Practical, Evidence Based and Self-Paced Learning
This course on sexualised behaviours of concern offers:
Practical strategies for immediate use – Learn evidence-based techniques you can implement directly in education settings, disability services, or at home with children involved in your care. The course also addresses the link between online behaviour—including exposure to online pornography and developmentally inappropriate use of online content—and harmful sexual behaviour.
Comprehensive understanding of Hackett’s continuum – Accurately assess whether sexual behaviour is developmentally expected, problematic sexual behaviour, or harmful sexual behaviour requiring further assessment. Many children displaying harmful sexual behaviour have experienced trauma, including physical or domestic abuse, which is often more prevalent than sexual abuse.
Evidence-based Positive Behaviour Support techniques – Prioritise safety while supporting healthy sexual development across different developmental stages. Children with learning disabilities are more vulnerable to both being sexually abused and displaying harmful sexual behaviours due to difficulties with social skills and understanding consent.
Self-paced learning with 12 months access – Complete the course at your own schedule, fitting professional development around your existing commitments
Professional development certificate and NESA accreditation – Advance your career with recognised qualifications that demonstrate specialist knowledge
NDIS funding applicable – This course is accessible for eligible participants across all NDIS management types (self-managed, plan-managed, and NDIA-managed),
What Makes This Course Different
Most training focuses on crisis response after problematic behaviour or harmful sexual behaviour has occurred. This course is takes a proactive, prevention based approach:
Prevention-focused approach – Structured environmental supports and skill-building reduce the likelihood that behaviour escalates from developmentally inappropriate to harmful
Neuroaffirming framework – Recognises that many children displaying harmful sexual behaviour have learning disabilities, mental health challenges, or have experienced abuse, requiring tailored responses rather than punishment
Practical tools for creating supportive environments – Learn to build predictable settings that prevent escalation across primary and secondary schools, residential care, and home environments
Focus on building protective skills – Teach children and young people about boundaries, informed consent, and healthy relationships rather than relying on punishment-based approaches that increase shame
Who The Course is For
Ideal for:
- Parents and caregivers supporting a child or young person displaying sexualised behaviour that causes concern about their safety or the safety of other children—especially as girls and young women are often identified at a younger age, and harmful sexual behaviour in younger children is often linked to trauma or abuse.
- Educators and school staff in primary and secondary schools who need to respond appropriately when such behaviours occur in education settings
- Allied health professionals including psychologists, social workers, and occupational therapists working with children who have experienced abuse or display harmful sexual behaviour HSB
- Support workers in disability services, residential care, and community programs supporting young people with specific difficulties including learning disabilities, where considering developmental status and younger age is essential for accurate assessment and support.
- Anyone seeking evidence-based strategies for a child centred approach to supporting children and young people across the SBoC continuum
If you want confidence to respond safely when sexualised behaviour occurs, while building skills that prevent escalation and promote healthy sexual relationships, this course fits your needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need prior experience with behaviour support? No. This course is designed for all experience levels, building from foundational concepts about sexual development and different developmental stages through to advanced intervention strategies for harmful sexual behaviour.
How long do I have to complete the course? You have 12 months access from your purchase date, allowing flexible completion around your professional and personal commitments.
Can I use NDIS funding? Yes, this course can be funded through the NDIS as it aligns with capacity building supports and may meet the reasonable and necessary criteria where it supports skill development for those working with a child with a disability. Funding can be used across all NDIS management types, including self-managed, plan-managed, and NDIA-managed. If you would like to use NDIS funding, please email dolly@behaviourhelp.com with the course name(s), participant’s full name, participant’s NDIS number, and the line item you would like the invoice raised against.
Will I receive a certificate? Yes. A professional development certificate is provided upon successful completion.
Is the course content evidence-based? Absolutely. All strategies are based on current research in trauma-informed care, Positive Behaviour Support, and neuroaffirming approaches, including Hackett’s continuum and recognised frameworks used across appropriate services.
What if I need further advice after completing the course? The course provides comprehensive guidance and downloadable resources. For complex cases involving child sexual abuse, child sexual exploitation, or where young people may suffer significant harm, we recommend engaging specialist assessment through appropriate services.
