Harmful sexual behaviours in adolescents with intellectual/developmental disabilities


Dear colleagues,

Apologies for cross-posting. My name is Louise Empson and I am a Research Assistant at Canterbury Christ Church University, investigating harmful sexual behaviours (HSB) in adolescents with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

The NICE Guidance for HSB recognises that adolescents with IDD require specialised support but cannot currently recommend specific assessments or interventions due to a lack of evidence.

You may have been previously invited to Phase One of the project; an online questionnaire which revealed the differences in current practice, limited practice guidance and complexity of treatment pathways for this population.

CCCU have awarded funding for Phase Two of this project, which involves continuing the survey and recruiting specialist services to partake in a focus group to discuss the limitations and challenges of work, this amongst other professionals. You can attend the workshop either in person in London in May, or via a conference call. A voucher of £20 will be given to you as a thank you.

If you are interested in taking part, please email me directly and a more detailed information sheet will be provided. If you have not already completed the survey, you can find out more by clicking the link below.

https://kentsspssr.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6Du1Juo1ekq5KwR

By helping us in this research, you will be helping to gain a better picture of what resources are available to these vulnerable young people and to inform future evidence-based practice. Please circulate this email to any services/colleagues you feel it may be relevant to. Do not hesitate to contact me if you require further information, thank you for your time.

Kind regards,

Louise Empson
BSc (Hons), MSc Analysis and Intervention in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (Tizard Centre, University of Kent)
Research Assistant | Department of Psychology, Politics, and Sociology, Canterbury Christ Church University, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 1QU | Email: l.empson194@canterbury.ac.uk | Twitter: @louise_empson