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Professor Simon Hackett's Outputs (38)

Life course outcomes and developmental pathways for children and young people with harmful sexual behaviour (2022)
Journal Article
Hackett, S., Darling, A. J., Balfe, M., Masson, H., & Phillips, J. (2024). Life course outcomes and developmental pathways for children and young people with harmful sexual behaviour. Journal of Sexual Aggression, 30(2), 145-165. https://doi.org/10.1080/13552600.2022.2124323

Most outcome studies for children and young people who have displayed harmful sexual behaviour have focused on sexual recidivism as their primary outcome measure. Relatively little is known about broader life outcomes for children displaying such beh... Read More about Life course outcomes and developmental pathways for children and young people with harmful sexual behaviour.

‘It’s like we’re locked in a box’: Girls’ and mothers’ experiences of the police and legal system following child sexual abuse (2021)
Journal Article
Butterby, K., & Hackett, S. (2022). ‘It’s like we’re locked in a box’: Girls’ and mothers’ experiences of the police and legal system following child sexual abuse. Children & Society, 36(1), 149-165. https://doi.org/10.1111/chso.12490

This article focuses on girls’ and mothers’ experiences of police and criminal justice system responses and the impact of investigation processes following reporting of child sexual abuse. Participants spoke of a lack of timely therapeutic provision... Read More about ‘It’s like we’re locked in a box’: Girls’ and mothers’ experiences of the police and legal system following child sexual abuse.

Deconstructing discourses in assessments of child neglect (2021)
Journal Article
Casey, B., & Hackett, S. (2021). Deconstructing discourses in assessments of child neglect. The British Journal of Social Work, 51(6), 2097-2115. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcab044

This article presents the findings of a qualitative study exploring how child neglect is ‘performed’ in social work practice. Informed by Foucauldian and feminist theoretical positions, semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten local authori... Read More about Deconstructing discourses in assessments of child neglect.

Young men with harmful sexual behaviour problems: a qualitative exploration of the nature and characteristics of their violence (2020)
Journal Article
Balfe, M., Hackett, S., Masson, H., & Phillips, J. (2021). Young men with harmful sexual behaviour problems: a qualitative exploration of the nature and characteristics of their violence. Journal of Sexual Aggression, 27(2), 139-152. https://doi.org/10.1080/13552600.2020.1752834

There is a lack of exploratory data describing the offences and violent acts of young people with harmful sexual behaviour problems. Such research is necessary to provide realistic insight into the nature of this group and their behaviours; and to he... Read More about Young men with harmful sexual behaviour problems: a qualitative exploration of the nature and characteristics of their violence.

Situational Factors in Female-Perpetrated Child Sexual Abuse in Organisations: Implications for Prevention (2019)
Journal Article
Darling, A., & Hackett, S. (2020). Situational Factors in Female-Perpetrated Child Sexual Abuse in Organisations: Implications for Prevention. Journal of Sexual Aggression, 26(1), 5-22. https://doi.org/10.1080/13552600.2019.1695968

Despite increasing interest in child sexual abuse occurring in organisations, the perpetration of such abuse by females is largely ignored. This study examined situational factors in 136 cases of sexual abuse perpetrated by women working with childre... Read More about Situational Factors in Female-Perpetrated Child Sexual Abuse in Organisations: Implications for Prevention.

The disrupted sociologies of young people with harmful sexual behaviours (2019)
Journal Article
Balfe, M., Hackett, S., Masson, H., & Phillips, J. (2019). The disrupted sociologies of young people with harmful sexual behaviours. Journal of Sexual Aggression, 25(2), 177-192. https://doi.org/10.1080/13552600.2019.1589003

Few studies, particularly few qualitative studies, have focused on the family and social contexts of young people with harmful sexual behaviours. This article, therefore, seeks to provide insight into the more detailed, lived experience of this group... Read More about The disrupted sociologies of young people with harmful sexual behaviours.

Experiences of young people with harmful sexual behaviors in services: a qualitative study (2019)
Journal Article
Balfe, M., Hackett, S., Masson, H., & Phillips, J. (2019). Experiences of young people with harmful sexual behaviors in services: a qualitative study. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 28(6), 649-666. https://doi.org/10.1080/10538712.2019.1573390

Young people are responsible for a significant number of the sexual offenses that are committed every year. These young people are generally referred to specialist services for treatment. This article explores the health characteristics and service e... Read More about Experiences of young people with harmful sexual behaviors in services: a qualitative study.