What should I do if I identify harmful sexual behaviour? If harmful sexual behaviour is identified, it is critical to report it to a child protection lead or relevant professional immediately. An initial assessment should be conducted to evaluate the situation, and a multi-agency approach may be required to ensure comprehensive support, information sharing, and coordinated intervention for the child’s safety and wellbeing.
How should I talk to children about their bodies? Teach children that some body parts are private and should not be touched without their permission. Use proper anatomical names when discussing body parts to avoid implying secrecy or shame, and help children understand appropriate boundaries.
Promoting Healthy Relationships and Addressing Harmful Sexual Behaviour
Sexualised behaviours of concern (SBoC) do not occur in isolation. They are often shaped by a complex combination of developmental, environmental, and experiential factors that influence how children and young people understand relationships, boundaries, and social norms. Adverse childhood experiences—such as witnessing domestic violence, having parents with mental health issues, or experiencing other forms of trauma like intra-familial sexual abuse or family violence—are strongly linked to the display of harmful sexual behaviours in adolescents.
For most children, early sexual behaviour is developmentally expected and part of healthy exploration. However, when behaviour moves beyond what is socially acceptable, becomes persistent, or involves power imbalance, coercion, or harm, it may indicate underlying needs that require support. These behaviours can range across a continuum—from curiosity in pre-adolescent children through to problematic or harmful behaviours, including sexual harassment, sexual violence, or even violent sexual behaviours in more serious cases.
Understanding the antecedents to SBoC is essential. Children and young people involved in these behaviours may have experienced trauma, abuse, exposure to inappropriate content, unmet sensory needs, difficulties with communication, or challenges in emotional regulation and impulse control. It is important to distinguish developmentally unusual or inappropriate behaviour, as concern includes indicators such as public masturbation and accessing violent or non-consensual pornography. Older children may also be influenced by peer dynamics, online environments, or social pressures that distort their understanding of consent and healthy relationships.
If these behaviours are not addressed early, the risks can be significant. Patterns may become more entrenched, increasing the likelihood of harm to others and escalating concerns around child protection. Research indicates that a significant proportion of harmful sexual behaviour involves children and young people who are well known to each other, with estimates suggesting that between a quarter and a half of such behaviours involve siblings or close relatives. Without appropriate support, young people may struggle to develop healthy, respectful relationships, and behaviours can progress into more serious forms of sexual violence or other behaviours that impact long-term wellbeing and safety.
This is why a proactive, prevention-focused approach is critical.
Rather than relying on reactive or punitive responses, Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) provides a framework for understanding behaviour and teaching safer alternatives. By identifying triggers and underlying functions, we can reduce risk, support regulation, and create environments where positive behaviours are more likely to occur.
Promoting healthy relationships is at the core of this course. It is about helping children and young people to:
- understand boundaries and what is socially acceptable
- develop communication skills around consent and personal space
- build emotional regulation and impulse control
- learn respectful, safe ways to interact with others
- replace harmful behaviours with appropriate, functional alternatives
- promote healthy relationships, including education about the dangers of online sexual content and the consequences of sharing images without consent
Through structured support, consistent responses, and skill-building, most children can move towards safer, more positive patterns of behaviour. Extreme emotional reactions to children's sexualised behaviour can lead to feelings of guilt or shame rather than understanding the need for healthy boundaries, and using coercion, intimidation, or physical pain during sexual acts constitutes lack of consent or force.
This course is designed to give you the tools and confidence to do exactly that—supporting young people not only to reduce risk, but to build the foundations for healthy relationships that last into adulthood.
Ready to Transform Your Practice?
Stop feeling uncertain when responding to sexualised behaviours of concern in children and young people.
Gain confidence with evidence-based strategies that recognise the difference between generally consensual, developmentally expected exploration and problematic or harmful sexual behaviour requiring intervention.
Many children who display such behaviours have trauma histories, have been sexually abused, or have specific difficulties that require compassionate, informed responses—not punishment that increases shame and escalates risk.
A significant proportion of sexual offences involve young people, and early intervention can prevent escalation. Research shows recidivism rates of only 3-14% when children receive appropriate support, compared to the trajectory toward adult sex offenders when behaviour goes unaddressed.
Join professionals creating supportive environments where children can heal and thrive, where healthy relationships are modelled, and where every young person receives the child centred support they deserve.