Sensoa Flag System.Reacting to sexually (un)acceptable behaviour of children and young people

The Sensoa Flag System© is an evidence-based tool for identifying acceptable andunacceptable sexual behaviour of children and young people.“The Flag System helps to asses a situation when discussing it in team and to decide togetherwhat behaviour to allow.”

“The Flag System helps us to create learning opportunities for the young people we attendto and to examine our own discourse as educators and as an organization.”“As a team the Flag System has made us pay more attention to which behaviour is acceptableand how to support our young people in their sexual development.”

Sensoa Flag System is meant for child care workers and professionals working withchildren and young people ages 0 – 18 years. It is used by professionals in differentsettings (care, education, social work, sports and other fields) to discuss sexual (un)acceptable behaviour amongst and toward children and young people with co-workers,management, parents and other care-takers. It can also be used to have the conversationwith children and young people directly about which behaviour is okay andwhich behaviour is not and why this is the case.

The Flag System uses six criteria for determining which sexual behaviour is (un)acceptable.Based on these six criteria and using the Developmental Chart the behaviouris assigned a flag. There are four flags ranging from behaviour that is okay to very seriouslyunacceptable behaviour. An educational response is linked to each of the flags.Drawings and case history help (professional) educators to assess and discuss (unacceptable)sexual behaviour amongst and with respect to children and young people.