Phase-Based Treatment for Problematic Sexual Behavior of Preteen Children: Clinical Outcomes from Community Implementation Trials

Children with problematic sexual behavior (PSB) are increasingly coming to the attention of mental health providers, but treatment options are limited. This paper reports on the community implementation of Phased-Based Treatment (PBT) for preteen problematic sexual behavior (PSB), an evidence-informed and individually administered protocol.

Five training programs were conducted to train mental health clinicians practicing in association with children's advocacy centers (CACs). Clinicians treated clients at their agency and reported pre- and post-treatment data from caregiver-report outcome measures.

Of 108 cases that began treatment, 61 completed the PBT protocol (56.5%); this retention rate is comparable to other community trials and evaluations. Analyses revealed significant improvements in general PSB (t = 10.81, p < .001, d = 1.39) and interpersonal/intrusive forms of PSB (t = 12.8, p < .001; d = 1.68) over the course of treatment (M = 12.36 sessions). Secondary analyses showed significant improvement in other clinical outcomes, including emotional problems (t = 3.04, p = .004, d = .41), conduct problems (t = 4.05, p < .001, d = .55), hyperactivity (t = 2.66, p = .01, d = .36), and prosocial behavior (t = -2.53, p = .014, d = -.35).

Although a randomized controlled trial in an academic setting is ongoing, these results suggest that PBT is potentially effective in community settings for the treatment of childhood PSB.