A free anonymous self-help resource for people worried about their thoughts or feelings towards children or contact behaviour.

Type of intervention

Online

Target groups, level of prevention and subgroups

• (Potential) Offenders | Tertiary prevention | Young Adults (18-20 years), Adults (21+ years) | Male and female | English

Target population

Adult men and women who are concerned about their thoughts or feelings towards children and who want support to prevent contact offending. They can access the materials regardless of whether or not they have been arrested, as the website asks for no contact details, thus enabling the user to remain anonymous. Information is also available for family or friends and professionals

Delivery organisation

Child protection charity The Lucy Faithfull Foundation (UK). The website and its content were originally created as a Daphne (EU) programme, coordinated by Cork University (in Ireland) with information and support from non-governmental organisations and statutory agencies in the UK, Ireland, Spain, Poland and Italy.

Mode and context of delivery

Users access resources and complete ‘self-exploration’ exercises on the website. They do not routinely have any interaction via the website with anybody from LFF or other organisations. However, those who access the Stop it Now! UK and Ireland website may be recommended to visit the Get Support website and can be ‘accompanied’ on their self-exploration by a helpline operator.

https://www.stopitnow.org.uk/concerned-about-your-own-thoughts-or-behaviour/help-with-inappropriate-thoughts-or-behaviour/

 

Level/nature of staff expertise required

Setting up and maintaining the Get Support website requires considerable IT expertise. The website content involved input from professionals and academics with substantial knowledge and experience of offenders and offending; the assessment of their needs and risk and of delivery and evaluation of relevant intervention programmes.

Intensity/extent of engagement with target group(s)

The user engages with the website and its content as much as they need or want to. Some callers to the Stop it Now! UK and Ireland Helpline are directed to the website as a resource they may find useful. They can report on their progress to a helpline operator on a periodic basis. The online nature of the existing Get Support materials means that they can be accessed from anywhere in the world.

Description of intervention

Get Support provides free, anonymous self-help resources for people who are worried their sexual thoughts or feelings about children.

For users who are concerned about themselves:

The first section of this site gives information about the facts around having a sexual interest in children, including terminology, treatment, what the law says about sexual crimes involving children and the potential consequences of sexually abusing a child.

 

The second section is the ‘self-awareness’ section which aims to provide you with more clarity about your sexual thoughts and personal strengths.

 

The third section is the ‘self-help’ section which is a series of modules designed to help you understand more about your sexual interest in children and how to manage these feelings.

 

For users who are concerned about another person, the website provides information about:

 

• Recognising the problem
• Who may experience sexual thoughts about children?
• Why might people experience sexual thoughts about children?
• How do people commit a sexual offence against children?
• Why might someone continue to have sexual thoughts about a child?

For professional users the website provides:

 

• Guidance and support for professionals about the criminal justice process, the involvement of Children's Services and the importance of multi-agency working.
• References for up-to-date research on the subject.
• Discussion about difficult aspects of the work, such as how to talk to young people who have been affected by a parent who has been arrested.
• Information about the potential impact this area of work can have on professionals including self-care modules.

 

Evaluation

https://www.stopitnow.org.uk/our-impact/helpline-evaluation/

 

References

https://www.stopitnow.org.uk/our-impact/helpline-evaluation/

 

Contact details

The Lucy Faithfull Foundation
Telephone: 01372 847 160
Email: contact@lucyfaithfull.org.uk

Website:https://www.lucyfaithfull.org.uk/

INFORMATION CORRECT AT JANUARY 2021

RATING: Pioneering