The role of presence when working with children and young people demonstrating harmful sexual behaviour

Abstract

Working with children and young people (CYP) demonstrating harmful sexual behaviour (HSB) is complex and requires understanding of the dual identity of 'victim' and 'victimiser'. Working with such experiences can impact on therapeutic processes, such as 'presence', a phenomenon manifesting from connection and momentto-moment awareness. Research into presence generally focuses on working with adults. This study explored presence when working with CYP demonstrating HSB. Eight practitioners were interviewed focusing on their lived experiences of presence in terms of personal perception, cultivation, and influence on practice and sustainability. Interviews were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis, which resulted in two main themes: 'presence and person' and 'presence and place'. Findings suggested that in addition to presence and the therapeutic relationship enhancing each other qualitatively, presence provides a platform of connectivity from which to engage, promotes working from a whole-person perspective and assigns deeper meaning to the work; cultivation requires opportunities to identify, enhance and embrace the phenomenon in order to promote self-awareness and utilise presence effectively with others; practitioner well-being and sustainability requires application of self-care strategies and robust workplace support; and the development of a safe and productive presence-informed service requires suitable processes and procedures to be established. These points are considered in terms of implications and future recommendations for practice and policy. K E Y W O R D S children and young people, harmful sexual behaviour, practitioner well-being and sustainability, presence, therapeutic relationship 1 | INTRODUC TI ON Working with CYP demonstrating HSB requires practitioners to engage with material associated with trauma and other adverse life events (Barnardo's Cymru, 2014; Bellis et al., 2015), while responding to their needs through specialist assessments and psychotherapeutic interventions. This requires sensitivity, resilience, compassion and expertise, along with an ability to build and maintain a sound therapeutic relationship while remaining present throughout. Enduring presence in this way offers both benefits and challenges | 581 CRANBOURNE-ROSSER Et Al. for practitioners' own practice and well-being (Baker, 2016; Geller, 2013). Although the phenomenon of presence, defined as a deep sense of connection and moment-to-moment awareness (Geller, 2013), has been explored in relation to psychotherapeutic practice (Crenshaw & Kenney-Noziska, 2014; Stern, 2004) and wider health-related professions (Schmidt Bunkers, 2012), a critical review of the literature highlighted a gap in the research regarding presence and working with CYP demonstrating HSB. Therefore, research into presence when working with this client group was germane and conducted by focusing on the role, cultivation and influence of presence on practice and practitioner sustainability.