Inclusive and Supportive Education Congress International Special Education Conference Inclusion: Celebrating Diversity? 1st - 4th August 2005. Glasgow, Scotland

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AN ANALYSIS OF TURKISH PARENTS’ ATTITUDES TOWARDS
SEXUAL EDUCATION OF STUDENTS WITH MENTALLY HANDICAPPED

Assist. Prof. Dr. Hakan SARI
Bulent DILMAC
Selcuk University, Egitim Fakultesi, Meram. Konya. 42090. TURKEY
hakansari@hotmail.com

Abstract

Sexuality is an important part of life for all who live in the universe. Students with mentally handicapped need not only academic, social and emotional development but also sexual development because the sexuality consists of complex developmental behaviours that is, it is related to not only biological matters but also physical, social and emotional matters (Poroy, 2000; Sari, 2005; Dilmac, 2002; Toner, 1993). Although students with mentally handicapped like the others need to be educated for sexual matters they have limitations to meet those needs on sexuality in the place where they exist for example, in schools, at home and in the environment because of negative attitudes of the parents who have mentally handicapped children in Turkey. Therefore, the aims of this study are 1) to explore how the parents’ attitudes are towards sexual education of mentally handicapped children, 2) to light new researchers to do further researches on this matter. The research approach in this study was quantitative because in this study ‘Parents’ Attitudes Scale for Sexual Education of Children with Mentally Handicapped’ was used developed by the researchers in Turkey. For the data gathering in Konya and Istanbul which are big cities in terms of geographical place and the population in Turkey, the scales were sent to 349 parents but received 311 scales from the parents selected for this study according to random sampling system. The data were analysed and the findings of the research are presented in the text.

I. Literature

Where do humans come from? How can you protect yourself against sexual violation? And what is the right distance between opposite sexes? Lessons with such content, Which are interesting and strange for not only ordinary boys and girls at the age of puberty but also those mentally handicapped, should become a formal course at schools for mentally retarded students in Turkey. Although later than ordinary children, the sexual mentality of intellectually handicapped children develops in the same phases as ordinary children (Naiper, 1996; Bengu, 1999). At the age of puberty, they may demonstrate the same curiosity as ordinary children, but their abilities to distinguish between right and wrong, to protect themselves against sexual violation and to control themselves are much weaker than ordinary children (Sari, 2005). In Turkey, special sexual education courses have not been opened for retarded students between the ages of 13 to 18 in schools and for their parents. In Turkish schools, although teachers try to help them learn about their bodies and how to protect themselves against sexual violation through telling stories and playing games, which are specially designed for those mentally retarded students, special sexual education courses are not offered for parents of the students to learn how to give the right guidance to their children in daily life.

Turkey deserves attention, for it is the western country that has had the lowest rates of unplanned pregnancy, abortion, and teen pregnancy for quite some time (Altuntas, 2000; Aksayan and et al, 1990). In fact, the goal of sexual education is to allow an open discussion about sexual issues and encourage adolescents to talk about sex and topics that interest them. The attitude of the government is that both the public and families should have a responsibility to help young people avoid unplanned pregnancies. The goal is to instill a sense of responsibility to give them the knowledge to act accordingly. The view that is impossible and quite ridiculous to try to prevent teenagers from having sex is not acceptable as a human being. Thus, the sensible action is to prepare them to act responsibly. Contrary to the view held by many people in Turkey, this liberal attitude seems to be consistent with the findings that fewer Turkish teenagers fewer partners without marriage than their counterparts in other countries.

According to Kardam and et al. (2000), the campaigns help to "keep sexual health on the public agenda, reduce stigma by emphasizing community responsibility for health problems. The campaigns also serve educating youth by providing catalysts for discussion and reinforcing messages, reach higher risk groups not generally accessible through traditional channels, encourage intermediaries (teachers, youth workers, pharmacists) to draw attention to safer sex. Media campaigns should be well coordinated with the education and health sectors to ensure consistency and accuracy of messages to the young.

