Children displaying problem or harmful sexual behaviour need early therapeutic help but they do not all have access to such services, research shows.
They should be provided with a service that has the potential to change their behaviour, the researchers say.
The research commissioned by the child abuse royal commission questioned why children displaying problem or harmful sexual behaviour in some jurisdictions receive services when those in other locations do not.
There are potentially effective approaches to dealing with children with such behaviour, said the researchers from the University of Melbourne, the Sydney Children's Hospitals Network and Vanderbilt University's Peabody Research Institute.
"All children displaying these behaviours should have the opportunity to be assessed and receive an effective service to avoid escalation and/or prevent other children from being harmed," their report said.
The research found services that treat children with these behaviours should be delivered early and be therapeutic rather than punitive.
"More coercive strategies may be required for more serious and/or repeat cases, or where engagement strategies fail, but effectively dealing with these behaviours early is the best form of prevention."
The researchers say parents and caregivers need to be actively involved in the treatment, which should also address other issues in a child's environment.
Royal commission CEO Philip Reed said the report points out that problem or harmful sexual behaviours are complex and highly stigmatised.
"Effective treatment requires considerable expertise," he said.
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