At the age of 14, the student was referred to a residential treatment center (RTC) specializing in working with students struggling with ASD. The clinical data presented below is sourced from an email report written by the student’s therapist at Oxbow Academy and addressed to the referring professional. This communication is a standard practice to ensure continuity of care and collaboration.
As you may know, students at Oxbow Academy participate in a process of documenting a detailed sexual disclosure as part of their evaluation. The clinical validation of the disclosure is scheduled only when the student feels ready. The therapist, parents, polygrapher, and student collaborate to determine the questions to be asked, ensuring the process is transparent and inclusive. When the student arrives at the polygrapher’s office, the polygrapher explains the process, reviews the questions, and checks if the student has any additional information to disclose that has not already been shared.
It is emphasized throughout this process that the goal is to help students “build a relationship with honesty,” allowing them to experience what it feels like to be trusted again. It is common for students to disclose additional information during this session.
You may wonder, “Why would a teen disclose more information at the last moment?”
The answer lies in the internal conflict these students often experience. They are not sexual deviants, perpetrators, or offenders—labels and language rooted in the adult legal system. Rather, they are teens who have been exposed to pornography, trauma, and life events that sexualized them during formative and vulnerable stages of their development. Many students at Oxbow report being exposed to pornography as early as the age of four. How can a four-year-old begin to process and make sense of what they are seeing at such a young age? At this point, it is not a moral issue but one of early childhood development.
Each student has learned to cope with lies, secrets, and the associated shame in a highly individualized way, as anyone would. Above all, they long for honest and trusting relationships with their families and peers. Despite the difficulty of disclosing their behaviors, they come to understand that telling the truth is far better than enduring the pain of maintaining a lie.
The following excerpt was written by the boy’s therapist for the referring professional. It has been edited to maintain confidentiality.
“...as you already know, Xxxxxx passed his polygraph. Ironically, both parents are now really upset and scared for Xxxxxx. Passing the polygraph came at the price of new information he shared with the polygrapher, but not with me or his parents prior to the exam.
Xxxxxx has sexually engaged with a friend of the family's pet animals (5-7 times over the course of 2 years), ...Also, Xxxxxx did have sexual contact with a number of different students from [His previous placement].
[Mom] stated yesterday, ‘Thank God he is with you guys, no doubt he needs this treatment’.
...Xxxxxx is making significant shifts here at Oxbow. Parents can see that, and they believe he will do better with his testing now, compared to the state of mind he was in at [His previous placement].”
It’s important to remember that the main question is not:
“Are things ‘bad enough’ that the student needs Oxbow Academy?”
A more appropriate clinical question is:
“What is the most clinically sophisticated way to help the teen disclose information, identify its clinical relevance, and create a treatment plan based on facts rather than suspicion?”
If you suspect there may be “more to the story” with a client, here are some questions you can share with parents when considering further evaluation at Oxbow Academy:
How clinically important is it for this information to be disclosed?
How does this information impact his short-term and long-term treatment plan?
What effect has keeping these secrets had on his progress in other treatment settings?
Is there an economic benefit to uncovering this information early in the treatment process?
Families often tell us that, while these conversations can be difficult and even painful, they are also deeply appreciated. Many report carrying the weight of stressful and embarrassing situations for years. Beginning the evaluation process often brings a sense of relief and hope for the family.
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