A lot of social workers don’t seem to understand or realize the harm that they cause’
Disabled young people’s experiences with sexual well-being in social work practice
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 10898017 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Ami Goulden (0000-0002-0772-3629, School of Social Work, Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador , 230 Prince Philip Drive , St John's, A1C 5S7, NL, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 55 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 644-662 |
| Publication date | 2025-03-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | The British Journal of Social Work (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0045-3102 • E-ISSN: 1468-263X |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1093/bjsw/bcae171 |
| OpenAlex | W4404053827 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 37 |
Young disabled people are disproportionately excluded from equal control, access, and choices concerning their sexual and reproductive rights. While sexual citizenship is founded on a rights-based approach and is closely connected with social work values such as empowerment and entitlement to full participation, many social workers do not include dimensions of sexual well-being in their scope of practice. This phenomenological study explores how social workers address the intersection of sexual well-being and disability from the perspectives of young disabled people. A total of twenty-four semi-structured interviews were carried out with individuals between the ages of 17 and 24 in Ontario, Canada, who identify themselves as disabled and have had prior interactions with a social worker. Social workers adopting risk-averse approaches negatively impacted the trust between young people and their social workers. Young people expressed their discontent with sexual well-being being deprioritized in practice, as participants considered dimensions of sexual well-being to be closely related to their physical, mental, and emotional health. Participants overwhelmingly reported that social workers should discuss sexual well-being with service users using sex-positive perspectives. The findings highlight the importance of holistic and comprehensive social work practices, including sexual well-being and sex-positive perspectives
Harm · Political science · Sociology · Work (physics) · Engineering · Healthcare innovation and challenges · Homelessness and Social Issues · Psychology · Social Psychology · Social Work Education and Practice · Social Work
Sexuality and Disability
Interpretative phenomenological analysis as a useful methodology for research on the lived experience of pain
A Sex-Positive Framework for Research on Adolescent Sexuality
Disabled Sexuality
A critical review of social work interventions and programmes that support disabled youth with their sexual well-being
Let’s talk about sexuality podcasting in social work education
Positioning sexual justice within social work teaching on human rights
Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis
Trauma-Informed Sex Positive Approaches to Sexual Pleasure
Education for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR)
Disabled people’s voices on sexual well-being
Parenting, Communication about Sexuality, and the Development of Adolescent Womens’ Sexual Agency
Social Work Curriculum
Sexual Well-Being and Physical Disability
Reviving a Positive Discourse on Sexuality within Social Work
Now Is the Time for a Rights-Based Approach to Social Work Practice
Social Workers Putting into Practice the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
The Sexual Citizen
| Citations per year | 3 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Highly cited | No |