G.    Child Sexual Abuse: Preventing the Abused from Becoming Abusers – Robert Edelman, LMHC, Certified Juvenile Sex Offender Therapist

Target Audience: Community-based programs, Courts, Juvenile Justice, Law enforcement, Mental health, School counseling, Social services, Teachers/school administrators

Presentation Abstract: The major goals of this presentation are to help participants recognize and assess when children have been sexually abused and to identify high risk factors which lead some children to develop sexual behavior problems.  The presentation also focuses on helping participants be aware of interventions which help prevent children and adolescents from acting out sexually in attempt to prevent child-on-child sexual abuse.

The material presented in this workshop are based on medical and psychological signs and symptoms of sexual abuse which have been empirically based as well as common practice assessment and treatment interventions.  Treatment for children and adolescents who have been sexually abused has shown to reduce sexually acting out behaviors as well as the number of incidents of child-on-child sexual abuse.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Participants will learn to recognize signs and symptoms related to the possibility that a child or adolescent may be (or has been) sexually abused.
2. Participants will learn to identify frequent sexual behavior problems in children and adolescents as well as high risk factors which lead some children and adolescents to develop such problems.
3. Participants will learn common intervention and treatment strategies aimed at preventing children and adolescents from acting out sexually and/or sexually abusing other