Bu araştırmada zihinsel yetersizliği olan bireylerin cinselliği ile ilgili çalışmalar yapan uzmanların zihinsel yetersizliği olan bireylerin cinselliği ile ilgili görüşlerinin incelenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Araştırma için Almanya ve Avusturya'da zihinsel yetersizliği olan bireylerin cinselliği üzerine araştırma yapan ve bu alanda 10 ila 35 yıldır çalışan, cinsel danışman, cinsel pedagog ve pedagogdan oluşan 3 uzman seçilmiştir. Nitel bir araştırma olarak desenlenen bu çalışmada yarı yapılandırılmış görüşme tekniği kullanılmıştır. Elde edilen veriler betimsel analiz tekniği ile analiz edilmiştir. Araştırma bulguları, zihinsel yetersizliği olan bireylerin cinselliğinin günümüzde tabu olarak kabul edildiğini ve bu bireylerin cinselliklerini diledikleri gibi yaşamalarına olanak sunulmadığını ortaya koymuştur. Ayrıca zihinsel yetersizliği olan bireylerin cinsel eğitim konusunda yeterli destek almadıkları, bu bireylerin kendi bedenlerini tanımada çok fazla bilgiye sahip olmadıkları ve zihinsel yetersizliklerine bağlı olarak bedenlerini tanımakta zorlandıkları belirtilmiştir. Zihinsel yetersizliği olan bireylerin çocuk sahibi olma arzularının aileleri ve destek eğitim personeli tarafından reddedildiği de araştırma bulguları ile ortaya çıkmıştır. Bu çalışmadan elde edilen sonuçların zihinsel yetersizliği olan bireylerin cinselliği konusunda araştırma yapacak akademisyenlere ve hazırlanacak bir cinsel eğitim programına katkı sağlayacağı düşünülmektedir.Bu araştırmada zihinsel yetersizliği bulunan bireylerin cinselliği ile ilgili çalışmalar yapan uzmanların zihinsel yetersizliği olan bireylerin amaçlanmıştır. Bu amaç doğrultusunda aşağıda yer alan soruların yanıtları aranmıştır. cinselliği konusuna dair görüşlerinin incelenmesi c. Uzmanların zihinsel engelli bireylerin çocuk yapma arzuları üzerine düşünceleri nelerdir? d. Uzmanlara göre zihinsel engelli birey ailelerinin çocuklarının cinselliğine ilişkin davranışları nasıldır? e. Uzmanlara göre zihinsel engellilerin cinselliği konusunda hangi iyileştirmeler yapılmalıdır?

The objective of this study is to examine the opinions of experts who have researched the sexuality of individuals with mental disabilities. For this research, three experts (sexual consultant, sexual pedagogue and pedagogue) who have worked in Germany and Austria for 10 to 35 years have been chosen for the sexual life of individuals with mental disabilities. This study was designed as a qualitative research. The semistructured interview technique was used. The obtained data were analyzed by descriptive analysis technique. The findings suggest that the sexuality of mentally disabled individuals is a taboo today and these individuals are not allowed to live their sexuality as they wish. It has also been pointed out that mentally disabled individuals do not receive adequate support for sexual education, that these individuals are not very informed about their bodies and that they are unable to recognize their bodies due to their cognitive development. It’s also observed that mentally disabled individuals’ desire to have children is rejected by their families and educational support staff. Findings from this study are expected to contribute to academicians who will research the sexuality of mentally disabled individuals or potentially to the preparation of a sexual education program As there is not a great body of resources and research on the sexuality of mentally disabled people, their environment including their parents harbour prejudice about their sexuality. This prejudice has led to these people being seen as asexual, childish or people whose instincts are out of control, strongly addicted to sex or people who don’t have any such instincts (Leue-Kading,2004). Limitations and prejudice stemming from parents and the environment lead these individuals to suppress their sexuality. It is commonly thought that people with mental disabilities can live happily without emotional and sexual relationships. They can be also be perceived as dangerous as they cant control their sexual behaviours (Schonwiese & Sailer-Lausmann, 2000). The educational approach and unwritten rules of societies place limitations on people with mental disabilities in expressing their sexuality. Being suppressed by the society may led them relieve themselves manually or exhibit aggressive behaviour. These individuals are thought to be protected from sexual relationship as they are ‘special people’. Due to the negative approach of society toward these individuals, researchers have formed a different perspective about their sexuality (Bannasch,2002). These researchers have indicated that these individuals have senses like the rest of us and can identify with real sexuality. They also indicate that these individuals have the physical capacity for their sexual needs and that their sexually has no difference from the rest of society (Bannasch, 2002; Krenner, 2003; Walter, 1992). For this research, three experts (sexual