent/Abusive.
• Understand the factors that contribute to these behaviours including the neurobiology of trauma, attachment, family violence and pornography.
• Identify risk and protective factors and how to develop specific strategies for managing these behaviours - underpinned by a safety framework.

About the trainer: 
Cyra Fernandes is a social worker and family therapist with extensive experience in working with children, young people and their families. For the past eighteen years, she has been working for the Australian Childhood Foundation in clinical, management and project roles.

She has a wealth of experience in managing therapeutic out-of-home care programs and is a national leader in therapeutic work with children and young people with harmful sexual behaviours. She co-authored an article with Dr Russell Pratt exploring the role of pornography in young people’s sexually abusive behaviour.


Tools/resources: 
CETC Practice Guide – Working with young people in out of home care who engage in harmful sexual behaviour.
https://www.cetc.org.au/responding-to-children-and-young-people-living-in-out-of-home-care-who-engage-in-harmful-sexual-behaviour-practice-guide/

CETC Practice Guide - Safe Connections - Supporting young people in care at risk of child sexual exploitation.
https://www.cetc.org.au/safe-connections-a-resource-kit-to-support-young-people-in-care-at-risk-of-child-sexual-exploitation-practice-guide/

Please note: all course and workshop times are displayed in Sydney/Melbourne/Canberra time zones. Please ensure you convert the time to your current time zone. All workshop payments must be made by credit card. Invoicing is only available for group bookings of 5 or more for the same workshop date. Contact us through cetc@childhood.org.au for group bookings.