Once you know which colour flag belongs to which behaviour, you can start using the response guide. The response guide is a conversation tool that adds structure to your communication with all those involved.
The purpose of the response guide is to discuss with the person exhibiting the behaviour alternative ways of dealing with sexual situations.
Below, we outline the different guidelines on how to act in case of a green, yellow, red and black flag.
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Collect information
After you have made an assessment of the sexual behaviour, you can respond to sexually transgressive behaviour. This assessment is done based on the criteria of the Sensoa Flag System.
You may find that you have insufficient information about the behaviour to check it against all the criteria. We suggest, therefore, that you first try to identify:
- What information you need.
- Who you still need to talk to.
- Who will lead the discussions.
- What questions you want to ask.
Name behaviour
Name what you see or hear. This is important because it gives those involved tools to talk about the sexual behaviour. This illustrates that it can be a topic of discussion or conversation and makes it clear what sexual behaviour those involved are talking about.
Questioning behaviour
Explore the perspective of those involved from a curious and open baseline attitude. Encourage them to share what they think about the sexual behaviour. In doing so, ask them about their thoughts, feelings, wishes and desires about the situation.
It is important that the questions do not come across as judgemental or proscriptive, but that those involved think about what their behaviour evokes in themselves and others. Therefore, emphasise responsibility rather than blame in an honest way. If you want to encourage empathic thinking, it is important that, as a professional, you clearly state what it means to you when a boundary is crossed and what you feel, wish and think in the process.
Confirm and explain behaviour
Sexual behaviour often goes hand in hand with guilt or feelings of shame and humiliation. Therefore, it is usually necessary to normalise sexual behaviour, feelings and thoughts. It is often a relief for individuals to be told that some aspects of their behaviour are normal and acceptable.
Even in the case of sexually transgressive behaviour, it is good to explain normal and acceptable aspects, such as curiosity, arousal, ... Explaining the criteria why they are okay or not can be useful for all flags, including a green flag.
'Naming behaviour', 'questioning behaviour' and 'confirming and explaining behaviour' are steps you go through for each colour of flag. If the sexual behaviour is assigned a green flag, you do not need to respond or you can stop responding after these three steps. For a different coloured flag, also navigate the steps below.
Set boundaries and explain
Explain which part of the sexual behaviour is not okay according to the criteria of the Sensoa Flag System and why. When doing so, draw a clear line without being judgemental.
For sexual behaviour that received a yellow flag:
- See in what way the behaviour can be modified or diverted so that it is okay (green flag). For example, the behaviour may be OK in a different context.
For sexual behaviour that was assigned a red or black flag:
- Stop the behaviour immediately.
- Confront those involved with the behaviour and proscribe it. Do not condemn, but rather use empathy and insight to discuss the behaviour so that those involved can learn.
- Do not prohibit behaviour without explanation or without following the preceding steps. This way, you avoid that those involved will no longer confide in you, will act in secret and hide their behaviour.
Reach agreements
Consult with those involved on how they can change their behaviour and what is needed to do so. Those involved can suggest solutions themselves and help make choices.
Explain and act on consequences
Explain the consequences if the sexually transgressive behaviour persists:
- Explain the negative consequences for those involved and those around them.
- Discuss alternative behaviour and emphasise its benefits for those involved and those around them.
Discuss with those involved whether they are able to change independently, and whether they need guidance and supervision.
Different consequences may include:
Increase supervision
You increase supervision to avoid the problem behaviour from escalating or being confirmed and to avoid others from being harmed.
You analyse the problem behaviour and seek appropriate pedagogical and supportive intervention.
Take measures
In case of (extremely) harmful sexually transgressive behaviour (red and/or black flag), it may be necessary to impose freedom-restricting (disciplinary) measures to prevent those involved from harming other persons or themselves.
Your assumption here is that this behaviour could be repeated and pose a danger or that the required skills are not in place and there is not enough autonomy to correct the behaviour. It is also possible that the strategy is not adapted to their skill set and the opportunity for learning is negligible. In that case, external monitoring and measures will be required.