Female sex offenders who abuse children whilst working in organisational settings: offending, conviction and sentencing (2018)
Journal Article
Darling, A., Hackett, S., & Jamie, K. (2018). Female sex offenders who abuse children whilst working in organisational settings: offending, conviction and sentencing. Journal of Sexual Aggression, 24(2), 195-213. https://doi.org/10.1080/13552600.2018.1476601

To date, there has been very little research into the phenomenon of female-perpetrated institutional child sexual abuse (CSA). This study explored 71 cases of CSA perpetrated by women working with children, considered by UK police and courts between... Read More about Female sex offenders who abuse children whilst working in organisational settings: offending, conviction and sentencing.

Young people who display harmful sexual behaviors and their families: A qualitative systematic review of their experiences of professional interventions (2018)
Journal Article
Campbell, F., Booth, A., Hackett, S., & Sutton, A. (2020). Young people who display harmful sexual behaviors and their families: A qualitative systematic review of their experiences of professional interventions. Trauma, Violence, and Abuse, 21(3), 456-469. https://doi.org/10.1177/1524838018770414

It is estimated that 30–50% of all childhood sexual abuse involves other young people as perpetrators. The treatment of harmful sexual behavior (HSB) in young people has evolved from interventions developed for use with adult perpetrators of sexual o... Read More about Young people who display harmful sexual behaviors and their families: A qualitative systematic review of their experiences of professional interventions.

Mind-Mindedness in Parents of Looked After Children (2017)
Journal Article
Fishburn, S., Meins, E., Greenhow, S., Jones, C., Hackett, S., Biehal, N., …Wade, J. (2017). Mind-Mindedness in Parents of Looked After Children. Developmental Psychology, 53(10), 1954-1965. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0000304

The studies reported here aimed to test the proposal that mind-mindedness is a quality of personal relationships by assessing mind-mindedness in caregiver–child dyads in which the relationship has not spanned the child’s life or in which the relation... Read More about Mind-Mindedness in Parents of Looked After Children.

The Maintenance of Traditional and Technological Forms of Post-Adoption Contact (2017)
Journal Article
Greenhow, S., Hackett, S., Jones, C., & Meins, E. (2017). The Maintenance of Traditional and Technological Forms of Post-Adoption Contact. Child Abuse Review, 25(5), 373-385. https://doi.org/10.1002/car.2446

Openness in adoption practice now often includes post-adoption contact with the adopted child's birth family. Traditionally, indirect and direct contact has been supported and mediated by professionals following the adoption of children from the publ... Read More about The Maintenance of Traditional and Technological Forms of Post-Adoption Contact.

Children's and carers' perspectives of a therapeutic intervention for children affected by sexual abuse (2016)
Journal Article
Jessiman, P., Hackett, S., & Carpenter, J. (2017). Children's and carers' perspectives of a therapeutic intervention for children affected by sexual abuse. Child & Family Social Work, 22(2), 1024-1033. https://doi.org/10.1111/cfs.12322

This paper presents the findings of a qualitative study with children affected by sexual abuse who had recently completed a therapeutic intervention (N = 12) and their carers (N = 17). Four themes emerged from the thematic analysis that influenced pa... Read More about Children's and carers' perspectives of a therapeutic intervention for children affected by sexual abuse.

Adoptive family experiences of post-adoption contact in an Internet era (2015)
Journal Article
Greenhow, S., Hackett, S., Jones, C., & Meins, E. (2015). Adoptive family experiences of post-adoption contact in an Internet era. Child & Family Social Work, 22(s1), 44-52. https://doi.org/10.1111/cfs.12256

In the UK, post-adoption contact between adoptive and birth families traditionally includes letterbox and/or face-to-face methods of communication. Because of the emphasis in the UK of adoption from the public care system, post-adoption contact is of... Read More about Adoptive family experiences of post-adoption contact in an Internet era.

