Literature Review on Provision of Appropriate and Accessible ...
Literature Review on Provision of Appropriate and Accessible ...
Literature Review on Provision of Appropriate and Accessible ...
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PAGE 93<br />
Studies c<strong>on</strong>sistently show that women with learning disabilities are at<br />
risk from abuse, predominantly by men within their networks, including<br />
other service users, staff, family members, neighbours <strong>and</strong> friends <strong>of</strong> the<br />
family (McCarthy, 1999; McCarthy <strong>and</strong> Thomps<strong>on</strong>, 1997; Brown, Stein <strong>and</strong><br />
Turk, 1995; Hard <strong>and</strong> Plumb, 1987; Stromsness, 1993).<br />
Support to People with an Intellectual Disability who are<br />
<strong>Accessible</strong><br />
<strong>and</strong> <strong>Appropriate</strong> <strong>of</strong> Provisi<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Review</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Literature</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
Experiencing Crisis Pregnancy<br />
People with intellectual disability may experience a high incidence <strong>of</strong><br />
sexual assault <strong>and</strong> sexual exploitati<strong>on</strong> because <strong>of</strong> their ‘lack <strong>of</strong> power<br />
over resources, relati<strong>on</strong>ships, decisi<strong>on</strong>-making <strong>and</strong> informati<strong>on</strong> <strong>and</strong> the<br />
fact that social attitudes may stigmatise them as deviant or <strong>of</strong> little value<br />
(Rosser, 1990; Hayes & Craddock, 1992: 75; Wils<strong>on</strong>, Nettlebeck, Potter<br />
<strong>and</strong> Perry, 1996; Razack, 1994).<br />
Most studies have reported that the majority <strong>of</strong> the intellectually<br />
disabled victims <strong>of</strong> sexual exploitati<strong>on</strong> have mild or moderate intellectual<br />
disability, but this may be because most accounts <strong>of</strong> exploitati<strong>on</strong> come to<br />
light through the victim’s disclosure (Brown et al., 1995; Turk <strong>and</strong> Brown,<br />
1993). Murphy (2007) c<strong>on</strong>tends that those cases <strong>of</strong> sexual exploitati<strong>on</strong><br />
perpetrated against individuals with more severe disabilities may not in<br />
fact be recognised.<br />
3.4.1 Definiti<strong>on</strong> <strong>of</strong> abuse<br />
Brown <strong>and</strong> Turk (1992) define abuse as occurring ‘where sexual acts are<br />
performed <strong>on</strong> or with some<strong>on</strong>e who is unwilling or unable to c<strong>on</strong>sent to<br />
those acts’. These authors include both cognitive ability <strong>and</strong> inequalities<br />
<strong>of</strong> power within the assessment <strong>of</strong> whether an individual is able to<br />
c<strong>on</strong>sent – that is, ‘whether the pers<strong>on</strong> had the ability to c<strong>on</strong>sent to sexual<br />
relati<strong>on</strong>ships in general <strong>and</strong>/or was able to do so without undue pressure<br />
in this particular situati<strong>on</strong>’.<br />
Matthews (1994) has addressed the sexual abuse <strong>of</strong> a pers<strong>on</strong> with<br />
learning disabilities, arguing sexual abuse can take place ‘where that<br />
pers<strong>on</strong>’s apparent willingness is unacceptably exploited’. McCarthy (1999)<br />
notes that this development <strong>of</strong> the definiti<strong>on</strong> strengthens the argument<br />
<strong>on</strong> the existence <strong>of</strong> ‘barriers’ to c<strong>on</strong>sent within certain relati<strong>on</strong>ships<br />
(Brown <strong>and</strong> Turk, 1992; Sgroi, 1989). According to McCarthy, this is useful<br />
as it indicates that although a pers<strong>on</strong> with learning disabilities may have