Therapeutic prevention of child sexual abuse: the Stand Strong, Walk Tall framework and overview

Approaches to addressing child sexual abuse as a widespread and damaging societal concern are increasingly broadening from a traditional focus on reducing reoffending to pursuing perpetration prevention at an earlier stage. The current paper introduces Stand Strong, Walk Tall (SSWT), a therapeutic secondary prevention programme designed for adults who experience sexual attraction towards children, with an explicit dual focus on enhancing client wellbeing alongside prevention. Here we describe SSWT's intervention framework, comprising theoretical underpinnings, research-informed targeted needs and intervention philosophy. We further provide an overview of the programme design including protocols for referral and assessment, service parameters such as duration and frequency of client contact, and programme process and content. Therapeutic secondary prevention approaches such as SSWT offer an important addition to comprehensive strategies for addressing child sexual abuse and should be considered by jurisdictions worldwide.