Teaching the teachers: sexuality training for staff.

Several years of teaching sex education to intellectually handicapped children and adults led to the conclusion the direct care-givers need educating as much as the intellectually handicapped clients with whom they work. This discussion is based on experiences gained in operating sexuality training programs for staff working in residential care settings. People often assume that professionals such as teachers doctors nurses and counselors will have accurate information about sexuality and be able to discuss sexual issues comfortably. This assumption fails to recognize that these professionals have usually obtained their knowledge through the same processes as the general public and their views reflect the variety of opinions and values in society at large. The combination of societys attitudes to sexuality and the influences that result in the development of individual sexual attitudes make it essential for all staff groups at work in the human relations field to have the opportunity to be involved in comprehensive sexuality training programs. Sexuality training program goals include: to provide staff with factual information about the physiology of male and female sexuality; to encourage staff to examine their own attitudes towards a variety of sexual behavior; to encourage staff to examine their attitudes towards the sexuality of specific client groups for example intellectually handicapped people; and to deal with and discuss practical issues confronting staff and specific techniques of handling situations. The factual attitudinal and practical elements of each topic need to be explored: male and female anatomy and physiology; sex roles and conditioning; puberty; menstruation; masturbation; conception reproduction and birth; sexually transmitted diseases; rape and incest; and legal aspects of sexuality. If possible an 8-12 session program should be negotiated. Roughly 2 hours a week seems to be adequate time to allow for the presentation of new material and discussion. Group size should be limited to a maximum of 12 and if possible 8-10 members to encourage group participation. A wide variety of approaches are suitable. Slides films diagrams role playing mime brainstorming and structured discussion are all useful. Every program should be clearly evaluated. Towards the end of the program a good evaluation technique is to give each member a small card which describes a situation and asks how that member would handle the situation. This can then be discussed by the whole group.