Annual of social work, Vol. 14 No. 3, 2007.
Review article
EXPERIENCE OF OWN BODY AND SEXUALITY IN ADOLESCENTS WITH MOTORIC IMPAIRMENTS
Maja Laklija
Kristina Urbanc
Abstract
During adolescence, the individual's image of one's 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's 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.
Keywords
body; sexuality; motoric impairments; adolescence; education
Hrčak ID:
18889
URI
Publication date:
30.12.2007.
Visits: 5.106 *