Interventions for Young People with Intellectual Disability and Problematic/Harmful Sexual Behavior - A Scoping...

Globally, young people face challenges in having their sexual and reproductive health and rights recognized and respected, for instance being protected from sexual abuse and violence by same-aged peers. There is a lack of consensus in the literature regarding the definition of problematic or harmful sexual behavior among young people, including youth with intellectual disabilities. This scoping review aimed for producing a comprehensive picture of recent research (conducted between 2014 and 2025) related to problematic/harmful sexual behavior in children and young people with intellectual disabilities. Specifically, studies of interventions developed to prevent the occurrence or re-occurrence of problematic/harmful sexual behaviors were sought, as well as studies exploring the experiences of young people and professionals in relation to these behaviors and interventions. The database searches generated 582 hits, and 14 publications were included. Results are presented narratively in two sections: 1) Interventions and 2) Stakeholder voices on interventions. The main findings are that extensive, well-documented, research on interventions addressing problematic/harmful sexual behavior among youth with intellectual disabilities is lacking, indicating that youth with intellectual disabilities displaying problematic/harmful sexual behavior have arbitrary access to interventions. Moreover, professionals lack knowledge and systematic approaches to working with these young people. To prevent problematic/harmful sexual behavior and sexual abuse, and thus ensure equitable opportunities for achieving sexual health, adequate education for youth with intellectual disability, and for professionals, is required. Furthermore, an international definition of problematic and harmful sexual behavior would aid knowledge transfer between contexts.