Harmful Sexual Behaviour – Practical Training for Psychologists

Recently, a problem that we call harmful sexual behaviour among children and young people has become particularly common: children engage in age-inappropriate sexual conversations or activities with each other causing harm to themselves or others. Often the first reaction of adults is anger and blaming, although, looking deeper, this behaviour is a child’s call for help. A psychologist can be a very important support for a child and their parents, but these situations require a special approach and knowledge.

Target audience: psychologists working with children.

A three-day course will provide the psychologist with an in-depth understanding of the manifestations, consequences and therapeutic work with harmful sexual behaviour.

  • On the first day of the training, we will discuss what harmful sexual behaviour is, how to recognize it, what are risk, protective and sustaining factors thereof. We will also talk about the cooperation of specialists in a team.
  • On the second and third day we will focus in depth on the practical aspects that are important for psychologists – you will learn practical therapeutic methods for working with children in cases of harmful sexual behaviour, as well as learn approaches to working with parents, which is an essential factor in changing the child’s behaviour.
  • As part of the training, we will discuss in detail client screening methods, as well as the creation of safety plans for various environments where the child stays (the child’s family, school or institution), which are essential for behaviour change and help to proactively prevent the risks of harmful sexual behaviour.

At the end of the training, the participants will receive a manual created by the specialists of “Centrs Dardedze” that includes the topics discussed in the training: child’s sexual behaviour at different ages, characteristics of manifestations of harmful sexual behaviour and influencing factors, behaviour assessment methodology, recommendations for cooperation with other specialists, creation of security plans, as well as a collection of therapeutic methods for working with the child/children and parents.

Duration: 24 academic hours.

Format: Online (Zoom)

Price: EUR 249.00

The training will be conducted by “Centrs Dardedze” psychologists Sindija Dziedataja (Dziedātāja) and Liene Nikolajeva.

More information: apmacibas@centrsdardedze.lv