Anti-abuse scheme seeks help

A leading children's charity is appealing to the Welsh Assembly to do all it can to prevent young sex offenders from becoming adult abusers.

Barnardos Cymru says its pioneering Taith project is already working successfully with 80 young people each year who need help controlling sexually abusive or inappropriate behaviour.

We work with young people to help them understand and control their abusive behaviour

Pat Duke, Barnardo's

But it is estimated that upto 250 young people annually will need to be referred for treatment within the South Wales Police Authority area alone.

The project has worked with a range of disturbing cases, from primary school children simulating sex acts with classmates, to adolescents who have indecently assaulted or raped other children.

Wednesday, senior Barnardos staff will meet with decision-makers at the assembly to promote Taith's work and discuss how it could be used as a template for similar schemes throughout Wales.

A conference is also being held the same day, aimed at discussing ways of preventing young victims of abuse becomeing the next generation of sex offenders.

Project leader Pat Duke said: "Our work has shown some very promising results and we believe it could serve as an effective model for similar projects throughout Wales.

Reasons for abuse were highlighted in the Waterhouse Report

"We know that many adult abusers started abusing as children or adolescents.

"If we intervene early, we have a chance of changing behaviour. Our results would suggest that we can break the pattern of behaviour before it has become set."

Back in 1996, Barnardos Cymru - aided by Neath Port Talbot Social Services - was the first organisation in Wales to set up a service working with children and young people displaying sexually abusive behaviour.

The Taith project represents a much larger development of the service.

Seven local authorities are now involved, as well as South Wales Police and Hillside Secure Unit.

Trauma

"Barnardo's believes that all young people can change," Ms Duke added.

"We work with young people to help them understand and control their abusive behaviour and develop healthy attitudes to sex and sexual relationships.

"By helping a young person to change their abusive or aggressive behaviour the project works to prevent further victims of abuse and enables the young person involved to deal with many issues of trauma that have affected their lives and behaviour."

Of those referred to the project so far, 114 have been male and 12 female.

Seven referrals have been under the age of nine, but the average age for referral is just under 14.

In almost all cases, the children and young people referred to Taith have had traumatic childhoods.

Enthusiasm

Head of the Oxford Forensic and Research Psychology Service Richard Beckett was appointed three years ago to independently assess the Taith's work

He speaks enthusiastically about the project's methods and will be making his own presentation to the assembly.

He said: "The Taith Project is unique in as much as it is one of the few projects in the UK that is systematically evaluating its own work," he said.

"The treatment outcomes have been very positive in the short term and there is no doubt that the intervention does produce change. The initial results are very encouraging."

The project is also contributing to national research aimed at identifying high risk factors associated with young people who sexually abuse, in order to better identify the risk of repeat offences.