Five-year-olds 'sexually abusing other children'

Children as young as five are being treated at a counselling programme for sexual abusers.

Therapists say the problem of children sexually abusing other children has not been properly recognised or funded, leaving many untreated and reoffending.

Wellington Stop manager Hamish Dixon said children as young as five had been referred to it after "quite serious abuse on other children".

Stop runs a programme for young people that is aimed at 10 to 12 year olds.

Mr Dixon said their behaviour went beyond the typical sexually curious "play" of many children.

It was common for children to be interested in the opposite sex's genitals, but inappropriate behaviour could involve penetration and causing the other child to feel frightened or forced.

Children on the programme showed a greater awareness of sex than typical young people and had often been victims of abuse themselves or had seen explicit pornography.

The children were usually referred by parents, schools or Child, Youth and Family (CYF), Mr Dixon said.

Wellington Stop, which is independent but receives Government funding, had treated adult and adolescent sexual abusers since 1993, but very young children were increasingly being referred, he said.

There was now an increasing awareness of young children displaying worrying characteristics.

A study by a Southland psychologist into 150 cases of sexual abuse handled by CYF found that in a third of them the offenders were teenagers or children, The Dominion Post reported today.

Researcher Kay McKenzie said though many parents might be concerned about leaving their children with an older man for fear of sexual abuse, they often did not consider the possibility of abuse when leaving them with teenagers or other children.

The study also found in two-thirds of these cases, CYF dealt with the victim but did not investigate or follow up the offender. Mr Dixon said this was consistent with what the centre was seeing. He wants government funding of counselling for young offenders to be extended beyond the present six months.

Tony Palairet, a Tauranga therapist for CYF, agreed, saying it could take two years to treat a young sexual abuser.

There was a "surprising level of denial" about children seriously injuring others sexually, he said. People were uncomfortable with children's sexual behaviour and therapists were too reluctant to make decisions about what constituted unacceptable behaviour.

Research suggested that the age of the offender made no difference to the trauma suffered by the victim.

Therapists, including those at Child, Youth and Family, did not properly record information about young people's sexual abuse. This meant schools were not told, and the offending could continue.

There was also a shortage of treatment centres for young people.

Research showed that adult sexual offenders usually start inappropriate behaviour as a young person.

Several Government agencies, including Child, Youth and Family and the Justice Ministry, are examining the supply of, spread and demand for services for young sexual abusers.

Child, Youth and Family funds treatment for 99 high-risk young sex abusers a year and a Christchurch residential facility can treat 12 teenage boys.

An Internal Affairs Department study published this year found that teenagers were the biggest viewers of child pornography, and suggested there could be a link between viewing child porn and offending against children.

- nzpa