“I don’t really see any kind of change” – multi-perspective analysis of a circle of support and accountability for young people who have previously demonstrated harmful sexual behaviour

Abstract

ABSTRACT It is estimated that young people commit between 20% and 60% of sexual offences against children. While social isolation is a recognised risk factor for harmful sexual behaviour in young people, strong childhood attachments, developing social skills and belonging to peer groups are key protective factors. Community Circles of Support and Accountability (CoSA) is a community-based intervention that was originally developed for adults with sexual convictions and has now been adopted with young people who display harmful sexual behaviour. CoSA directly addresses issues of social isolation by providing individuals (known as Core Members) with a circle of social support made up of volunteers, professionals and a coordinator. There is now an established evidence base for CoSA with adults; the current study aims to explore the experience of a young person’s CoSA. Interviews were conducted with a Core Member, their guardian (grandmother), CoSA volunteer and the CoSA Coordinator. Multi-perspective interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to analyse the data, and three superordinate themes were established: (i) Contested self-change, (ii) Negotiating relational boundaries and (iii) Toward “normalcy”. PRACTICE IMPACT STATEMENT This research highlights the difficulties and complexities in working with this client group and sustaining the intervention’s positives. It highlights that sustaining treatment gains without increasing the social capital and context in the individual’s wider world can be challenging and can limit full participation within the intervention. The research demonstrates the importance of helping the Core Member experience safe, boundaried and meaningful relationships.