Harmful sexual behaviour
Harmful sexual behaviour (HSB) is a term used to describe developmentally inappropriate sexual behaviour by children and young people which is harmful or abusive.
HSB covers a range of behaviours which can be displayed towards younger children, peers, older children or adults. It is harmful to the children and young people behaving in these ways as well as those that the behaviour is directed towards.
Expert group
A 2017 report identified that around half of the growth in all recorded sexual crime was in sexual cyber-crime. This usually involves young female victims and young male perpetrators. Figures indicate that almost a quarter of cyber-enabled crime had a victim and perpetrator who were both under 16 in 2016 to 2017.
We established the expert group on Preventing Sexual offending Involving Children and Young People to respond to the growth in sexual crime perpetrated by young people.
They consider the evidence and current responses to harmful sexual behaviour and offending as well as potential actions to prevent and respond to such behaviours.
The expert group published Harmful sexual behaviour by children and young people: Expert Group Report in January 2020 after fourteen months of deliberation, discussion and analysis. The findings relate to the nature, causes and frequency of harmful sexual behaviour by children. It highlights existing best practice and also sets out nineteen proposals for further action.
HSB delivery group
In response to the expert group’s proposal to establish a multi-agency group to oversee the implementation of their proposals, the National Child Protection Leadership Group agreed in December 2020 to set up a sub-group to progress implementation.
There was cross-sectoral representation on the groupfrom multi-agency partners including education, social work, police, health, COPFS, CPCScotland and the third sector.
Following a period of implementing the expert group’s proposals, the HSB delivery group concluded its work at the end of 2024.
Progress to deliver expert group proposals
Significant progress has been made to implement the Expert Group’s recommendations including:
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publishing the revised National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland in September 2021
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publication of updated Care and Risk Management (CARM) guidance in June 2021
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continued funding of national resource providing specialist, therapeutic support, Interventions for Vulnerable Youth project (IVY), until the end of March 2022, at a cost of up to £280,000: Supporting young people
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publication of research, exploring potential links between childhood experiences and HSB
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publication of a survey of the views of children and young people on online harmful sexual behaviour
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development of guidance for staff in education and training settings
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roll-out of training to help schools tackle online problematic sexual behaviours, running over the next two academic years
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planned changes to national data collections to align with revised National Child Protection Guidance and CARM indicators to improve insight into the scale and prevalence of HSB.
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publication of HSB content for the Parent Club website
- publication of new national guidance to support professionals who work with children and young people to identify, prevent and mitigate harm caused by children and young people who display harmful sexual behaviour
- development of new learning and development materials by CELCIS to support professionals working with children and young people to identify and intervene when they display sexual behaviour that might be harmful
- funding to support delivery of a HSB practitioner forum led by the Lucy Faithfull Foundation and the Children and Young People's Centre for Justice (CYCJ)
If you are concerned about a child or young person
Call 999 if they are in immediate danger
Call the police on 101 if you think a crime has been committed