| This study identifies, describes and analyzes the perspectives of parents of adolescents with disabilities concerning their son's or daughter's vulnerability to sexual exploitation. Two sources of data collection were used. Qualitative interviews, using an interview guide approach, were conducted with four sets of parents of adolescents who were reported as functioning in the moderately mentally handicapped range of ability. Through a process of inductive data analysis, transcripts and field notes were analyzed to discover major concepts and themes. From these themes a questionnaire was devised and distributed to a similar group of parents whose sons or daughters attended programs in either school system in Edmonton.;Questionnaire responses were analyzed to identify and describe the distribution of the characteristics of experiences of this group of parents, and to test the validity of the themes drawn from the initial interviews. Parents experience constant concern about the sexual exploitation of their child. This is one of many concerns they have about their teen's future. Public sources of information and teens' experiences contribute to their concern. Two-thirds of the teens have experienced at least one type of abuse--psychological, social, physical, sexual, or financial--usually in the form of multiple and repeated abuse. Parents cope with their concern by providing their teen with constant supervision and by relying on a personal support network. About one-quarter (22%) of parental responses reported that their teen does not receive any instruction, within the family or from the school, in areas that could assist them to cope with the experiences of puberty, and also focus on abuse prevention. |
