Description
Book SynopsisConcerning sexual behavior in children can be challenging to understand, difficult to talk about, and hard to manage in school and community settings. Without a systematic best-practice approach for addressing these behaviors, communities run the risk of exposing their children to harm and their organizations to liability. In this book, Dr. Wilson Kenney, a clinical psychologist with over 15 years experience treating and assessing kids with concerning sexual behavior, lays out a comprehensive school/community based model for identifying and addressing concerning sexual behavior in children that is based upon best-practice models for threat assessment. The reader will find practical and economically sensitive recommendations regarding school and community supervision, ideas for accessing consultation, and advice regarding how best to approach these topics with families. Further, this book contains all the necessary paperwork and guidance needed to establish a formal school-based process for addressing concerning sexual behavior in children, regardless of the size of your community. It is a comprehensive how-to guidebook for keeping your school and community safe.
Trade ReviewAuthor Wilson Kenney. . . helps readers to navigate such delicate predicaments by detailing the model he developed while working in the Salem-Keizer School District in Oregon. . . Kenney provides illustrative scenarios throughout the book, and though fictional, they are not far-fetched. Realistic and extremely helpful, these fictitious accounts will provide practical guidance to many school administrators. . . . Kenney writes in an easy-to-read style, which allows readers to better contemplate and absorb such weighty material. Helpful for administrators, school psychologists, counselors and social workers, Sexual Misconduct in Children serves as a useful tool in the development of a district-specific protocol for dealing with children’s concerning sexual behavior. * School Administrator *
[T]his model effectively strikes a good balance between overreacting and underreacting. It creates a system where concerning behaviors are evaluated, but only those that are truly alarming are likely to be recommended for Level 2 assessment. This creates a situation where the student in question is protected from a system that may be quick to label them as a sexual deviant; however, other children are also protected from the concerning sexual behavior that the student is displaying. It also creates a system that is badly needed given the prevalence of sexual behavior and its developmental significance. * Adolescent Research Review *
Wilson Kenney has masterfully addressed a topic that is both uncomfortable and intimidating. His writing style and sense of humor as well as his examples and process descriptions make for interesting reading that is informative and very useful. His book offers a logical and easily applied system of assessment that will greatly assist school personnel as they address concerns regarding sexual behaviors and attempt to determine the adequate and appropriate response and intervention. -- John Van Dreal, author of Assessing Student Threats: A Handbook For Implementing The Salem-Keizer System
Compelling and comprehensive, Sexual Misconduct in Children provides a practical model to address concerning sexual behavior in schools. A must read for school leaders, it is a truly useful guide for creating effective interventions and improving the safety of students and staff. -- Kimberley Shearer, Special Education Coordinator
As a school psychologist, one of the most difficult situations to find yourself in is how to deal with sexual issues with students. Most staff fumble around with how to proceed, and there are few people (if any!) who know, with confidence, what to do. Wilson Kenney's book provides an excellent framework to follow, and provides helpful information on what is normative and what is not (i.e should you even be concerned?). In these economic times, with fewer staff in the district and less money to pay for outside consultants, dealing with these situations more often becomes the job of the regular school administrator, counselor or psychologist. This book will provide staff with the confidence of how to address these issues—what questions to ask, who should be involved, etc.—and is written in an easy-to-understand, easy-to-reference format. -- Kelly Raf, school psychologist
Table of ContentsPreface Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: Threat Assessment: A Brief History Lesson Chapter 3: On the Importance of Language Chapter 4: The Level 1 Protocol Chapter 5: Addressing Resistance Chapter 6: Supervision/Intervention Chapter 7: The Level 2 Team Chapter 8: Case Example Chapter 9: Special Considerations & Unusual Situations Chapter 10: Extending the Model: Rural Setting, College Campuses and Adults Appendices
