Sexual Assault Prevention for students with disabilities: Working Together to Prevent Sexual Assault

Jess Boccia

Barwon Centre Against Sexual Assault has been implementing the Sexual Assault Prevention Program in Secondary Schools (SAPPSS) for around two and a half years. Our Initial interest in implementing the SAPPSS model came from a desire for a sound and informed response to prevention of sexual assault. As an organisation working primarily with victim survivors of sexual assault, Barwon CASA recognises that women with disabilities are at higher risk of sexual assault, and the devastating affect this crime has on victims, their families and the community.

About the Sexual Assault Prevention Program in Secondary Schools (SAPPSS)

The SAPPSS program was developed in 2004 by CASA House as a model that works across all three levels of prevention: primary, secondary and tertiary. Its focus is on creating partnerships between CASAs and secondary schools to work towards positive change within school communities and incorporate sexual assault prevention into the curriculum.

The broad aims of the SAPPSS program are to:

  • reduce the incidence of sexual assault in school communities
  • establish safe environments for young people to discuss relationships, consent and communication
  • enhance young people’s knowledge of and access to support
  • enhance the capacity of secondary schools to respond to sexual assault.

The main components of the model are:

  • whole-staff professional development on the issue of sexual assault
  • six-session student curriculum for year 9 or 10
  • train-the-trainer workshops for teaching and support staff to deliver student curriculum

Although the focus is prevention of sexual assault, SAPPSS also addresses a range of damaging behaviours and social norms that relate to other types of violence against women and, overall, aims to promote cultural shifts towards respect and equality (Imbesi 2008).

Evidence base for SAPPSS

Evidence suggests attitudes supporting gender stereotypes and gender based violence are formed in adolescence (Imbesi 2008). Research has shown that young people experience high levels of sexual assault. The Sexual and Reproductive Health of Young Victoriansreport stated ‘1 in 5 women and 1 in 20 men report experiencing coercion into unwanted sexual activity’(Family Planning Victoria, 2005). Of those reporting coercion, half stated this first occurred before the age of 17, with over 80 percent reporting the first episode of coercion before the age of 21.

There is also significant concern about the perpetration of sexual assault by young men. Australian Bureau of Statistics report 20-30 percent of rapes and 30-50 percent of child sexual assaults are perpetrated by young people. Barwon CASA believes it is important to begin conversations with young people around these issues early and work towards challenging both gender stereotypes and violence supportive attitudes before they become central beliefs.

Why take SAPPS to a Special Developmental School?

Women and children with disabilities are at increased risk of experiencing violence including sexual assault. This is particularly true for women with cognitive impairments(VicHealth 2004, Jennings 2003, Brownridge 1999, Gilson et al.2001, Carlson 1997). The Victorian Law Reform Commission’s Sexual Offences: Final Report states that:

“people who have cognitive impairment are more vulnerable to sexual assault and abuse because they depend on others for assistance with daily life.” (Victoria Law Reform Commission 2004, p321).

In late 2012, Nelson Park Special School in Geelong expressed interest in implementing the SAPPSS model within their school. Prior to this,contact between Nelson Park and Barwon CASA was predominantly around secondary consultation and referrals of students for counselling. While SAPPSS is always based on a partnership between CASAs and schools, within Nelson Park School this took on a whole new meaning due to the SAPPSS curriculum needing adaptation to better meet the needs of students with intellectual disabilities.

Adapting SAPPSS for a Special Developmental School

While Barwon CASA could contribute knowledge around sexual assault and implementation of the SAPPSS model, Nelson Park staff were more appropriately placed to advise on curriculum adaptations and what would work for the students at their school. A working group consisting of two teachers, the school social worker and astaff member of Barwon CASA was formed to consider the existing curriculum and how it could be altered for use with Nelson Park students. This was quite an interesting process as it involved learning’s for both sides and needed to consider the challenges of maintaining the integrity and structure of the program while also ensuring it was accessible to a range of student abilities. The greatest learning from this process for Barwon CASA was that the adaptations were actually straightforward and that many changes were things that would enhance learning experiences within mainstream settings (such as incorporation of visual resources and movement based activities).

