Treatment for Problematic Sexual Behavior of Preteen Children
Milton S. Hershey Medical Center
Summary
Relatively little is known about the treatment of problematic sexual behavior (PSB) displayed by preteen children. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examining potential treatments are rare and the available results to date are generally underwhelming. A new protocol, termed Phase-Based Treatment (PBT) for Preteen PSB, has shown positive results in an early stage pilot and during community implementation efforts. This trial will be the first RCT of PBT and aim to determine whether PBT might outperform a treatment-as-usual condition.
Description
In 2015, a new intervention, PBT, was designed that relied on the current etiological research on PSB and the state-of-the-science regarding behavior change among children. A small pilot of the protocol yielded positive results. Although the pilot included only 10 participants, statistically significant pre-post changes were observed for general PSB, intrusive forms of sexual behavior, and social modeling of sexuality in the home. Training in PBT was provided to a limited number of practicing clinicians in the state of Texas and program evaluation metrics were included. Pre-post change for gen…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 4–12 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria: * Child between ages 4 and 12 years * Caregiver reports a raw score on the CSBI greater than 4. * A primary caregiver is willing to participate in treatment. * Child earns a scaled score above 69 on the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test (KBIT-2) * Child proficient in spoken English * Caregiver proficient in written and spoken English. Exclusion Criteria: * Child is less than 4 years of age or older than 12 years of age. * Caregiver reports a score on the CSBI lower than 4 * A primary caregiver is unwilling to participate in treatment. * Child scored lower than 70 on the KB…
Interventions
- BehavioralPhase-based Treatment (PBT) for Problematic Sexual Behavior of Preteen Children
PBT is a skills-based protocol that primarily works with caregivers to manage problematic behavior and to teach children healthy information about sex and sexuality. It was designed based on the current empirical knowledge regarding the etiology and treatment of childhood problematic sexual behavior. It is delivered in 12 weekly sessions, with each session lasting approximately 50 minutes.
- BehavioralTreatment-as-Usual (TAU)
The TAU intervention designed for this trial relies largely on the delivery of child-focused treatment techniques, particularly on the development of therapeutic rapport through the utilization of non-directive techniques. These sessions are supplemented with educational materials for the caregiver on child behavior and parenting recommendations. This treatment is designed to be administered over 12 weekly sessions, with each session lasting approximately 50 minutes.
Location
- Penn State Hershey Medical Center-TLC Research and Treatment CenterHarrisburg, Pennsylvania