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Approximately one third of child sexual abuse is carried out by children and young people themselves. There is a developing awareness of this issue among professionals whose work involves safeguarding children. Working with children and young people who have displayed harmful sexual behaviour raises challenging dilemmas around balancing risk management with the need to provide opportunities for social and emotional development. Strong feelings of anxiety may be present among professionals, and considerable levels of shame and stigmatisation are often experienced by these children and their families. Authors Allardyce and Yates focus on the importance of recognising that young people who display harmful sexual behaviour are children first and foremost.