Health and Social Care Staff Responses to Working With People With a Learning Disability Who Display Sexual Offending Type Behaviours

• NCJ Number: 189171
• Journal: Journal of Sexual Aggression Volume: 7 Issue: 1 Dated: 2001 Pages: 56-66
• Author(s): Karen McKenzie; Edith Matheson; Kerry McKaskie; Shona Patrick; Donna Paxton; Amanda Michie; George C. Murray
• Date Published: 2001
• Length: 11 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom

Annotation

This study examines health and social care staff responses to working with people with a learning disability who display sexual offending type behaviors.

Abstract

The study involved 96 individuals from social care and nursing staff. Fifty-nine percent of social care staff were supporting a client with a learning disability who had offended or displayed an offending type behavior. The range of behaviors included rape, sexual assault, and exposure. Only 22.9 percent of social care staff had received training in this area, while none of the health staff had. Both groups expressed low levels of confidence in supporting this client group. The areas of difficulty were common to both groups and included personal attitudes and attitudes of others to the behavior, and concerns over risk, responsibility, and safety. Social care staff were significantly more likely to hold negative attitudes towards the person's behavior, while health staff were significantly more likely to feel negatively towards the person. Health staff identified training as a means of further support, while social care staff identified professional input. Tables, references