Abuse is both predictable and preventable. For 30 years, the Kempe Perpetration Prevention Program has been studying the developmental trajectory of abusive behaviors in childhood and adolescence. Research and clinical practice have informed hypotheses about both risk and protective factors. Teaching adults practical, goal-oriented strategies to reduce the risk of children causing harm to themselves or others is the primary prevention needed to eradicate abuse in future generations.
A Kempe training curriculum captures practical prevention and intervention strategies and is designed to target virtually every adult that comes in contact with a child from birth to adulthood. Trainer training is with manuals and visual aids that have been used since 2002 by 100’s of trainers in Colorado and 20 other states. Trainers receive 3 days of intense training to use the information flexibly with different audiences in different time frames.
COURSEWORK FOR CLINICIANS
We offer a certificate course for clinicians regarding the treatment of abusive and/or problematic sexual behaviors in childhood and adolescence. The 6-day class provides a solid framework and practical skills for goal-oriented interventions. A developmental-contextual approach is stressed which emphasizes growth and development as the vehicle for change. Designed for practicing counselors and clinicians, the course builds on traditional diagnostic and counseling theory to address a uniquely troubled and troubling client population. The struggles and dynamics of the treatment process are illustrated through the use of videotaped group sessions involving 11-17 year old males. The implications of the coursework in evaluation and treatment of younger children at risk or exhibiting abusive behaviors are discussed.
Trainer training and the certificate class are conducted several times per year at the Kempe Center located on the Anschutz Medical Campus. The classes are taught by Gail Ryan, Director of the Kempe Perpetration Prevention Program; Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Pediatrics, and first author of numerous publications including the only textbook in the field: Juvenile Sexual Offending: Causes Consequences & Correction (1991; 1997; 2010).