The Life Experiences of Women with an Intellectual Disability who were Sexually Assaulted

The views of those with an intellectual disability (ID) on sexuality is not a topic many are willing to broach. Many challenges exist for those identified with ID when it comes to sexual education, including a lack of appropriate curricula; a lack of trained school personnel; the inability of school, state, and national stakeholders to agree on policy or curriculum content; and the generalizability of the content. These challenges are heightened by an increase in sexual assault of women with ID. To improve sexual assault prevention skills, the researcher conducted a phenomenological study to identify the current status of sexual assault and sexual education, specifically for women with ID. Semi-structured interviews occurred with seven women with ID who were sexually assaulted. The outcome of this dissertation research provides information, derived from these women, as ways to better educate females with ID in relation to sexual education and sexual assault prevention