A School Re-Entry Resource for Kids Who Have Sexually Harmed

Blog #2
By: Joan Tabachnick, MBA with review by Jenny Coleman, LMHC

In school, children are asked to develop a safety plan with their families in case of fire. These plans help a family talk about how they leave the house, where they go, who takes the pets and anything else that is irreplaceable.  

Safety Planning is also a concept that can be used to start a conversation in each family about preventing child sexual abuse. It opens the door to conversations and a reason to have those conversations that can be developmentally appropriate and ongoing.  

It is also a concept that is used in family reunification—when a child has engaged in problematic sexual behaviors and is returning to their home. And in this most recent resource, safety planning can be used when a child, teen, or emerging adult is returning to or entering an organization, school, or campus.

VRLC’s new campus re-entry resource can be used with youth at-risk to harm

The VRLC (Victim Rights Law Center) has released an important new document about Safety Planning for responsible students on campus. This resource is available in English and Spanish. This is a guide that will be useful for any college or university campus, as well as youth serving organizations (YSOs) and schools. This guide walks the reader through various resources, research and the knowledge needed to implement a plan; and, most of all, assess whether this is a process that makes sense for a particular youth, student, family, or organization. Ultimately, this is a key resource to ensuring that all children and youth have the chance to live healthy and safe lives.

What is Safety Planning for youth at-risk to harm?

For those of you who have not heard of this useful tool, Safety Planning is the process of developing a structured plan to identify specific boundaries, strategies, and supports to reduce risk of causing harm. It is a process that can be used with adults who have been convicted of a sexual offense crime and are re-entering their communities, as well as for adolescents and children with problematic sexual behaviors (PSB) who are engaging in a reunification process with their families or returning to a school or youth activity.

Why is Safety Planning for youth at-risk to harm so important to child sexual abuse prevention?

When upwards of 70% of children who are sexually abused are harmed by another child or teenager, then it is likely that educators and other professionals will serve children and youth engaging in PSB in school and other youth serving organizations (YSOs). Professionals working with children and youth need a way to help these kids stay involved in school and other pro-social activities. For families concerned about one or more of their children, this guide is helpful in thinking through the practical side of supporting their child and ensuring they are safe. We know children and youth will be more likely to live healthy, safe, and productive lives if they can stay engaged with safe families and in their prosocial activities.  

There are many practical steps and approaches to Safety Planning. Each will change depending upon the resources available, the situation (e.g., family or organization), and the specific risks and protective factors surrounding the individuals. Guidelines such as these offered by the VRLC’s are crucial as they can outline specific safety planning steps—invaluable for caregivers and professionals when implementing safety planning activities.