The experience of professionals working with children and young people who display harmful sexual behaviours

Glenny, Kristian and Toner, Jane and Daiches, Anna (2019) The experience of professionals working with children and young people who display harmful sexual behaviours. PhD thesis, Lancaster University.

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Abstract

This thesis explored the experiences of professionals who work with children and young people who have displayed harmful sexual behaviours. The systematic literature review addresses the question “what are the experiences of professionals who provide therapeutic intervention to CYP who have displayed HSB?” A systematic search of seven electronic databases was undertaken with inclusion and exclusion criteria applied. This resulted in eight papers whose data were extracted and synthesised using a meta-ethnographic approach. Three overarching themes are reported: (1) Countercultural beliefs; (2) Professional self-confidence; (3) Altered experiences of the world, which contains the subtheme: Positive experiences emerging from the work. Findings are discussed and clinical implications at the service and organisational level are suggested. Next, the empirical paper explores the impact of working with children and young people who have displayed harmful sexual behaviours on residential care workers. The data were analysed using thematic analysis. Four themes were reported: 1) “In theory you should hate them” – The impact of personal beliefs; 2) “You learn why they behaved like they did” - Developing alternative understandings of HSB; 3) “We are here to care” - Purpose of the role; and 4) “I didn’t feel safe, he made my skin crawl” - The impact of threat. Themes are discussed in relation to relevant literature and clinical implications for residential care services are discussed. The critical appraisal provides a brief outline of the findings of the empirical paper before discussing reflections on key parts of the research process including; reflections on the researcher’s relationship with HSB; an exploration of the decision to use thematic analysis methodology; and finding the balance between the dual roles of researcher and clinician.