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Intellectual disability and sexuality: attitudes of disability support staff and leisure industry employees
- Authors:
- GILMORE Linda, CHAMBERS Brooke
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability, 35(1), March 2010, pp.22-28.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
This paper suggests that the general attitudes of support staff and others in the community towards the sexuality of individuals with an intellectual disability have the potential to influence opportunities for normalised life experiences in the area of sexuality. A sample of 169 disability support staff and 50 employees from leisure and service industries, in Queensland, Australia, completed the Attitudes to Sexuality Questionnaires. It compared individuals with an intellectual disability, and individuals from the general population. Findings indicated that support staff and leisure workers reported generally positive attitudes towards the sexuality of individuals with an intellectual disability, but men were seen as having less self-control than women. Support staff were more cautious in their views about parenting, and both groups considered a lower level of sexual freedom to be desirable for women with an intellectual disability compared to women who are developing typically. The authors concluded that the attitudes of both groups were generally quite positive in relation to intellectual disability and sexuality.