Treatment Models for PSB

The Problematic Sexual Behavior - Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy™ treatment models are family-oriented, cognitive-behavioral treatment group or family intervention models designed to eliminate problematic and illegal sexual behaviors and improve prosocial behavior and adjustment, while reducing stress and enhancing skills in parents and caregivers.

University of Oklahoma's Treatment Model for Problematic Sexual Behavior™ 

  1. PSB-CBT™ treats youth across three age groups: ages 3-6, ages 7-12 (with modification for youth up to age 14), and ages 13-18.
  2. The PSB-CBT™ model is grounded in a cognitive-behavioral and social ecological approach.
  3. PSB-CBT™ provides short-term, community-based outpatient program for youth and their caregivers.
  4. Treatment can be provided in either a family or group modality.
  5. PSB-CBT™ sessions require active involvement of parents or other caregivers.
  6. Treatment referrals may come from varied community partners (e.g., child protective services, juvenile justice, schools, other mental health providers, and direct from families).
  7. 10-year follow-up studies of youth who completed PSB-CBT™ treatment found very low rates of future problematic sexual behavior (2%) in both school-age youth (Carpentier, Silovsky, Chaffin, 2006) and adolescents (Chaffin & Bonner, 2015).  

Preschool (ages 3 - 6)

90-minute weekly concurrent child and caregiver group sessions (12 sessions) addresses:

  • Supervision and safety
  • Behavior management strategies
  • Boundaries
  • Assertiveness skills
  • How to make helpful choices and follow rules
  • How to get along with other children, and
  • Support for families

Mixed gender attend group together.

School-Age (ages 7 - 12)

60 to 90-minute weekly concurrent child and caregiver group sessions (18 sessions) addresses:

    • Supervision and safety
    • Parenting strategies
    • Rules about sexual behavior and boundaries
    • Affective and cognitive coping skills
    • Self-control strategies
    • Social skills
    • Abuse prevention
    • Sexual education
    • Empathy and impact of behavior on others

    Mixed gender attend group together.

    Adolescent (ages 13 - 18)

    Designed for group format and can be adapted for family treatment when warranted.  The curriculum is completed in approximately 46 sessions (12 months) for teens with no prior treatment for PSB and 23 sessions (6 months) for teens who successfully completed prior residential PSB treatment.  Most 90-minute PSB-CBT™-A group sessions begin with concurrent Teen and Caregiver groups, and conclude with Combined Teen-Caregiver group time.  Topic Areas:

    • Understanding state sex laws and consequences for illegal sexual behavior
    • Supervision and monitoring of teen behavior
    • Family communication skills development
    • Understanding, taking responsibility and making restitution for problematic sexual decision-making
    • Developing healthy non-sexual and sexual decision-making and self-control strategies

      Typically implemented with youth under juvenile justice oversight. Teen groups commonly run as single gender groups.