It’s likely that your program is not the first place that a child has been observed exhibiting a sexual behavior challenge. It’s possible that families may have observed the behavior at home or in another setting outside of the home. Families may not be aware that the sexual behavior is an issue or if they do recognize it as an issue, they may be unsure of how to intervene.

If families or primary caregivers have not witnessed a child’s sexual behavior challenges in the home or other settings, their contact with your program may be the first time they are alerted to the behavior. If a child’s behavior in your program is not consistent with what they’ve experienced at home, it may be difficult information to hear. Primary caregivers or families may have a difficult time accepting that the behavior occurred, they may feel embarrassed or upset, they may feel defensive of their child or they may choose to withdrawal their child from the program.

It’s impossible to predict how a family may react to such information, therefore, it’s important to remember that not all conversations will go as anticipated. Read about some of the common responses that families may have to a sexual behavior challenge.

“这并没有发生。我的孩子不会这样做。”Sexual behavior challenges may not also occur in front of a primary caregiver or other adults, instead, it may be disclosed by another child. In situations like this, it may be especially difficult for families to believe the behavior occurred. If a child denies the behavior, it’s important to keep an open mind about the possibility that the behavior occurred and take it seriously.

Caregiver Response:Thank you for coming in to speak with us. We understand your concern that Alex is being accused of something that she didn’t do, and we appreciate your perspective on the situation. We did not observe the behavior, however another child in the program shared that Alex touched their private parts. We spoke with Alex and the other child to get a clear understanding of what happened and reminded them both about safe and unsafe touches. We understand this is a difficult topic but can assure you that sexual behaviors are not uncommon in children. Let’s come up with a plan together on how to best support Alex in the program.

“It’s not that big of a deal: People are overreacting.”Remember that not all families will view sexual development and behaviors in the same way. It’s possible that families may not consider a certain behavior as an issue or concerning. In situations like this, discussions focused on the continuum of sexual behavior development may be helpful to use to guide the discussion.

Caregiver Response:谢谢你来跟我们说话。我们的应用程序reciate your perspective on the situation and how we can work together to support Devon. We understand that sexual behaviors can be difficult to talk about and it is true that sexual behaviors are not uncommon in children and youth. Some sexual behaviors are common for children to experience and display while other are less common or problematic. Whether these behaviors are concerning really depends on the child’s age, development, how often the behavior occurs, the intent of the behavior, the effect on others, and if the child responds to redirection. If you are interested in learning more about sexual development and behaviors at different developmental stages, just let us know and we will be happy to get that information for you.

“If people find out there will be a record with CPS or the police.”Professionals that work with children are required by law to report suspected child abuse or neglect. Not all children that exhibit sexual behavior challenges are abused, however, for some children sexual behavior challenges may alert a caregiver or educator to potential abuse and require a child protective services or police report. Primary caregivers or families may be concerned about the possibility of their child having a record with CPS or the police so that may be a concern for some families.

Caregiver Response: Thank you for taking the time to come in and speak with us today. We understand your concern that your child might have a record with CPS or the police, let’s talk through what happened so that we are all on the same page and so that we can work together to support Jadah. As a child care staff member, it is true that we are required to report suspected cases of child abuse and neglect. However, sexual behaviors are not uncommon in children and youth and they show sexual behaviors for a lot of different reasons. Some children that show sexual behaviors have been abused, however just because a child shows a sexual behavior it does not mean that we suspect abuse and will file a report.

“My child is going to become a sex offender.”When children exhibit sexual behavior challenges parents may be concerned about their child and their future. Remember that sexual behavior challenges are common and can frequently be corrected. However, this may be a fear that crosses the mind of a primary caregiver who isn’t familiar with sexual behavior development and its frequency in early childhood.

Caregiver Response: Thank you for coming in today to talk and your willingness to share your concerns and fears with us. Sexual behaviors can be difficult to understand and talk about it and we can understand your fear of what these types of behaviors mean for your child and their future. Sexual behaviors are not uncommon in childhood, and sexual behavior problems are quite responsive to treatment. In fact, children that receive treatment for sexual behavior problems rarely commit sexual offenses as adults. Let’s talk through some of the sexual behavior challenges that we are observing so that we can work together to best support Collin.