The Hamburg Youth Prevention Project (HYPP) for adolescents with sexual interest in children.

Abstract

Paedophilic sexual interest is often linked to an emergence during adolescence, but concrete empirical knowledge on its development and early viable treatments remains scarce. The aim of this article is to provide an overview about the current state of research on juveniles with sexual interest in children as well as to introduce the Hamburg Youth Prevention Project (HYPP). The HYPP aims to better comprehend the development of sexual interests in adolescents and seeks to find a basis for improved treatment strategies during this critical developmental period. In this perspective, we outline the framework, goals, and treatment approach for this project. It addresses adolescents who are sexually attracted to younger children or engage in sexual acts with children and who have not yet been in contact with the justice system. The project offers a diagnostic process, anonymous counselling, and treatment. It is grounded in a biopsychosocial perspective on psychosexual development and an integrative family-centred approach. The project is based on the core assumption that in adolescent participants, there is still great flexibility for development, including their sexual interests.