Enhancing Safety for Children in Out-of-Home Care Impacted by Harmful Sexual Behaviors: A Scoping Review

Harmful sexual behavior (HSB) is associated with significant risks and long-term adverse impacts. For children and young people who have displayed HSB, promoting safety and wellbeing across developmental timeframes is critical. Although substantial knowledge and guidance exists on risk assessment and safety management, there is limited guidance on how to develop detailed safety plans within out-of-home care (OOHC) contexts. This scoping review aimed to inform the development of short- and long-term safety plans for children and young people in OOHC following HSB. Sixteen peer-reviewed papers and practice or policy guides exploring HSB in the OOHC context that included commentary on safety were reviewed. Although the search strategy spanned multiple countries, most of the eligible studies were from the United Kingdom (UK), Scotland, and Australia. A reflexive thematic approach identified three main themes: enhancing acute short-term safety, enhancing long-term safety and building strengths, and key principles/processes to consider for safety planning. Findings highlight multiple domains relevant to safety planning, including interpersonal relationships, cultural connection, social media use, and placement dynamics. The results indicate that safety planning should be collaborative and involve children and young people. The literature further emphasized the importance of relational, organizational and systemic context alongside individual behavior. While this review identifies core considerations for safety planning following HSB in OOHC, geographical limitations should be considered when applying the findings to other international settings. Future research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of safety planning approaches and their contribution to safety and wellbeing over time.