Harmful Sexual Behaviours: An Overview for Educators - Bridgewater

This 4-hour workshop will focus on empowering  staff with practical skills and evidence-based knowledge to identify harmful sexual  behaviours (HSB) and to respond to these

behaviours in a trauma-informed ‘best practice’ manner. They will also review  protective behaviour skills, self-care  strategies and strategies to manage  vicarious trauma.

The workshop is suitable for anyone who works in a school or daycare environment including teachers, educators, teachers' aides, administrative staff, social workers, counsellors, and support workers.

Topics include:

• SASS overview and referral pathways

• Awareness raising of information about sexual harm

• Understanding myths around HSB

• Understanding ‘normal’ sexual development in children

• Identifying and responding to problematic sexual behaviours (PSB) and sexually abusive behaviours (SAB)

• Assessing risk and safety planning

• Overview of protective behaviours

• Self-care and reducing the impacts of vicarious trauma behaviour

Learning outcomes:

• Improved knowledge of support options including SASS services

• Improved understanding of how to create and manage safety for children

• Increased understanding of sexual behaviours in children

• Improved ability to recognise and respond to problematic sexual behaviours and sexually abusive behaviours

• Improved staff capacity in responding to disclosures of sexual harm

• Improved ability to manage vicarious trauma and enact self-care strategies