[Sexual violence in the reality of life in mentally handicapped young girls and women--results of a research project].
Subject of the study is the situation of 12- to 25-year-old girls and women from Berlin with a mental handicap who have experienced sexualised violence. 367 residential institutions of the Behindertenhilfe Berlin (aid for the handicapped) as well as 15 selected advice and consultancy facilities with amongst others a range of offers on problems of sexual violence. The return from the residencies was 68.7%. The gained individual data for the first time show the belonging to a sex for the residents. The group that was relevant for the study--altogether 147 girls and young women--was cared for in 31 institutions. The heads of the institutions provided information about more than 116 of these inhabitants. Every third to fourth resident (32 out of 116) was concerned by sexualised violence. This high extend of experience of sexualised violence in mentally handicapped female residents is directly opposed to an utterly insufficient psychosocial care situation. On one side the access to the questioned advice and consultancy centres is considerably limited for this clientele. Furthermore, heads of institutions of the Behindertenhilfe rather fall back on experts with medical-psychiatric knowledge, but not necessarily with knowledge of the handling of problems of sexual violence. Suggestions for the necessary improvement of the care situation of concerned girls and women with a mental handicap are being made.
Klein
S
S
Medizinische Fakultät, Universität Rostock.
Wawrok
S
S
Fegert
J M
JM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D018585:Battered Women / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D003376:Counseling; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000523:psychology; D005239:Fear / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D017406:Sexual Harassment / Q000523:psychology*; D012944:Social Support; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology*