Sexual abuse: special considerations when teaching children who have severe learning difficulties

Sexual Abuse Prevention for Individuals with Mental Retardation: Considerations for Genetic Counselors

It is now widely recognized that children, adolescents, and adults with mental retardation are especially vulnerable to sexual abuse. Because at least 10% of genetic conditions are reported to include mental retardation as a feature, the provision of services to individuals with mental retardation represents a substantial portion of the case load for many genetic counselors. Our objective is to educate genetic counselors and other health professionals about this vulnerable population in order to enhance the frequency and efficacy of inquiry into sexual education and sexual abuse prevention training for patients with mental retardation. The following review article is intended to assist genetic counselors by increasing their knowledge of factors that lead to sexual abuse and provides recommendations for integrating this information into the counseling interaction.

The abuse of disabled children: a review of the literature

Literature concerning the abuse of disabled children is examined with a view to elucidating why it is that this problem has not received full attention from professionals to date. Two contributing factors emerge: the limits of studies that have been conducted and the failure of society to address the needs of disabled children. It is concluded that disabled children are at increased risk of abuse, and that new policy and research initiatives are required in this area.