Offer internal or external help
Offering help to a person is sometimes necessary:
- To reflect on drives and patterns of habit.
- To reflect on the impact of events.
- To work on the sexually transgressive behaviour with psychological help.
- Because there is a need for information or repeated advice and guidelines. You can then arrange to see a professional or social worker. Use the principles of the interview method One to One (O2O) for this:
- Explain why you are raising a topic and ask if it's okay to talk about it.
- Help those involved to talk about their own concerns, ideas and expectations.
- Summarise what those involved tell you.
- Provide information, follow-up or referral.
In counselling, you offer victims, perpetrators and others involved the chance to talk to others in a confidential setting. An impartial mediator creates safety to talk about the facts and their consequences.
Discuss in the organisation:
- Who provides internal help?
- Who should be informed of this internal help process?
- How will the internal help process be followed up?
If there is insufficient help internally, then referral to external services is important. Check in advance what help there is for those involved and make specific referrals. Explain what assistance may be available (e.g. individual sessions with a psychologist, a Student Guidance Centre, group therapy or self-help groups).
It can be a barrier for those involved to seek help themselves. For example, you can help them make an appointment to seek help together or go with them to their first appointment.
Help is not always appreciated if it is being imposed. Not everyone needs further support at that particular time. Make it clear that at a later time, when they do feel the need, they can always come to you.
Discuss in the organisation:
- Who does the referrals?
- Who should be informed of this referral?
- How is the external referral followed up?
Criminal action may be taken in the case of acts of sexually transgressive behaviour. This is necessary to protect society from criminal sexual behaviour. There are various options for initiating criminal proceedings.
Discuss in the organisation:
- Who does the referrals?
- Who should be informed of this referral?
- How is the external referral followed up?
Reporting
Internal reporting is important for red and black flags. A referral to external help requires a clear description of the sexual behaviour of all involved. Note the different steps taken in the strategy. For internal operation, these data can also be kept in an individual internal document. This will give you, as an organisation, an overview of the number of reported incidents. These are important starting points in your policy to prevent sexually transgressive behaviour.
Follow-up care and recovery
Feelings of insecurity or injustice can sometimes persist for a long time and people can suffer negative consequences. After an incident, it is therefore important to pay attention to the perception and consequences for all involved.
If, as an organisation, you organise follow-up care well, you reduce the chances of the same kind of incident recurring. Openness about how the incident is followed up also increases the feeling of safety and trust in the organisation.
Finally, also think about recovery. What steps can you take so that those involved can live, cohabit or work together again within the organisation?
See if there is a need for assistance. Map out what assistance is available in your region and how to access it.
If the normal method of responding is not sufficient
The Sensoa Flag System methods of responding may not suffice because they are explained verbally and there must be insight and empathy on the part of those involved. Those involved need to understand why the behaviour they are exhibiting is not appropriate and learn to take into account the feelings and reactions of others.
For a group of children and young people, this can be problematic. Especially younger children and those with low levels of cognitive and language development do not always understand what the response means. A very young level of emotional development and the corresponding lack of empathy can also make understanding the response mode difficult. This is where you can provide help in the context. Try to eliminate the factors that trigger or perpetuate the behaviour as much as possible.
Long-term follow-up
As soon as measures are taken after an incident, it is important as an organisation to follow them up thoroughly in the long term. A good record of the steps taken is useful for your reports, but can also be useful for dealing with future incidents as an organisation. For example, you can pour the above response guide into an action protocol and update it regularly.
After each incident, draw conclusions from the strategy adopted. Guiding questions you can ask here include:
- What went well and would you like to apply to other incidents?
- What could have been gone better?
- What can you as a professional learn from this?
- What can you as an organisation learn from this incident and its follow-up?
Include these conclusions in your policy to prevent sexually transgressive behaviour.
