STOP Children’s intervention service is aimed at helping primary and intermediate aged children who have engaged in concerning sexual behaviour.  The service is aimed at helping these children and their parents to gain the understanding, knowledge and relevant skills to prevent further sexually harmful behaviour from occurring.

The service is designed to provide effective intervention suitable for this age group, identify and treat the concerning sexual behaviour at an early stage and to minimise and prevent the development of further serious sexually harmful behaviour developing.

STOP’s Adolescent intervention programme is a nationally recognised comprehensive approach based on programmes that have proven effective in North America, the UK, Australia and in New Zealand.

STOP’s Girls’ Service addresses the issue of girls who are engaging in harmful sexual behaviour and provides assessment and intervention services.

STOP’s Girls’ Service recognises that girls have unique treatment requirements that need to be met in a targeted, gender-specific manner by professional, qualified staff who receive specific training for this client group.

How to refer:  Referrals are accepted from Child, Youth and Family, schools, health and community professionals, counsellors and the police.  Inquiries around referral suitability can be made by telephone or email.

STOP’s Adult Service provides treatment for adult men who have sexually abused or offended.  An Assisted Learning Programme (ALP) for men with intellectual disabilities and learning difficulties who have sexually abused or offended is also provided.

The services are for men over the age of 19 who have been involved in contact abuse, (sexual contact with a child or non-consenting adult) or non-contact abuse (indecent exposure, computer facilitated sexual offending e.g. child pornography) regardless of whether they have been formally charged or convicted.

The treatment programmes includes day or evening group therapy once a week for men.  Individual therapy, family /partner/significant other support and whanau work with Maori and Pacific Island clients is provided for the men on the programme and their support people.  The programmes also utilise multi-agency co-operation and collaboration.

STOP also provides specialist risk assessments, community education and consult services for professionals and caregivers.  We are also able to accept referrals for assessment of adult women who have sexually abused or offended.  If treatment is indicated the provision of an individualised treatment intervention will be dependent on staffing availability.