Original Research

Psycho-legal challenges facing the mentally retarded rape victim

Frikkie J W Calitz
South African Journal of Psychiatry | Vol 17, No 3 | a280 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/sajpsychiatry.v17i3.280 | © 2011 Frikkie J W Calitz | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 12 November 2010 | Published: 01 September 2011

About the author(s)

Frikkie J W Calitz, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa

Full Text:

PDF (69KB)

Abstract

Persons with mental retardation face multiple emotional, cognitive and social challenges. Mental health professionals increasingly agree that individuals with mental disabilities are more vulnerable to sexual abuse and exploitation than the general population. They are in particularly exposed to peril due to their often life-long dependence on caregivers, relatively powerless position in society, emotional and social insecurities, and lack of education regarding sexuality and sexual abuse. Shortcomings and discrepancies in the medical and legal definition of mental retardation, making the position of such individuals even more difficult, are discussed in this paper.

Keywords

No related keywords in the metadata.

Metrics

Total abstract views: 4051
Total article views: 3493

 

Crossref Citations

1. The Rape Survivor with an Intellectual Disability vs. the Court
Anthony L. Pillay
South African Journal of Psychology  vol: 42  issue: 3  first page: 312  year: 2012  
doi: 10.1177/008124631204200303

2. Il diritto alla salute sessuale nella disabilità. Il ruolo dei caregiver e degli operatori delle relazioni d'aiuto
Roberto Castiglia, Maria Garro, Aluette Merenda, Alessandra Salerno
PSICOLOGIA DI COMUNITA'  issue: 2  first page: 69  year: 2018  
doi: 10.3280/PSC2018-002007

3. Epidemiological pattern of rape cases managed at a regional hospital in South Africa
Chika K. Egenasi, Mathew A. Benedict, Anthonio O. Adefuye, Lynda U. Madu
Health SA Gesondheid  vol: 29  year: 2024  
doi: 10.4102/hsag.v29i0.2434

4. Intellectual disability rights and inclusive citizenship in South Africa: What can a scoping review tell us?
Charlotte Capri, Lameze Abrahams, Judith McKenzie, Ockert Coetzee, Siyabulela Mkabile, Manuel Saptouw, Andrew Hooper, Peter Smith, Colleen Adnams, Leslie Swartz
African Journal of Disability  vol: 7  year: 2018  
doi: 10.4102/ajod.v7i0.396

5. The right to be Freepeople: Relational voluntary-assisted-advocacy as a psychological and ethical resource for decolonizing intellectual disability
Charlotte Capri, Leslie Swartz
Journal of Social and Political Psychology  vol: 6  issue: 2  first page: 556  year: 2018  
doi: 10.5964/jspp.v6i2.946