Specialised treatment centres for children with harmful sexual behaviour placed under Danish Children’s houses (Barnahus)
Five special treatment centres in Denmark were established in 2022 for children with harmful sexual behaviour. The core aim of these centres is to aid individuals with harmful sexual behaviour. Another key function of the centres is to provide children in Denmark with uniform access to health services across the country. The Ministry of Social Affairs was responsible for setting up the new centres and they were placed under the Danish Children’s houses (Barnahus).
Collaborative Knowledge Exchange: Collecting practices and gathering knowledge about the target group
The centres collaborate closely and exchange best practices, ideas, and insights. They are jointly responsible for gathering knowledge about the target group and to establish a knowledge base. This information about the target group will later be used to operate and monitor the centres.
The new centres provide both examination and treatment of the target group
Both examination and treatment of children displaying harmful sexual behaviour are services provided by the centres.
The examination typically includes psychological testing, interviews, observing the child in different settings, trauma screening, and/or risk assessments. Caregivers often play a central role in the assessment.
The treatment varies depending on the child’s individual needs, but the standard treatment is 15 sessions. Sometimes the treatment extends beyond the child in question to encompass caregivers and the child’s wider social circle.
Read more
