Objectives: This study sought to construct a developmental and context-sensitive framework that could be used to identify, understand and respond to adolescent sexual behaviours.
Methods: We reviewed work being conducted on adolescent sexual development, health and safety, interviewed UK-based professionals working on sexual health and child protection, and, having identified the Traffic Light Tool (TLT) designed by Family Planning Queensland and then developed by Brook in the UK, we conducted expert interviews. Finally, we reviewed in-house consultation, training and evaluation documentation provided by Brook.
Results: We identified the Traffic Light Safeguarding Project as offering a framework for thinking about and responding to youth sexuality. The concept of safeguarding allows us to go beyond the narrower mandate of child protection, and link up the activities of different stakeholders working around child and adolescent sexual health. We were able to confirm that the TLT was functioning as an effective safeguarding tool to: (1) identify and respond to adolescent sexual behaviours, and (2) support professionals to communicate confidently with adolescents about sexuality and risk taking. We confirmed the possibilities for developing a Japanese version of the tool.
Conclusions: A safeguarding perspective can help us to move away from a narrowly risk-based approach to child and adolescent sexuality. Development and dissemination of a Japanese version of the TLT can help professionals distinguish between healthy (normal) and unhealthy (risky) sexual behaviours at each developmental stage and more confidently respond to these behaviours.