EXPERIENCE OF OWN BODY AND SEXUALITY IN ADOLESCENTS WITH MOTORIC IMPAIRMENTS

Tijekom adolescencije slika pojedinca o vlastitom tijelu doživljava značajne promjene, a fizički izgled postaje jedan od temelja na kojem se gradi identitet. Mlade osobe s motoričkim ili drugim oštećenjima u razdoblju formiranja identiteta mogu doživljavati svoje tijelo manje vrijednim, svoje sposobnosti umanjenima, a sebe u cjelini inferiornijima, uspoređujući se s osobama bez navedenih poteškoća. Jedna od specifičnosti razvoja i života adolescenta s motoričkim oštećenjima jest u tome što su, za razliku od svojih vršnjaka bez oštećenja, znatno ovisniji o obitelji i/ili instituciji te općenito o tuđoj njezi i pomoći. To može onemogućiti ili otežati prepoznavanje i zadovoljenje potreba za privatnošću, bliskošću, obrazovanošću na području seksualnosti te potreba za razvijanjem bliskosti, a kasnije i intimnih partnerskih veza. Česta strategija rješavanja ovih suprotstavljenih potreba je poricanje seksualnosti kod mladih s motoričkim oštećenjima te kod osoba s invaliditetom općenito. Namjera autorica bila je da pridonesu rasvjetljavanju nekih aspekata doživljavanja vlastitog tijela i seksualnosti mladih s motoričkim oštećenjima. Budući da su opasnosti od neprepoznavanja i neraspravljanja o tjelesnim aspektima identiteta i seksualnosti kod ove populacije mladih brojne i složene, važno je potaknuti mlade, njihove roditelje, ali i stručnjake da svojim iskustvom, znanjem i uključivanjem pridonesu širenju spoznaja o ovoj temi.During adolescence, the individual\u27s image of one\u27s own body undergoes significant changes, and the physical appearance becomes one of the foundation on which the identity is built. During the period of forming the identity, young persons with motoric or other impairments can experience their body as less worthy, their capacities as reduced, and themselves inferior overall in comparison to the persons without the aforementioned impairments. One of the specific features of the development and life of adolescents with motoric impairment is that they are, unlike their peers without such impairments, far more dependent on their family and/or the institution, and generally on other people\u27s care and help, which can aggravate or disable the recognition and satisfaction of the needs for privacy, closeness, education in the area of sexuality and the need to develop close, and later intimate partnership relations. A frequent strategy for solving these conflicting needs is to deny sexuality in young persons with motoric impairment, and the disabled persons in general. The intention of the authors to contribute to the clarification of some aspects of the experience of own body and sexuality of young persons with motoric impairment. Since the dangers from the failure to recognise and discuss the physical aspects of the identity and sexuality in this population are numerous and complex, it is important to encourage young persons, their parents, but also the experts to contribute to the dissemination of the insights into this topic with their experience, knowledge and participation