consultant, sexual pedagogue and pedagogue) who have worked in Germany and Austria for 10 to 35 years have been chosen for the sexual life of individuals with mental disabilities. This study was designed as a qualitative research. The semi-structured interview technique was used. The obtained data were analyzed by descriptive analysis technique. The finding ssuggest that the sexuality of mentally disabled individuals is a taboo today and these individuals are not allowed to live their sexuality as they wish. It has also been pointed out that mentally disabled individuals do not receive adequate support for sexual education, that these individuals are not very informed about their bodies and that they are unable to recognize their bodies due to their cognitive development. It’s also observed that mentally disabled individuals’ desire to have children is rejected by their families and educational support staff. Findings from this study are expected to contribute to academicians who will research the sexuality of mentally disabled individuals or potentially to the preparation of a sexual education program. According to the field research, it has been found out that individuals with mental disabilities face four to ten times more sexual harassment than the average for the rest of society due to the lack of judgement and the ability to evaluate the situation. They may accept any approach including sexual relations or touching without knowing they are being harassed sexually (Soylu, Senturk Pilan, Aya, & Sonmez, 2012). The main concern of their families is that they may be sexually harrased when they enter puberty. this research also indicates that their families do not have enough information about sexuality (Mermer, 1993) and some families do not give enough information about sexuality to their children (Ciftci, Tekinarslan and Eratay, 2013). The research made by Cangl, Karaca and Aslan (2013) indicates that individuals with mental disabilities with working hormones, have sexual instincts like the rest of society. It has also been discovered in another piece of research that their sexual behaviours are being suppressed by their families, carers and teachers (Nancy A and Elias 2006) The main outcome of this research is that sexuality of these individuals is still taboo. They are not given any opportunity to live their sexuality. According to Aslan, Cangol and Karaca (2013), sexuality is an important factor in their quality of life. People who are supporting these individuals' lives should remove all obstacles which relate to sexuality (Friske, 1995). According to the research, it is commonly thought that these individuals are seen as childish throughout their whole lives and should be supported by someone continuously. The reason why these individuals are seen in this way by other members of the society and their families is that they have some difficulties in describing their sexual behaviours and when these behaviours are suitable and the most important of all is that they have some difficulties controlling these behaviours (Tutar, Guven & Isler, 2015). Also, their decisions regarding their sexuality are prevented by society, their families and teachers. The outcome of this reserche and literature reviews have showed that sexuality is not related to the disability, but related to the existing emotions (Castendiek & Hoffmann,2009). The difference between individuals with mental disabilities and those without is is that these individuals can tackle the problems related to their sexuality if they are given suitable support (Celik, 2014). Rasing awareness and providing education to individuals with mental disabilities is a way enabling them to develop self defence mechanisms - an important way for them to defend themselves against sexual assault (Walter, 1992). Sex education will help these individuals talk about these incidents and classify these incidents whey as good or bad (Bannasch, 2002). Sex education is the main matter for these individuals in all stages of sexual development. With the help of sex education, these individuals can understand the changes in their bodies, their vocabulary about sexuality can expand and they can gain the ability to express their feelings (Farber, Lipps & Seyfahrt, 2000). This research also indicates that these individuals do not receive enough support about sexuality. One particular piece of research indicates that the carers, families, teachers and trainers of these individuals are trying to suppress their sexuality (Cangol, Karaca & Aslan, 2013). Based on this research, the rate of their exposure to sexual harassment is higher than the average for the rest of society (Tutar Guven & Isler, 2015, Celik, 2016). Members of the support team and their families should help these individuals to understand their problems relating to sexuality and describe their sexual roles by using different materials. These individuals should also be given education which is suitable for their cognitive development