JUNE 21 2020: Counter-Story Practices with Youth Who Committed a Sexual Offense with Mauricio P. Yabar (Richmond, Virginia USA)

“Given the current state of the world, this workshop will address how the pandemic has affected service delivery for adolescent sex offenders and their families, especially youth receiving treatment in residential settings.. Sexual offenses committed by youth occur more often than some people might choose to accept. Youth who are convicted of a sexual crime are usually court-mandated to attend treatment. Offense-specific treatment makes little, if any distinction between types of offenses, age of youth, and other important factors such environmental influences or history of mental health challenges or trauma. There is a lot of research on youth sex offenders, but there seems to be a gap in understanding the effects of being labeled a “sex offender” by the court system, as well as by treatment providers, and how all this affects mental health and identity. Therapy with youth who committed a sexual offense should also address ways to heal from the harm of being labeled a sex offender. Narrative ideas and counter-story practices are creative ways to therapeutically engage youth. Because narrative therapy is non-judgmental and collaborative, it presents an opportunity to counter-story problems related to being labeled a sex offender. By prioritizing these youths’ mental health and counter-storying damaging self-narratives, therapists can potentially interrupt a cycle of abuse and other self-destructive patterns of behavior; and by doing this, they can assist their clients envision new possibilities for their futures.” Mauricio P. Yabar