Additional strategies used by clinics that provide sexual health services to people should include (a) accept teen sexuality and sexual behaviour, (b) guarantee anonymity or confidentiality, (c) provide nonjudgemental service, and (e) require minimal paperwork and no parental consent (Taner, 1993). Less than half of public schools in Turkey offer information on how to obtain birth control, and only a sixth include discussion of abortion and sexual orientation in their curricula (Unal and Nazan, 1997). Their naive and childish view of human sexuality may be destroying large parts of multiple generations of children, one after another, and it must be stopped. Therefore, students with mental retardation should be educated in the right way at schools, at home by their parents. For this, parents’ attitudes towards sexual education issues are important. Because of this, the aim of this study is 1) to explore how the parents’ attitudes are towards sexual education of mentally handicapped children, 2) to light new researchers to do further researches on this matter.

METHOD

II. 1. Research method

In this research, quantitative approach was preferred to collect the data because the researchers wanted to learn the parents’ views and their attitudes on their mentally retarded children’s sexual education and to reach a number of parents through the scale used for this study.

II.2. Sampling

Three hundred and eleven parents of mentally retarded students who are educated in special schools for the mentally retarded and in special classes in mainstream schools and private special education and rehabilitation centres which belong to the Ministry of National Education and the Health Minister participated in this study.

II.3. Data collection

For the data collection, the researchers developed likert type attitude scale for parents to explore their perspectives and their attitudes about sexual education. For this, the researchers developed 98 items at first stage. They administered to the 25 parents for piloting. Then, they collected the scales filled by parents and converted the scoring negative statements so that agreement to a favourable statement scores the same as disagreement to an unfavourable statement. They used Spearman’s Rank Order Correlation Coefficient statistical technique correlating scores for each item with the total scores to account the item analysis which determines the internal constancy. After this, they discarded all negative and low positive correlating items. They selected the items if any item correlation over +0.75. In the end, sixteen items were selected for the scale with five points.

I. 4. Data Analysis

After collecting the scales SPSS 10 version was used to enter the data to the computer and each items’ frequencies and percentages were accounted with the help of computer as shown in the paper.

III. Findings

Table I: Participants’ education levels (in frequencies and percentages)

Most of the parents’ education level (227) is primary education; fifty six of them is secondary education and twenty eight of them graduated from higher education.

Table II: Gender of participants’ (frequencies and percentages)

As can he seen on Table II, 135 of the participants are male, (father) the rest is female (175) (Mother)

Table III: Number of children in family (frequencies and percentages)

According to Table III, more than half of the parents have one to three children

Table IV: Participants’ age (frequencies and percentages

As can be shown on Table IV, most of the parents’ age is between 15 and 50 years.

Table V: Item I: Mentally retarded individuals need social support about sexual education.

As can be seen on Table V, approximately % 85 of the parents agreed with the item saying that mentally retarded individuals need social support about sexual education.

Table VI: Item II: It cannot be controlled sexual matters observed in the mentally retarded with education

According to Table VI, Half of the parents did not agree with the item II. It is interesting that about 40 parents had no view’ on that item

Table VII: Item III: Parents’ negative attitudes towards sexual education results

negatively in the mentally retarded

As can be seen on table VIII, more than two hundred parents agreed with the item III. This shows that parents want to have positive attitudes towards having sexual education of children.

Table VIII: Item VI: It can be benefited from materials with pictures during the sexual education given to the mentally retarded

On Table VIII, more than half of the parents gave responses on using materials with pictures during the sexual education given to the mentally retarded.

Table IX: Item V: Mentally retarded children should be informed as other children had about sexual health issues at least

As shown on Table IX, the majority of parents agreed with the item 5 saying that mentally retarded children should be informed as other children head about sexual health issues.

Table X: Item IV: The mentally retarded should have sexual education in early ages.

Respondents were asked whether mentally retarded children should have sexual education in early ages. Results presented on Table X reveal that approximately half of the respondents agreed with the item V. However, it is interesting that 65 parents had in view about that issue.

Table XI: Item VII: Mentally retarded individuals can improve them without

having sexual education

As shown on Table XI, most of the parents did not agree with the item VI, saying that mentally retarded individuals can improve themselves without having sexual education. This is important because many parents did believe that mentally retarded children need sexual education to improve them on this issue.

