Harmful Sexual Behaviour

As you develop from a young person into an adult, it's natural to become curious about sex and sexual relationships. Some sexual behaviour is a normal part of a young person's development, but it can be described as harmful when it is inappropriate for your age, or causes harm to yourself or others.

Harmful sexual behaviour may involve using graphic sexual language, sexual role-play/games, inappropriate sexual touching or creating and sharing sexually explicit images. It can also involve one person not having or giving consent and/ or a power imbalance in a relationship.

NSPCC says harmful sexual behaviour is "inappropriate or unexpected sexualised behaviour" based on the age or development of a young person, which is harmful and abusive towards another person.

Harmful sexual behaviour can be any type of controlling, bullying, threatening or violent sexual behaviour from one young person to another.

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All You Need to Know

Harmful sexual behaviours are sexual behaviours expressed by children and young people under the age of 18 that may not match their age or stage of development, and are harmful to themselves or others. This includes both contact and non-contact behaviours.

Examples of harmful sexual behaviours include:
- Lack of consent or choice from one or more young people. For example, someone being threatened to send nudes.
- Coercion, or threatening behaviour because of a power difference caused by age, size, gender, ability or other reasons.
- Inappropriate sexualised behaviour considering a child's age.
Some examples of harmful sexual behaviour include:

Coercive control or threatening behaviour - Forcing someone to engage in sexual activity without their consent, or by using threats to dump them, or hurt them.

Sharing nudes - Sending nudes they have received to other friends to humiliate and degrade someone.

Inappropriate behaviour - Displaying sexual activity in public or inappropriate places.

Excessive habits - Watching pornography excessively or in inappropriate places.

Voyeurism - Obsessively watching other people without their knowledge for sexual pleasure.

There are lots of ways that harmful sexual behaviour can happen, and sometimes a young person might not realise their behaviour could be harmful.

If you are worried or something doesn't feel right, speak to a trusted adult who can help give advice and seek support.
If you are worried you might be harming yourself through sexual behaviour, or you are worried about a friend, it's important to speak to someone you trust.

A professional, such as a teacher, social worker or your GP can support you to get help. If needed, they can refer you to the Harmful Sexual Behaviour team, who are specialists and can give advice to the people who are working with you.

If you are worried about behaviour that you experience or spot online, you can report a problem to the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Service (CEOPs).

CEOPs are part of the national crime agency and were created to support young people who are being sexually abused or are worried that they've met someone who is trying to abuse them.

If you've met someone online or face-to-face who is putting you under pressure to have sex or making you feel uncomfortable, you should tell a trusted adult and report it to Child Exploitation and Online Protection or to the police.
Having self respect and respect for others is important to have healthy relationships. A healthy relationship includes:

Respect for each other
Both people value each others experiences and make an effort to understand each other.

Be able to trust each other
Each person should feel comfortable and safe in the other persons company.

Seek understanding
Each person should take the time to think about how the other person is feeling and how their actions might affect their feelings.

Good communication
Each person should be able to say how they feel and consider the other person's opinions.

Find out more about what makes a healthy relationship.

Relationships Page

Who Can Help?

If you are in immediate danger call 999.

You do not have to wait for an emergency situation to find help. If abuse is happening to you, it's important to tell someone and remember you're not alone.

If you cannot make voice calls, you can now contact the 999 emergency services by SMS text from your mobile phone. Emergency SMS is part of the standard 999 service, which has been designed specifically for people with hearing loss or difficulty with speech.

For help call Norfolk Children's Advice and Duty Service (CADS), open 8am-8pm Monday to Friday - 0344 800 8020

If you are worried by harmful sexual behaviour you have seen or experienced online, you can report your concern to the Child Exploitation and Online Protection service, which is part of the national crime agency and was created to keep young people safe online.

If you are under 18 in Norfolk & Waveney and are worried about harmful sexual behaviour, you can talk to a professional like a teacher, social worker or your GP. They will be able to give advice and, if needed, refer you to the Harmful Sexual Behaviour Team for support.

If you are under 19, you can call Childline for support, no matter what problems or dangers you are facing. You can contact them at any time of day or night on 0800 1111. You can also talk to a Childline counsellor online.

If there's an adult or friend you can trust, have a chat with them about your questions or worries. They might be able to put your mind at rest or give you some useful advice.

If you’re the victim of rape or sexual assault, the police and other organisations are here to help. Call 999 to report a rape or attempted sexual assault, as soon as possible after the crime.

How to report sexual violence