Promoting sexual well-being in social work education and practice

Lee, S; Fenge, L-A; Collins, B

Abstract

This paper explores the importance of including sexual well-being within social work practice and education. Social workers often work with individuals for whom opportunities for sexual expression are limited and who face discriminatory attitudes. Sexual well-being is a global concern, and is particularly relevant considering international interest in the influence of notions of well-being on mental and physical health. Implementation of new social care policy in England, underpinned by the well-being principle, provides practitioners with the opportunity to explore what is meaningful to individual?s well-being through person-centred approaches to practice. There is currently little coverage of sexual well-being within social work education, this means students and practitioners lack the knowledge and skills to challenge barriers. Promotion of the concept of sexual citizenship, with its associated rights and responsibilities, enables social workers to engage in rights focused practice. Sexual well-being is a sensitive subject and the social and personal barriers practitioners may experience in addressing this topic are explored.

Citation

Lee, S., Fenge, L., & Collins, B. (2018). Promoting sexual well-being in social work education and practice. Social Work Education, 37(3), 315-327. https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2017.1401602

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Oct 25, 2017
• Online Publication Date: Nov 12, 2017
• Publication Date: Jul 1, 2018
• Deposit Date: Jul 9, 2020
• Publicly Available Date: Jul 9, 2020
• Journal: Social Work Education
• Print ISSN: 0261-5479
• Electronic ISSN: 1470-1227
• Publisher: Routledge
• Volume: 37
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 315-327
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2017.1401602
• Keywords: physical disability; sexual well-being; risk; social work education
• Publisher URL: https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2017.1401602
• Related Public URLs: https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/cswe20
• Additional Information: Additional Information : This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Social Work Education on 12th November 2017, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/02615479.2017.1401602.; Access Information : This output can be accessed at: http://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/29951/; Funders : Dorset County Council