At Safe Network we want to make sure you get the help you need

If you are acting in a sexually inappropriate way towards someone who has not consented (or is not old enough to consent) or who is not in an equal relationship where they are totally free to consent, your behaviour is sexually harmful.

Harmful sexual behaviour that does not involve touching may include:

• making sexual phone calls
• sending or distributing sexually explicit material to others on devices
• exposing your genitals
• masturbating in front of someone who has not consented
• secretly spying on someone who is undressing or who is naked (peeping)
• downloading and/or distributing objectionable pornography from the internet (harmful behaviour on the internet).

Harmful sexual behaviour that does involve touch may include:

• rubbing against someone without their consent
• fondling their private parts
• masturbating someone else or making them masturbate you
• oral sex and penetration of the vagina or anus
• bestiality-sexual behaviour with animals.

If you or someone you know has these behaviours, we can help.

•  Adult services fact sheet

Safe Network's services

We provide specialist services for adult males and females (18 years and over) who have engaged in harmful sexual behaviour towards, or involving children.

We also work with adults who may not have engaged in physical behaviour towards children but have accessed, distributed and produced child sexual abuse images and films through the internet and social media.

•  Introduction to Safe Network clinical services fact sheet

In addition to individual services for adults, Safe Network provides the following further specialist services:

Tikanga informed services for Maori

Safe Network offers our services for Māori and others through kaupapa Māori informed therapeutic models of practice.

Approximately 35% of Safe Network's clients are Māori. Our services for Maori have been developed by Maori practitioners for Maori clients. Safe Network also has the external guidance, oversight and governance of Māori practitioners, and relationships with various Iwi.

Amanaki Pasifika

Safe Network offers our services for clients from Pasifika nations utilising clinical models embedded within various Pasifika cultural frameworks. Our Amanaki Pasifika service has been developed and is led by Pasifika clinicians who are able to meet the clinical and cultural needs of this client group.

Women and girls

Safe Network offers a specialised clinical assessment and intervention service for women and girls who present with concerning and harmful sexual behaviour, and for their families.

This service pathway spans the range of Safe Network's service areas and was designed to understand and accommodate the specific needs of female clients by providing a gender- responsive and collaborative service that acknowledges the social and cultural realities of women and girls.

•  Women and girls fact sheet

Internet

Safe Network offers services for those who have accessed, produced, or traded child sexual abuse material or who have engaged or communicated with children and young people online in a sexual context (grooming). Clients in this service include those who have engaged in contact and non-contact abusive behaviour.

What is the process

At Safe Network we want to make sure you get the help you need. It is important to assess whether Safe Network is the right place to provide that help. We conduct an assessment to find out about the individual, their history and the sexual behaviour that has brought them to Safe. Their strengths and resources will be assessed, as well as their problems.

Family members and partners are part of the assessment process. The effects of the concerning or harmful sexual behaviour, the safety of others and the needs of the family are all important factors for consideration.

Although assessment processes across the service areas may have aspects unique to the focus of that client group, all assessments are likely to involve the following:

• two or three interviews with the individual and their significant family members or support person(s)
• collection of information and reports from other agencies or professionals who are involved e.g. OT, Police, counsellors
• completion of written questionnaires and psychological tests by the client and their adult family member or other support person(s).

Once the interviews and tests are completed, a detailed report is prepared. This will make recommendations about the person’s suitability for acceptance into one of Safe Network's services. A copy of this report, including recommendations about the next steps, will be sent to the referring agency or person as appropriate.

If an individual is accepted into one of Safe Network's services, they will be allocated to a suitable clinician to undertake the intervention. Our clients are offered a tailored pathway within a suitable service that could range from 6-18 months’ duration. Each service includes all or some of the following:

• weekly group sessions (except for children and female clients)
• weekly one-to-one appointments as required
• monthly family sessions
• intensive group therapy and adventure-based interventions.

Non-mandated adults service

The Ministry of Social Development (MSD) funds a service for adult clients who have not been mandated to attend Safe Network by the Courts. Safe Network does not accept referrals from adults with current or pending charges, or where Police are involved in an investigation. The non-mandated adult (NMA) service has limited places and new referrals are put on a waiting list if all places are full.

Fee for service

Self-referring clients who do not wish to wait for an NMA funded placement have the option of paying fee-for-service. Please contact Safe Network for current pricing.

Expected outcomes

Our goal is to work with you to ensure you are able to lead a safe and healthy life. This means that when you have completed counselling at Safe Network, we expect that you:

• are able to have safe intimate relationships with others
• will no longer engage in harmful sexual behaviour
• gain acceptance as a safe, responsible member of your family, whanau, and community
• are living a safe, healthy and balanced life.

Research indicates that around 95% of adults¹ and 98% of adolescents² with sexually harmful behaviour who complete one of Safe Network's services will not engage in any further harmful sexual behaviour.

1. Community Solutions for the Community’s Problem: An outcome evaluation of three New Zealand community child sex offender treatment programmes, by Ian Lambie and Malcolm Stewart, 2003
2. Getting it Right: An evaluation of New Zealand community treatment programmes for adolescents who sexually offend. Ka pu e ruha, ka hao te rangatahi, by Ian Lambie, 2007

Safe Network fact sheets

•  Introduction to Safe Network clinical services
•  Children's services fact sheet
•  Youth services fact sheet
•  Adult services fact sheet
•  Women and girls services fact sheet