Stuart Allardyce – författare

Approximately one third of child sexual abuse is carried out by children and young people themselves. There is growing public awareness of this issue as well as recognition among professionals that this is a key concern in the safeguarding of children. Working with children and young people who have displayed harmful sexual behaviour raises challenging dilemmas around balancing risk management with the need to provide opportunities for social and emotional development. Strong feelings of anxiety may be present among professionals and considerable levels of shame and stigmatisation are often experienced by these children and their families.Allardyce and Yates focus on the importance of recognising that young people who have displayed harmful sexual behaviour are children first and foremost. They outline an individualised, trauma informed and systemic approach to working with these children and their families. In particular they suggest an approach that moves away from an exclusive focus on the psychology of the individual child towards a wider contextual understanding of the child and the meanings of their behaviour within their family and environment. The authors thus provide an overview of up-to-date empirical and theoretical knowledge about children and young people who have displayed harmful sexual behaviour to produce a practical text that is suitable for students and professionals working in child care settings.

Autistic children and young people can face particular challenges in their sexual development. For many professionals in health, education, social care and justice, questions around harmful sexual behaviour remain especially complex. Research shows that autistic young people are not more likely than their peers to display such behaviour, yet they are consistently over-represented in referrals, creating uncertainty about how best to respond.This book brings together research, case studies and professional insight to provide an evidence based framework for practice. It explores the factors that shape sexual development and the circumstances that can lead to harmful behaviour, while emphasising the importance of recognising and supporting positive and healthy sexuality.Introducing an autism specific socio-ecological model, it guides practitioners through assessment and intervention, the role of psychosexual assessment and the need for tailored, child-centred sex education. The result is a rigorous and practical resource designed to build confidence, clarity and compassion in professional practice.