Caregivers’ perceptions of the sexuality of adolescents with severe intellectual disability in special care centres in the North West Province of South Africa
| dc.contributor.advisor | Kahonde, Callista | en_ZA |
| dc.contributor.author | Motshwane, Judith Ntsiki | en_ZA |
| dc.contributor.other | Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. Centre for Rehabilitation Studies. | en_ZA |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2023-03-07T16:31:39Z | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2023-05-18T07:19:05Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2023-03-07T16:31:39Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2023-05-18T07:19:05Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2023-03 | |
| dc.description | Thesis (MHumanRehabSt)--Stellenbosch University, 2023. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | ENGLISH SUMMARY: Background: Caregivers in special care centres play many roles in the lives of children and young adults with severe intellectual disabilities which include being a carer, an educator and a companion. In South Africa, there is lack of research to guide the understanding of how caregivers perceive sexuality issues of these young people with severe intellectual disabilities under their care. It has also been noted from the literature that many studies have focused on service providers’ perceptions of sexuality of people with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities and there is paucity of literature on caregivers’ perceptions of the sexuality of people with severe intellectual disabilities in South Africa. This study therefore took an initial step in addressing the gap by exploring caregivers’ perceptions of the sexuality of adolescents with severe intellectual disabilities in five special care centres in the North West Province of South Africa. Aim: To explore and describe caregivers’ perceptions of the sexuality of adolescents with severe intellectual disabilities in five special care centres in the North West Province of South Africa. Method: The study used an exploratory descriptive qualitative design. Semi-structured in-depth telephonic interviews were conducted with nine caregivers working in the special care centres. The data was analysed using thematic analysis. Findings: The findings show a range of participants’ perceptions. The participants thought the adolescents were not coping with their body changes and they lacked understanding of both the emotional and physical changes experienced at puberty. They also believed that adolescents must be discouraged from sexual expression or activity. The findings also revealed that the participants find responding to the adolescents’ sexuality challenging as they lacked skills and knowledge to guide their approaches. They expressed a need for training. The findings further revealed participants’ perceptions of the role of parents, pointing towards the impact of parents’ restrictive attitudes, disinterest and misunderstanding of their children with intellectual disability’s sexuality. Conclusion: The study gave an insight into the perceptions of caregivers of the sexuality of adolescents with severe intellectual disabilities in the study setting. The findings identify an urgent need for caregivers to receive training so that they gain skills and confidence to respond to the sexuality of their care recipients in a positive and supportive way. There is also need for strategies to educate parents and involve them in the sexuality education of the adolescents. Sexuality policies, guidelines and structured programmes are essential for caregivers to have tools to guide them. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Agtergrond: In spesiale versorgingsfasiliteite speel versorgers verskeie rolle in die lewens van adolessente met ernstige intellektuele gestremdhede . Hierdie rolle sluit in, die versorger, die onderriggewer en die metgesel. In Suid-Afrika is daar ’n tekort aan navorsing wat leiding gee oor hoe versorgers seksualiteitskwessies waarneem - of behoort waar te neem - onder adolessente met ernstige intellektuele gestremdhede in hul sorg. Dit is duidelik uit die literatuur, dat vele studies gefokus het op diensleweraars se waarnemings van die seksualiteit van mense met ligte tot ernstige intellektuele gebreke. Daar is egter ’n gebrek aan literatuur oor versorgers se waarnemings van die seksualiteit van adolessente met ernstige intellektuel gestremdhede in Suid-Afrika. Hierdie studie neem dus die eerste tree in die vul van hierdie leemte, deur die versorger se waarneming van die seksualiteit van adolessente met ernstige intellektuele gestremdhede in spesiale sorgsfasiliteite in die Noord-Wes Provinsie van Suid Afrika, aan te spreek. Doelwit: Om die versorgers se waarnemings van die seksualiteit van adolessente met ernstige intellektuele gestremdhede in die Noord-Wes Provinsie in Suid–Afrika, te ondersoek en te beskryf. Metode: Hierdie studie het gebruik gemaak van ’n verkennend beskrywende, kwalitatiewe ontwerp. Semi-gestruktureerde, in-diepte telefoniese onderhoude is met nege versorgers gevoer wat in spesiale versorgingsfasiliteite werksaam is. Die data is geanaliseer deur die gebruik van tematiese analise. Bevindinge: Die bevindinge van hierdie studie toon ’n verskeidenheid waarnemings. Die deelnemers dink dat die adolessente nie die fisiese veranderinge aan hul liggame goed hanteer nie, en dat hulle nie begrip het vir die emosionele en fisiese veranderinge wat puberteit meebring nie. Hulle glo ook dat hierdie adolessente ontmoedig moet word om uitdrukking te gee aan hul seksualiteit, en dat hulle ontmoedig moet word van seksuele aktiwiteit. Die bevindinge het aan die lig gebring dat die deelnemers gevind het dat om te reageer op die adolessent se seksualiteit uitdagend is, aangesien hulle nie oor die nodige vaardigehede beskik om hul aksies en benaderings te lei nie. Hulle het ’n behoefte aan opleiding uitgespreek. Die bevindinge het die versorgers se siening van die rol van die ouers aan die lig gebring. Hulle het verwys na die impak wat die ouers se beperkende houdings, belangeloosheid en onbegrip op hul kinders met intellektuele gestremdhede se seksualiteit het. Gevolgtrekking: Hierdie studie het insig gebring oor die waarnemings van versorgers van adolessente met ernstige intellektuele gestremdhede se seksualiteit in die spesiale versorgingsfasiliteite. Die bevindinge het ’n dringende behoefte uitgelig vir die versorgers om opleiding te ontvang sodat hulle die nodige vaardighede en selfvertroue kan he om op ’n positiewe, en ondersteunende manier, te reageer op die adolessente in hul sorg se seksualiteit. Daar is ook ’n behoefte vir strategiee om ouers van sulke adolessente te onderrig, en hulle te betrek by die seksuele onderrig van die adolessente. Seksualiteitsbeleide, riglyne en gestruktureerde programme is uiters belangrik vir die versorgers sodat hulle die nodige gereedskap het wat aan hul leiding kan gee. | af_ZA |
| dc.description.version | Masters | |
| dc.format.extent | xiii, 70 pages ; includes annexures | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/127378 | |
| dc.language.iso | en_ZA | en_ZA |
| dc.publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University | |
| dc.rights.holder | Stellenbosch University | |
| dc.subject.lcsh | People with mental disabilities -- Sexual behavior -- North-West (South Africa) | en_ZA |
| dc.subject.lcsh | Developmentally disabled -- Sexual behavior -- North-West (South Africa) | en_ZA |
| dc.subject.lcsh | Caregivers -- Attitudes -- North-West (South Africa) | en_ZA |
| dc.subject.name | UCTD | |
| dc.title | Caregivers’ perceptions of the sexuality of adolescents with severe intellectual disability in special care centres in the North West Province of South Africa | en_ZA |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_ZA |
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