Attitudes of students in helping professions towards the sexuality, partnership and parenting of people with intellectual disabilities

Osobe s intelektualnim teškoćama okružene stigmom okoline bivaju socijalno isključene i ograničeno im je ostvarivanje njihovih prava. Potrebno je razviti svijest o njihovoj potrebi za intimnosti, partnerstvom i roditeljstvom te im je potrebna pomoć kako bi ostvarili te potrebe i prava. U tome se ogleda važnost uloge stručnjaka koji pružaju pomoć i podršku u rješavanju životnih problema i savladavanju životnih kompetencija. Ovim istraživanjem nastojao se dobiti uvid u stavove studenata pomažućih profesija o seksualnosti osoba s lakim i umjerenim intelektualnim teškoćama. Istraživanje je provedeno putem web ankete na uzorku od 205 studenata pomažućih profesija koji studiraju u Gradu Zagrebu. Cilj ovog istraživanja bio je ispitati stavove studenata o seksualnosti, partnerstvu i roditeljstvu osoba s lakim i umjerenim intelektualnim teškoćama te otkriti postoji li razlika u stavovima s obzirom na pojedina sociodemografska obilježja. Rezultati su pokazali razliku u stavovima s obzirom na dob, studij, fakultet, razinu studija, studentski status, religioznost, bliskost i kontakt s osobom s intelektualnim teškoćama. Istraživanje je pokazalo važnost edukacije i stjecanja što višeg stupnja obrazovanja stručnjaka te direktnog rada s osobama s intelektualnim teškoćama kako bi se osvijestila potreba osoba s intelektualnim teškoćama za seksualnosti.People with intellectual disabilities surrounded by environmental stigma are being socially excluded and their rights are being limited. It is necessary to develop an awareness of their need for intimacy, partnership and parenting, and they need help to achieve these needs and rights. This reflects the importance of the role of experts who provide help and support in solving life problems and mastering life competencies. With this research, we tried to get an insight into the attitudes of helping professions students about the sexuality of people with mild and moderate intellectual disabilities. The research was conducted via a web survey on a sample of 205 students studying in the City of Zagreb. The aim of this research was to examine students' attitudes about sexuality, partnership and parenting of people with mild and moderate intellectual disabilities and to find out if there is a difference in attitudes with regard to certain sociodemographic characteristics. The results showed a difference in attitudes regarding age, study, faculty, level of study, student status, religiosity, closeness and contact with a person with intellectual disabilities. The research showed the importance of education and obtaining the highest possible level of education of experts and direct work with people with intellectual disabilities in order to create awareness of need of people with intellectual disabilities for sexuality