When You Offer Help, People Take It: Exploring Help-Seeking by Teens with Problematic Sexual Behaviors and Interests

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For many decades, conventional wisdom has held that the only effective way to intervene with people–including teens–with a sexual interest in younger children is to aggressively seek out, prosecute, and isolate them. Emerging research is giving a broader, more-nuanced understanding of this group of individuals, particularly young people. Two help resource programs–WhatsOK.org and Help Wanted–have early evaluation data which shows that young people with problematic sexual interests are very often aware of and concerned by their own behaviors and interests, and are seeking help and support for them.

Presenters: Jenny Coleman, MA, LMHC; Ryan Shields, Ph.D.