Summary

A card game for professionals to use with children and young people aged 7 to 17 years, who are at risk or who exhibit sexualised or harmful sexual behaviours.

Type of intervention

Game

Target groups, level of prevention and subgroups

• (Potential) Offenders | Secondary prevention | Children (6-11 years), Young People (12-17 years) | Male and female | Game
• Children and Young People (Victims) | Tertiary prevention | Children (6-11 years), Young People (12-17 years) | Male and female | Game

Target population

‘Let’s Talk about Touching’ is aimed at children and young people aged 7 to 17 years, who are at risk or who exhibit sexualised or harmful sexual behaviours. Individuals can be victims of both intra- and extra-familiar sexual abuse. This is also a product for parents and carers of those children and young people.

Delivery organisation

Not specific; professionals working with children and young people in child protection and sexual behaviour fields. It was developed in the USA.

Mode and context of delivery

This is a card game; no specific ‘context’ of delivery, though applies to all families ‘at risk’ or after abuse has occurred. The goal of the intervention is ‘prevention of sexual abuse by children and to children’. It is a discursive intervention i.e. the cards identify issues, which are used as a starting point for discussion. The game adopts a problem solving, solution focused approach and can be used for individual, group of family-based intervention for 2-8 players. The game states clearly that it is for use in therapeutic settings only.

Level/nature of staff expertise required

Any professionals involved in the child protection and sexual abuse arena, including teaching, counselling, parent and family workers, social workers, youth justice officers, child and adolescent mental health workers and family therapists.

Intensity/extent of engagement with target group(s)

A ‘one off’ game that can be played and reinforced over the duration of an intervention, as required.

Description of intervention

The cards contain forty sets of ‘problem’ and corresponding ‘solution’ cards focusing on issues relating to sexual victimisation, sexual abuse, sexual confusion, sexualised and sexually aggressive behaviours by children.

Their objectives are two-fold: to match the pairs and provide thoughtful solutions; and to obtain the most 'correct' pairs via a thoughtful consideration of options.

Evaluations

None available.

References

Johnson, T C (1992) Let’s Talk About Touching: A Therapeutic Game. US. Toni Cavanagh Johnson.

Contact details

Website: www.tcavjohn.com.

INFORMATION CORRECT AT JULY 2021