Phase-Based Treatment for Problematic Sexual Behavior of Preteen Children: Clinical Outcomes from Community Implementation Trials

Purpose: Children with problematic sexual behavior (PSB) are increasingly coming to the attention of mental health providers, but treatment options are limited. This paper reports on the community implementation of Phased-Based Treatment (PBT) for preteen problematic sexual behavior (PSB), an evidence-informed and individually administered protocol. Methods: Five training programs were conducted to train mental health clinicians practicing in association with children’s advocacy centers (CACs). Clinicians treated clients at their agency and reported pre- and post-treatment data from caregiver-report outcome measures. Results: Of 108 cases that began treatment, 61 completed the PBT protocol (56.5%); this retention rate is comparable to other community trials and evaluations. Analyses revealed significant improvements in general PSB (t = 10.81, p <.001, d = 1.39) and interpersonal/intrusive forms of PSB (t = 12.8, p <.001; d = 1.68) over the course of treatment (M = 12.36 sessions). Secondary analyses showed significant improvement in other clinical outcomes, including emotional problems (t = 3.04, p =.004, d =.41), conduct problems (t = 4.05, p <.001, d =.55), hyperactivity (t = 2.66, p =.01, d =.36), and prosocial behavior (t = -2.53, p =.014, d = -.35). Conclusions: Although a randomized controlled trial in an academic setting is ongoing, these results suggest that PBT is potentially effective in community settings for the treatment of childhood PSB.