Table XII: Item VII: Sexual education courses should be given by the parents

As can be seen on Table XII, more than half of the parents did not accept that sexual education courses be given by the parents. They believe that this kind of course should be given by a specialist.

Table XIII: Item IX: Information about sexual life must not be given any time

As can be seen on Table XIII, more, than %75 of the parents some responses in negative way that is, they did not accept the idea that should not he given to these children any time.

Table XIV: Item X: The mentally retarded children are aware of needs about sexual

Education

As can he seen on Table XIV, it is interesting that a third of the respondents had ‘no view’ on this issue. According to half of them parents believed that mentally retarded children were aware of their needs a bout sexual education.

Table XV: Item XI: The media (TV, Newspaper, other publications) can be benefited for sexual education of the mentally retarded

On Table XV, it is obvious that nearly half of the respondents believed that the media can be benefited for sexual education of the mentally retarded.

Table XVI: Item XII: The mentally retarded does not need sexual education

According to Table XVI, most of the parents did not believe that the idea that the mentally retarded does not need sexual education.

Table XVII: Item XIII: The mentally retarded can demonstrate their genuine

behaviours after having sexual education

According to response given by the parents on Table XVII, half of the respondents believed that the mentally retarded can have genuine behaviours after the education.

Table XVIII: Item XIV: For good sexual behaviours, education help should be taken

As can be seen on Table XVIII, nearly all of the parents believed that education, is necessary and it should be taken a good sexual behaviours.

Table XIX: Item XV: The mentally retarded can demonstrate withdrawn behaviour if they are not educated about sexual life.

As shown on Table XIX, a third of parents had no view on the issue of whether the mentally retarded can demonstrate with drawn behaviour if they are not educated about sexual life. However, half of the parents believed that they would withdrawn behaviour if they are not educated.

Table XX: Item XVI: The mentally retarded can respect for private life if they are educated (they do not want to observe when having a shower )

Respondents were asked about whether the mentally retarded can respect for private life if they are educated. More than half of the parents considered that the mentally retarded respect to private life after education in contrast to %22 of the respondents.

IV. Conclusion

Since few professionals have expertise on sex counselling and psychotherapy, the therapists should collaborate with periodic consultations. This kind of collaboration should include special education teacher, psychiatrist, rehabilitation counsellor, sex therapist and educational psychologist. Frequent discussions can be recommended to enhance the therapist’s existing knowledge and to minimize errors during sex education. Sexuality training should be pursued through various organizations like Association of Turkish Special Educators and Psychologists. This association can also be an excellent source of relevant information. The practitioners should have an advanced degree in a health field and extensive experience with groups of individuals who have disabling conditions. When counselling the disabled (as well as the non-disabled) in the area of sexuality, it is of paramount importance to conceptualize sexuality as an entity that is influenced by as many elements as the human personality. It is also important to be aware of the several factors that affect overall adjustment to a disability: severity, visibility, times of onset, pre-morbid personality, reactions of significant others and constraints imposed by the physical environment.

Although the present laws are designed to protect mentally retarded people from sexual coercion, such Laws may also indirectly effect the legitimacy of sex" expression. For example, the absence of sex education often precludes mentally retarded individuals from demonstrating competency to give consent. (Sari, 2005). Therefore, parents may sometimes be reluctant to permit sexual access for mentally retarded individuals.

Adolescent sexual health in developing countries such as Turkey should be based on values of rights, responsibility, and respect (Dilmac, 2002; Ozguven, 1997). Government and the society should consider it not only a duty to provide accurate information and confidential services to the young, but also that provision of such services and information to adolescents to be part of their rights. Thus, the goal should not be to prevent adolescents from having sex but to educate and thereby empower them to make responsible decisions. By respecting the independence and privacy of adolescents the expectation is that, in return, the majority should act responsibly to educate them, as emphasised in Cinsel Saglik Bilgileri Egitimi Ogretmen El Kitabi (2000). Teenagers should not have to feel guilty or ashamed of having that kind of education. Otherwise, they may be more likely to feel that they have been irresponsible for their sexual life.

REFERENCES

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