Internet child sex offenders’ concerns about online security and their use of identity protection technologies : a review. (2014)
Journal Article
Balfe, M., Gallagher, B., Masson, H., Balfe, S., Brugha, R., & Hackett, S. (2015). Internet child sex offenders’ concerns about online security and their use of identity protection technologies : a review. Child Abuse Review, 24(6), 427-439. https://doi.org/10.1002/car.2308

The purpose of this article is to review what is known about the technologies that internet child sex offenders use to abuse or exploit children, offenders' attitudes towards online security and surveillance risk, and their use of identity protection... Read More about Internet child sex offenders’ concerns about online security and their use of identity protection technologies : a review..

Understanding Care Leavers in Russia: Young People's Experiences of Institutionalisation. (2014)
Journal Article
Stepanova, E., & Hackett, S. (2014). Understanding Care Leavers in Russia: Young People's Experiences of Institutionalisation. Australian Social Work, 67(1), 118-134. https://doi.org/10.1080/0312407x.2013.868011

Care leavers in Russia represent one of the most disadvantaged groups in society. However, they have rarely been the focus of welfare policy debate and they receive little or no support in their independent living. This paper presents the findings of... Read More about Understanding Care Leavers in Russia: Young People's Experiences of Institutionalisation..

Community reactions to young people who have sexually abused and their families: a Shotgun blast, not a rifle shot (2013)
Journal Article
Hackett, S., Masson, H., Balfe, M., & Phillips, J. (2015). Community reactions to young people who have sexually abused and their families: a Shotgun blast, not a rifle shot. Children & Society, 29(4), 243-254. https://doi.org/10.1111/chso.12030

Data on 117 young sexual abusers were examined to investigate the nature of community responses to young people's abusive behaviour. A wide range of community responses were found, with stigmatisation, social isolation and collateral damage being com... Read More about Community reactions to young people who have sexually abused and their families: a Shotgun blast, not a rifle shot.

Decision Making in Social Work with Children and Families: The Use of Experiential and Analytical Cognitive Processes (2013)
Journal Article
Hackett, S., & Taylor, A. (2014). Decision Making in Social Work with Children and Families: The Use of Experiential and Analytical Cognitive Processes. The British Journal of Social Work, 44(8), 2182-2199. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bct071

Documentary analysis of ninety-eight core assessments of children and families was used as a means of investigating social workers' cognitive decision-making processes. Follow-up semi-structured interviews were carried out with the fifty social worke... Read More about Decision Making in Social Work with Children and Families: The Use of Experiential and Analytical Cognitive Processes.

Looking back on the long-term fostering and adoption of children with harmful sexual behaviours: carers’ reflections on their experiences (2013)
Journal Article
Masson, H., Hackett, S., Phillips, J., & Balfe, M. (2014). Looking back on the long-term fostering and adoption of children with harmful sexual behaviours: carers’ reflections on their experiences. The British Journal of Social Work, 44(8), 2200-2217. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bct073

The experiences of carers of children and young people with harmful sexual behaviours have been the subject of little research to date. Consequently, and as part of a larger follow-up study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine adoptiv... Read More about Looking back on the long-term fostering and adoption of children with harmful sexual behaviours: carers’ reflections on their experiences.

Individual, Family and Abuse Characteristics of 700 British Child and Adolescent Sexual Abusers (2013)
Journal Article
Hackett, S., Phillips, J., Masson, H., & Balfe, M. (2013). Individual, Family and Abuse Characteristics of 700 British Child and Adolescent Sexual Abusers. Child Abuse Review, 22(4), 232-245. https://doi.org/10.1002/car.2246

The individual, family and abuse characteristics of 700 children and young people referred to nine UK services over a nine-year period between 1992 and 2000 as a result of their sexually abusive behaviours were examined. The most common age at referr... Read More about Individual, Family and Abuse Characteristics of 700 British Child and Adolescent Sexual Abusers.

