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BJSW Advance Access originally published online on August 29, 2007
British Journal of Social Work 2009 39(1):99-112; doi:10.1093/bjsw/bcm091
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© The Author 2007. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The British Association of Social Workers. All rights reserved.

Beyond ‘Vulnerability’: An Ecological Model Approach to Conceptualizing Risk of Sexual Violence against People with Learning Difficulties

Andrea Hollomotz

Andrea Hollomotz is currently undertaking Ph.D. research at the Centre for Disability Studies at the University of Leeds. She has previously worked as a social worker with people labelled as having learning difficulties.

Correspondence to Andrea Hollomotz, Centre for Disability Studies, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK. E-mail: spl5a2h{at}leeds.ac.uk


  Abstract

This paper presents an ecological model approach to conceptualizing risk of sexual violence against people with learning difficulties, which takes account of the complex social processes involved in the creation of risk. The concept ‘vulnerability’, often assumed to be a risk-creating characteristic of people with learning difficulties, is too simplistic to take account of all the processes involved in the formation of risk of sexual violence. Risk is influenced by personal attributes, self-defence skills, environments and socio-cultural factors. These risk factors are closely interlinked and constantly interact with one another. The ecological model provides a tool for examining the impact that interactions between individuals and social environments have on an individual’s learning and the development opportunities that have the potential to increase self-defence skills.

Keywords: learning disability, sexual abuse, sexual violence, vulnerability


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