Experiences of staff in dealing with client sexuality in services for teenagers and adults with intellectual disability.
Half of direct-care staff feel unprepared for sexual incidents—give them a script and a mentor.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Fox et al. (2001) asked 150 staff how they handle sexual incidents at work.
The staff worked with teens and adults with intellectual disability in day and residential programs.
They filled out a survey about past incidents, confidence, and training needs.
What they found
Two-thirds of staff had already dealt with a sexual incident.
Staff in residential homes and those with past experience felt more confident.
Half of everyone still wanted more training and clear written policies.
How this fits with other research
Winburn et al. (2014) pulled together 17 smaller studies and found the same fear and role conflict R et al. saw.
Burack et al. (2004) asked 252 GPs the same kind of survey and got the same result: sexuality is the topic they feel least ready for.
Fox et al. (2001) and Carter et al. (1995) look opposite—one shows staff unsure, the other shows abuse victims acting out. The gap is viewpoint: staff worry about what to do, victims show why good response matters.
Why it matters
If half your team feels unprepared, incidents will be handled badly. Write a one-page policy that says who calls whom, what words to use, and when to get a supervisor. Pair new staff with a mentor who has already handled a sexual incident. Review the plan every quarter so everyone stays ready.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Previous studies have focused on staff attitudes to sexuality rather than their experience of dealing with sexual incidents. A self-completion questionnaire was devised in which seven scenarios were proposed relating to client sexuality (e.g. public masturbation and accusation of sexual abuse). Staff noted whether or not they had encountered this type of incident, and if so, how confident they felt (or would feel) in dealing with it, and whether or not they would enlist the help of colleagues. Questionnaires were sent to all statutory, voluntary and private service providers (including schools) within one community health and social services trust area in Northern Ireland, and 150 staff responded. Around two-thirds of staff reported having dealt with at least one of the seven incidents listed. Staff with previous experience of the incident listed, felt that they could deal with it more confidently in future, as did staff working in residential services rather than day services. The latter group of staff were more likely to enlist the help of colleagues than were residential staff. Nearly 50% of staff identified more training and clear policy guidelines as the two means of increasing their confidence in dealing with issues of client sexuality. These results highlight the need for staff training that spans agencies and results in common approaches to client sexuality. Suggestions for further research are noted.
Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR, 2001 · doi:10.1046/j.1365-2788.2001.00285.x