A number of school staff members were selected to deliver the Year 9 curriculum, based on their ability to engage with students and their interest in sexual assault prevention. These staff participated in three days of training together with staff from mainstream schools that are also implementing the SAPPSS model. Following this, all Nelson Park School staff attended a professional development session on responding to sexual assault. Particular emphasis was placed on ensuring that education support staff also attended this professional development in recognition of the important role they play within the school in supporting students on a day to day basis. A particular focus of the professional development sessions was recognising and responding to all forms of sexual assault including those that some may view as “less serious behaviors” such as sexual jokes and name calling. The impact of these behaviours and their role in creating cultures which condone violence against women was also discussed. Alongside these professional development sessions, Nelson Park School developed a flow chart to guide staff in responding consistently and appropriately to all forms of sexual harassment and assault.

The SAPPSS curriculum is delivered to year 9 students (although some schools in other areas deliver it at a year 10 level) over a period of 6 weeks. Within the Barwon region this consists of 6 double period sessions. Class sizes are generally around 15-20 students in separate sex groups. The sixth session is conducted as a mixed sex class. Facilitators are either 1 male and 1 female or 2 females in the case of young women’s groups. Barwon CASA considers maintaining separate sex groups for the bulk of the program as important in creating safe spaces where students feel they are able to contribute freely. Young people we have spoken to during evaluation who have participated in the SAPPSS curriculum have also identified this as important.

At Nelson Park School the only changes made to the basic delivery structure were to have smaller class sizes (around 10-12 students) and to have more sessions (10) of a slightly shorter duration. These decisions were made in recognition that some students at Nelson Park School might find it difficult to concentrate on one topic for a large period of time and might require more comprehensive explanations of information and more time on tasks involving reading and writing. In delivering the program, staff found it effective to encourage discussion more often than writing activities, as a large percentage of students found it difficult to focus on contributing to group discussion and needing to write down answers to questions. In practical terms this meant that often when students were working in small groups one of the students who was confident with writing skills would take notes for the rest of the group.

Project learnings

To date, the first period of curriculum delivery at Nelson Park has provided both Barwon CASA and the school with valuable learning’s and further adaptations. Some of these include replacing words within the student workbook to avoid confusion (such as ensuring when sex is referred to, the word sex is written rather than “sleep with”) and inclusion of further visual aids (such as explaining laws in relation to age and consent). Further thought will also be given as to how to actively engage students with a diagnosed Autism Spectrum Disorder, who often present with problems around effective social interaction. It is anticipated that focus groups which will be conducted with a number of students shortly will also provide valuable feedback into further refining the curriculum.

References

Carlson, B (1997) “Mental Retardation and Domestic Violence: An Ecological Approach to Intervention”, Social Work 42(1): 79-89.

Family Planning Victoria (FPV), Royal Women’s Hospital and Centre for Adolescent Health (2005), The Sexual and Reproductive Health of Young Victorians, Melbourne, Royal Women’s Hospital.

Gilson, S, Cramer, E.P, and DePoy, E (2001) “Redefining Abuse of Women with Disabilities: A Paradox of Limitation and Expansion,” AFFILIA, 16(2): 220–235.

Imbesi, R, 2008, CASA House Sexual Assault Prevention Program for Secondary Schools (SAPPSS) Report, CASA House, Melbourne, Victoria.

Jennings, C (2003) Triple Disadvantage: Out of Sight, Out of Mind, Domestic Violence and Incest Resource Centre, Melbourne.

VicHealth (2004) The Health Costs of Violence: Measuring the burden of disease caused by intimate partner violence, VicHealth, Carlton.

For more information contat:

Jess Boccia

Barwon Centre Against Sexual Assault

Childrens and Youth Team

Geelong West

Ph. 5222 4318

Barwon CASA is a partner organisation in the Barwon Multidisciplinary Centre