Developmental markers of risk or vulnerability? Young females who sexually abuse: characteristics, backgrounds, behaviours and outcomes. (2012)
Journal Article
Masson, H., Hackett, S., Phillips, J., & Balfe, M. (2015). Developmental markers of risk or vulnerability? Young females who sexually abuse: characteristics, backgrounds, behaviours and outcomes. Child & Family Social Work, 20(1), 19-29. https://doi.org/10.1111/cfs.12050

This paper presents findings from a subsample of 24 young females aged 8–16 years who were referred to specialist services in England during the 1990s because of their abusive sexual behaviours. The characteristics, backgrounds and behaviours of the... Read More about Developmental markers of risk or vulnerability? Young females who sexually abuse: characteristics, backgrounds, behaviours and outcomes..

Family responses to young people who have sexually abused: anger, ambivalence and acceptance (2012)
Journal Article
Hackett, S., Balfe, M., Masson, H., & Phillips, J. (2014). Family responses to young people who have sexually abused: anger, ambivalence and acceptance. Children & Society, 28(2), 128-139. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1099-0860.2012.00471.x

Data on 117 British young people who had sexually abused others were examined in order to investigate the nature and impact of family responses on the management of young sexual abusers. Parental responses were varied, ranging from being entirely sup... Read More about Family responses to young people who have sexually abused: anger, ambivalence and acceptance.

Redefining Family Relationships Following Adoption: Adoptive Parents' Perspectives on the Changing Nature of Kinship between Adoptees and Birth Relatives (2012)
Journal Article
Jones, C., & Hackett., S. (2012). Redefining Family Relationships Following Adoption: Adoptive Parents' Perspectives on the Changing Nature of Kinship between Adoptees and Birth Relatives. The British Journal of Social Work, 42(2), 283-299. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcr060

Contemporary child adoption in the UK and USA has been conceptualised as an extended kinship network of adopted children, birth relatives and adopters (Reitz and Watson, 1992; Grotevant and McRoy, 1998). This contrasts sharply with the traditional mo... Read More about Redefining Family Relationships Following Adoption: Adoptive Parents' Perspectives on the Changing Nature of Kinship between Adoptees and Birth Relatives.

Lost without a Trace? Social Networking and Social Research with a Hard-to-Reach Population (2011)
Journal Article
Masson, H., Balfe, M., Hackett, S., & Phillips, J. (2013). Lost without a Trace? Social Networking and Social Research with a Hard-to-Reach Population. The British Journal of Social Work, 43(1), 24-40. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcr168

This paper describes the methodological approaches and challenges associated with tracing and contacting former social welfare service users in the course of long-term outcome research. Historical case file data were analysed on 117 ‘hard to reach’ c... Read More about Lost without a Trace? Social Networking and Social Research with a Hard-to-Reach Population.

Making use of historical case material: the problems of looking back and the implications for service development in relation to research and evaluation activities (2011)
Journal Article
Masson, H., Balfe, M., Hackett, S., & Phillips, J. (2011). Making use of historical case material: the problems of looking back and the implications for service development in relation to research and evaluation activities. Journal of Sexual Aggression, 18(1), 112-122. https://doi.org/10.1080/13552600.2011.630539

This methodological paper details the process of embarking on a follow-up study of young people with sexual behaviour problems who were known to services in the 1990s and who are now young adults in their 20s or early 30s. In the context of the impor... Read More about Making use of historical case material: the problems of looking back and the implications for service development in relation to research and evaluation activities.

Outcomes of short course interprofessional training in parental mental illness and child protection safeguarding children : self-efficacy, attitudes and knowledge. (2011)
Journal Article
Carpenter, J., Patsios, D., Szilassy, E., & Hackett, S. (2011). Outcomes of short course interprofessional training in parental mental illness and child protection safeguarding children : self-efficacy, attitudes and knowledge. Social Work Education, 30(2), 195-206. https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2011.540394

Living with a parent with mental illness may expose a child to a degree of risk of abuse and neglect. Consequently, both adult mental health services and children's services share a responsibility for safeguarding children and promoting their welfare... Read More about Outcomes of short course interprofessional training in parental mental illness and child protection safeguarding children : self-efficacy, attitudes and knowledge..

The role of ‘family practices’ and ‘displays of family’ in the creation of adoptive kinship (2011)
Journal Article
Jones, C., & Hackett, S. (2011). The role of ‘family practices’ and ‘displays of family’ in the creation of adoptive kinship. The British Journal of Social Work, 41(1), 40-56. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcq017

Adoption has changed significantly over the last four decades, placing new demands on those affected by adoption, including adopters, adoptees and birth relatives (i.e. the ‘adoption triangle’), as well as the professionals involved. Over the same pe... Read More about The role of ‘family practices’ and ‘displays of family’ in the creation of adoptive kinship.

