Sexual Education of Adolescents with Moderate Intellectual Disability in Family: Experience of Mothers

Abstract

The article analyses the aspects of sexual education of adolescents with a moderate intellectual disability in the family and the needs for the realisation of the role of mothers as educators. The experiences of mothers are revealed in order to understand the experiences of mothers, reactions towards the sexual maturation of the adolescents, educational efforts in the family, the search for assistance. The answers to the following problematic questions are sought: What experiences, which are related to the sexual maturation of the adolescents and sexual education in the family, do mothers experience? What are the efforts and assistance search of mothers as sexuality educators in the family? 8 mothers, who are bringing up children with a moderate intellect disability, participated in the study. To collect the data, the method of focus group discussion was employed, qualitative content analysis was used for the data analysis. Sexual education of the adolescents with a moderate intellectual disability in the family cause discomfort and inconvenience to the mothers, they experience doubts, confusion, a burden, when performing the role of a sexual educator. Their efforts, at the time of the initiation educational conversations on such themes as the dignity of a girl, the maintenance of sexual, romantic, love relationships, childbearing and parental responsibilities with the adolescent in a family environment, are cautious and unassertive. The needs for psychological and educational preparedness of the mothers to perform the role of a sexual educator are revealed: the understanding of personal reactions to the sexual maturation of the adolescents and seksual behavior, the acquisition of confidence to develop social and self-expression skills of the adolescents with a disability, value-related attitudes regarding family ethics, a man and a woman love, friendship, family relationships. The perspective of social assistance for the mothers is related to the expansion of the possibilities for their self-realization, professional career, leisure time and relief and the promotion of the participation of their family in community activities.