Sexual behaviour in the playground

Children as young as four are engaging in adult sexual behaviour in the playground, says a Bay of Plenty counselling centre.

The sexual abuse, counselling and education centre, Tauranga Help, says it has documented a 400 per cent increase in incidents in the past six months.

The agency does not know if the rise is because it is happening more, or if more parents are simply coming forward.

The disturbing behaviour ranges from pulling down pants to sex acts.

Tauranga Help receives an average one call a week about inappropriate sexual behaviour from concerned parents, community agencies and preschool employees.

This compares with one a month six months ago.

"People usually call saying a child is 'acting out'. They suspect it's not appropriate," centre manager Min Kruze said.

Tauranga Help wants to introduce awareness and prevention programmes into schools, as research shows early detection often prevents more serious offending later in life.

"If children who are acting out are picked up under the age of 12 and given therapy, there is a very high success rate," said centre spokeswoman Toni Ashmore.

Tauranga child psychotherapist Augustina Driessen has worked in the field for 30 years and warned it was important to distinguish between a child's sexual curiosity and abnormal behaviour.

"Sometimes we mistake what is actually happening."

Abnormal behaviour could be divided into two categories -- children who were victims of sexual abuse imitating the behaviour and unexposed children drawn in by sexual abuse victims.

Mrs Driessen backed programmes in schools: "It needs to be addressed."

The Western Bay Playcentre Association is allowing Tauranga Help to run workshops with its three and four-year-olds -- on a broad range of topics, including appropriate sexual behaviour.

Special needs officer Sue Rashleigh said the problem had not been apparent at their centres but staff knew it existed.

"It's about education and prevention and protection really. As parents we are the educators of our children."

Merivale School principal Delcie Martin confirmed adult sexual behaviour went on in schools.

"Sadly, it's there and it's there way more than the average person in the street would realise.

"It's something that really has to be dealt with. We don't want to breed adults who don't have any respect for their own bodies and others," she said.

Te Akau Ki Papamoa School principal Ash Maindonald was exposed to the issue while teaching in West Auckland but did not have any current cases at his school.

However, he recently addressed the matter at a staff meeting to prepare his first-year teachers.

Tauranga Help suspects most parents are too scared to come forward and seek advice about whether their child has a problem.

Ms Kruze said parents worried about government agencies getting involved and the stigma that might be attached to the family.

- BAY OF PLENTY TIMES