Frontline Workers' Response to Harmful Sexual Behavior: Building Blocks For Promising Practice

Area of Science:

• Child Psychology
• Social Work
• Education

Background:

• Frontline workers, such as educators and health practitioners, are crucial for identifying and responding to harmful sexual behavior (HSB) in children and adolescents.
• Existing evidence on best practices for managing HSB by frontline professionals is limited, necessitating a comprehensive review.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore how frontline professionals can be effectively trained and supported to better manage HSB in children and young people.
• To identify promising practices for managing HSB through a scoping review of existing evidence.

Main Methods:

• A scoping review was conducted by searching multiple databases in July 2020.
• Inclusion criteria focused on professional development, frontline workers (teachers, health practitioners, coaches, childcare workers), and children/young people displaying HSB.
• Thematic synthesis was used to analyze findings from 31 included papers, including gray literature.

Main Results:

• Five key themes emerged: process of identification and response, required knowledge, necessary skills, organization-level supports, and system-level supports.
• A "building blocks" model for promising practice was proposed, outlining the identification and response process.
• The model details essential knowledge and skills for frontline workers, alongside necessary organizational and system-level scaffolding.

Conclusions:

• Frontline workers require specific knowledge and skills, alongside robust organizational and system-level support, to effectively manage HSB in children and young people.
• The proposed promising practice model provides a framework for training and supporting frontline professionals in addressing HSB.
• Further development and implementation of this model can enhance the capacity of frontline workers to respond to HSB.