Search results for ‘Author:"cohen ronen"’ Sort:
Results 1 - 1 of 1
Youth leadership program for changing self-image and attitude toward people with disabilities
- Authors:
- COHEN Ronen, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Social Work in Disability and Rehabilitation, 11(3), 2012, pp.197-218.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
The attitude of society toward people with intellectual or psychiatric disabilities is predominantly negative in nature. Persons with disabilities usually arouse feelings of compassion, and are perceived as being incapable of working, in need of charity, inferior, and even asexual. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of an intervention programme on changes in attitude toward people with disabilities among member of a youth leadership group, and also to assess whether changes occurred in their self-image. The participants were 164 9th-grade students from various junior high schools throughout Israel. Half of the students participated in an integration programme for changing attitudes toward persons with disabilities, and the other half served as the control group. The group participated in workshops that presented information regarding disabilities and were also involved in volunteer projects offering services to people with disabilities. The research examined the existence and the degree of relationship between participation in the programme, changes in attitudes toward people with disabilities, and self-image. The research findings pointed to a positive change in attitudes of the participants of the programme in comparison with the control group, resulting mainly from personal contact with people with disabilities. No relationship was found between levels of self-image of the research group and attitudes toward people with disabilities.