MASOC & MACA 5-part PSB Webinar Series

Introduction & Overview

Most children with problematic sexual behaviors will grow into healthy adults, especially if they receive early and effective interventions. Given the recent legislation which decriminalized these behaviors for children under the age of 12, Massachusetts has a unique opportunity to address these behaviors with a new pilot program.

To help launch this pilot program, MACA and MASOC held a series of five free webinars to increase understanding about Problematic Sexual Behaviors and how to effectively intervene. You can view each of these webinars below, as well as a short overview video for each one.

This 90-minute webinar provides an overview for understanding children with problematic sexual behaviors and discusses the importance of looking at the “whole child.” Topics include:

• Normative sexual behavior for each developmental stage and the factors that can influence how problematic sexual behaviors may develop.
• The importance of families and caregivers in helping each child to grow into a healthy adolescence and adulthood.

View a 5-minute overview of this webinar or watch the full presentation to the right. Related resources: 

• Presentation slides
• Presentation citations 

This second 60-minute webinar focuses on school responses to children with problematic sexual behaviors. Topics include:

• Differentiating between the students who need to be taught new skills and those students who have the skill but are having difficulty performing or generalizing.
• Teaching the child about personal and sexual boundaries and the importance of engaging in positive and healthy relationships.
• Collaborating with community-based supports.
• Establishing a solid safety planning process for the school community and the child.

View a 5-minute overview of this webinar or watch the full presentation to the right. Related resources:

• Presentation slides

This 90-minute webinar provides an overview of the assessment of children age 12 and under who demonstrate concerning and problematic sexual behaviors, ranging from self-focused sexual behavior to sexual behaviors with other children. Topics include:

• Discerning the differences between “healthy and natural” sexual interest and play at one end of the spectrum of child sexual behavior, and harmful and problematic sexual behavior at the other end of the spectrum
• Considering and understanding the sexual behavior, without either under- or over-responding to the behavior
• Building a foundation for both understanding the nature and context of the behavior and making well-informed decisions about how to best respond
• Understanding the range of interventions, from age-appropriate education, guidance, and direction to providing treatment in those cases where the behavior is harmful to the child and/or others.

View a 5-minute overview of this webinar or watch the full presentation to the right. Related resources:

• Presentation slides

This 60-minute webinar discusses:

• The importance of caregivers and families in helping each child to grow into healthy adolescence and adulthood
• The caregiver/family role as a protective factor associated with prosocial and positive outcomes
• Family engagement styles/strategies, and resources for caregivers and families

View a 2-minute overview of this webinar or watch the full presentation to the right. Related resources:

• Presentation slides

This 90-minute webinar offers an overview of best practices when considering the best intervention for a child with problematic sexual behaviors. Topics include:

• How treatment interventions should be focused on healthy development and resilience
• What factors define “risk” when working with younger children
• How assessment informs treatment planning and intervention
• The importance of family/caretaker involvement in successful treatment
• The different types of treatment interventions that might be utilized in different case presentations
• The importance of caregivers and families in helping each child to grow into healthy adolescence and adulthood
• The caregiver/family role as a protective factor associated with prosocial and positive outcomes
• Family engagement styles/strategies, and resources for caregivers and families

View a 5-minute overview of this webinar or watch the full presentation to the right. Related resources:

• Presentation slides