Children and young people engaging in harmful sexual behaviour

One of the hardest things for parents or carers to discover is that their child may have sexually harmed or abused another child. In this situation, denial, shock and anger are normal reactions. If you do not respond too quickly and sensitively, the effect on the whole family can be devastating. For this reason it is vital to contact someone for advice about what to do as soon as you suspect that something is wrong.

Early help for the child or young person and their family can make a real difference. The earlier children can get help, the more chance there is of preventing them moving on to more serious behaviour.