to tackle the problems which they are facing during the stages of sexual development (Celik,2014). According to the outcome of this research, providing sex education based on clear situations and visual materials is an important method in protecting these individuals from sexual harassment. Visual materials such as 3D materials (body parts with highlighted parts, penis and breasts), naked body pictures and videos can be used in conjunction with the expert's opinion. Visual education is more effective then verbal education for these individuals with mental disabilities(Bosch, 2004). One of the outcomes of this research is that these individuals do not have enough information about their bodies and they have also some difficulties in recognising their bodies. As they do not recognise their bodies and functions very well, they see some of the functions of the sexual organs as dangerous (such as bleeding during a period). According to Klauss (2005), these individuals experience fear during their periods. A proper sex education programme should be prepared by their teachers and families, showing that the unpleasant sides of the sexual behaviour can be eliminated. These individuals should not be punished when they exhibit unpleasant behaviour, however they should given proper sexual help to answer their needs (Celik ,2014). With the help of education programmes which are designed according to their cognitive development, unpleasant situations in the family and social environment such as showing their genitals in public, trying to masturbate, trying to touch others private parts and communicating with unpleasant techniques can be decreased. When to start sex education for these individuals with mental disabilities constitutes the subject of scientific research. Another outcome of this research is the desire to produce children. The wish to have children should be taken seriously by families and society and necessary measures should be taken. Mentally disabled individuals should be given as much as support as the non-disabled individuals about having kids and their standard of living should be improved. As they are part of society, having children fits into the structure of society. The problem which has appeared in this research is that their wish to have children is being rejected by their families and members of the support network. it has been known that these individuals who have children will face a harsh reaction from their families. In Funke’s (2009) thesis, in the interview with Frau P, It has been indicated that when Frau P was asked what her mother thought about her having a baby, she told the researcher that her mother was still angry with her (Funke 2009; 108). Another issue is that after giving birth, their children may be taken by social services. The outcome of research in this field shows that these individuals either do not want to see their babies after birth or reject the babies. These individuals who want to have a baby should be informed about this subject, should be given educational environment to prepare themselves for this journey, and should be given necessary support at all developmental stages of their babies. The outcome of this research shows the reactions towards these individuals by their families because of their sexuality. According to Walter (1992), the question that parents and society should focus on is how to find the suitable support regarding sexuality. As these individuals with mental disabilities live attached socially to their families, they do not live safely when they are alone (Hennis & Sasse, 2004). This research shows that the parents of these individuals reject these people's sexuality. Seminars about the sexuality of individuals with mental disabilities should be given to parents and they should be supported by a sexual pedagog and given information on how to tackle with the problems relating to the sexual development of their children. Sexuality of these individuals should be discussed in detail at scientific meetings and a sexual education concept should be developed. This study shows that families, teachers, carers and trainers who support these individuals with their lives, should be given the space to provide sex education (Pixa-Kettner, 1996). As the sexuality of these individuals is seen as a problem by their social environment, with the permission of parents, these individuals should be given sex education, their questions about this subject should be answered and they should be given all necessary help to get satisfy their curiosity about sexuality. Their limited living space should be expanded and an environment where they can meet other people can be created. The most important thing is that they have a right to live their sexuality and be accepted by society. According to the outcome of this research, awareness about these individuals and their sexuality should be raised, as their sexuality is seen as something to fear by society (Sporken, Jakobi, & Arend, 1980).