Presentation
My doctoral project builds on my licentiate thesis Voices That Want to Be Heard: Sexual Experiences, Consent, and Conversations among Young Adults with Intellectual Disabilities, which was carried out within the National Graduate School for Professionals in Social Work. In this study, I examined how young adults with intellectual disabilities reason about sexual experiences, their understanding of consent, and their conversations about sexuality and intimacy. The findings revealed a wide range of sexual experiences and challenges related to consent, while also highlighting the agency of the participants in sexual situations. Moreover, the importance of being able to talk to others about sexuality became evident, as well as how power relations and hierarchies in their everyday environments influence the possibility to express themselves freely. Taken together, these results point to the need to investigate the professional perspective – that is, how staff in everyday support services understand their role and how they can support young adults’ sexual self-determination.
My continued doctoral research is directed towards this professional perspective. The overall aim is to examine how professionals can strengthen young adults with intellectual disabilities in their everyday lives, with a particular focus on relationships and sexuality. The project seeks to explore professional practices that may promote participation and empowerment, and the findings will be validated and complemented through a reference group consisting of young adults themselves, based on their own needs and experiences. The overarching goal is to contribute to knowledge that can improve support services and, in turn, promote the quality of life of this group.