Cybersex offender risk assessment. An explorative study (2010)
Journal Article
Buschman, J., Wilcox, D., Krapohl, D., Oelrich, M., & Hackett, S. (2010). Cybersex offender risk assessment. An explorative study. Journal of Sexual Aggression, 16(2), 197-209. https://doi.org/10.1080/13552601003690518

This research employed post-conviction polygraph testing on first offence internet child abuse image downloaders. The study systematically addressed the different child sexual behaviours exhibited by 38 men who were convicted of possessing child porn... Read More about Cybersex offender risk assessment. An explorative study.

'Normal' and 'inappropriate' childhood sexual behaviours; findings from a Delphi study of professionals in the United Kingdom (2009)
Journal Article
Vosmer, S., Hackett, S., & Callanan, M. (2009). 'Normal' and 'inappropriate' childhood sexual behaviours; findings from a Delphi study of professionals in the United Kingdom. Journal of Sexual Aggression, 15(3), 275-288. https://doi.org/10.1080/13552600902915984

This paper presents the results of a three-stage Delphi study examining the current level of consensus among 24 professionals in the United Kingdom regarding definitions of and distinctions between normal, inappropriate and sexually abusive behaviour... Read More about 'Normal' and 'inappropriate' childhood sexual behaviours; findings from a Delphi study of professionals in the United Kingdom.

Communicative openness within adoptive families: adoptive parents’ narrative accounts of the challenges of adoption talk and the approaches used to manage these challenges (2008)
Journal Article
Jones, C., & Hackett, J. (2008). Communicative openness within adoptive families: adoptive parents’ narrative accounts of the challenges of adoption talk and the approaches used to manage these challenges. Adoption Quarterly, 10(3-4), 157-178. https://doi.org/10.1080/10926750802163238

Policy and practice relating to openness in adoption have changed substantially in the last 30 years. There is a growing body of empirical research that supports both structural and communicative openness, and there is widespread consensus that commu... Read More about Communicative openness within adoptive families: adoptive parents’ narrative accounts of the challenges of adoption talk and the approaches used to manage these challenges.

Young people who have sexually abused: what do they (and their parents) want from professionals? (2006)
Journal Article
Hackett, S., & Masson, H. (2006). Young people who have sexually abused: what do they (and their parents) want from professionals?. Children & Society, 20(3), 183-195. https://doi.org/10.1002/chi.873

This article presents the findings of a small scale qualitative study of user perspectives in the adolescent sexual aggression field. Twenty four service users who had received intervention from nine different specialist providers completed a structu... Read More about Young people who have sexually abused: what do they (and their parents) want from professionals?.

Exploring Consensus in Practice with Youth Who Are Sexually Abusive: Findings from a Delphi Study of Practitioner Views in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland (2006)
Journal Article
Hackett, S., Masson, H., & Phillips, S. (2006). Exploring Consensus in Practice with Youth Who Are Sexually Abusive: Findings from a Delphi Study of Practitioner Views in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. Child Maltreatment, 11(2), 146-156. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077559505285744

This article presents the findings of a study exploring current levels of consensus among practitioners in the United Kingdom (UK) and the Republic of Ireland (ROI) about good practice in relation to youth who are sexually abusive. A three-stage Delp... Read More about Exploring Consensus in Practice with Youth Who Are Sexually Abusive: Findings from a Delphi Study of Practitioner Views in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.

The motivation, professional development and identity of social work students in four European countries (2003)
Journal Article
Hackett, S., Kuronen, M., Matthies, A., & Kresal, B. (2003). The motivation, professional development and identity of social work students in four European countries. European Journal of Social Work, 6(2), 163-178. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369145032000144421

Four European Universities (University of Durham, UK; University of Jyväskylä, Finland; University of Ljubljana, Slovenia; and Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences, Germany) have been collaborating on an EC-funded Erasmus Curriculum Devel... Read More about The motivation, professional development and identity of social work students in four European countries.