Presentations
Matt
TYLER
Jesuit Social Services
Presentation:
WASSAP: Worried About Sex and Pornography Project (WASSAP): The role of an online early intervention service to respond to the growing prevalence of harmful sexual behaviour by young people
Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a public health issue that has devastating health and social impacts for victims. While public awareness tends to focus on perpetration of abuse by adults, CSA can also be carried out by other children and young people. In fact, harmful sexual behaviour by young people is the fastest growing form of sexual abuse in Australia and, according to the Australian Child Maltreatment Study, accounts for 50% of all CSA.
While a service for adults has been developed (Stop It Now! Australia), there is no online early intervention service in Australia to work with young people worried about their sexual thoughts and behaviours. Often times, these thoughts and behaviours towards a younger child commence during adolescents. The absence of such a service is particularly pertinent when we consider the growing prevalence of harmful sexual behaviours by young people. Jesuit Social Services has collaborated with the University of Melbourne and Gatehouse at the Royal Children‘s Hospital to co-design an online early intervention service for young people who have engaged in (or are at risk of engaging in such behaviours).
This presentation will provide some illustration of the growing problem of harmful sexual behaviours among children and young people introducing The Worried About Sex and Pornography Project (WASAPP), sharing research findings, consultation and an overview of a new service approach.
Specifically, the presentation will share insights from young people into what could have prevented their engagement in harmful sexual behaviour in the first instance, and/or reduced the likelihood of continuation of harm and instead lead respectful, responsible and fulfilling lives free from harmful sexual behaviours.
The presentation will also highlight the importance in understanding how young people who are worried about their sexual thoughts and behaviours seek help, as well as barriers and enablers to this help-seeking. This nuanced information has influenced service development and delivery.
Open Access
Presentation Two:
SIN: What we are learning at Stop It Now! Australia regarding recidivism from those who perpetrate child sexual abuse offences.
Reducing offending and reoffending among individuals who perpetrate child sexual abuse is a critical challenge within the criminal justice system and within the broader context of public health. These offences have profound impacts on victims and society, making prevention and rehabilitation efforts imperative to protect children. It is increasingly accepted that a criminal justice response alone cannot effectively protect children from sexual harm, instead a public health response encompassing primary, secondary and tertiary prevention offers a promising opportunity to build on existing efforts to prevent abuse and exploitation effectively.
Stop It Now! Australia provides anonymous support and advice for people concerned about their own or someone else’s sexual thoughts and behaviours towards children. It is a support and action-based service comprising telephone, chat and online resources that empowers individuals to take steps to protect children. Of those concerned about their own sexual thoughts and behaviours towards children, approximately 55% are unknown to law enforcement. Due to concerns related to anonymity, Stop It Now! is often the only service these individuals' access and is a cohort that most people know little about.
The presentation will focus on learnings from 2.5 years of Stop It Now! helpline operation including factors contributing to offending and reoffending, and motivations and actions that reduce recidivism. We will summarise findings from program research and evaluations and demonstrate how these can expand effective perpetrator prevention. The presentation will also focus on the 2024/2025 pilot study of the Get Help! Australia program, an anonymous, self-help psycho-educational resource for individuals concerned about their online behaviour. We will introduce key patterns and themes from user data to explore the utility of the Get Help! program. We will explore how to use these insights to increase innovative approaches to prevent initial offending and reduce recidivism, while promoting long-term behaviour change.