Author Information
Cansu Bolat Dinc, Marmara University, TurkiyeFatma Nur Akcin, Marmara University, Turkiye
Abstract
This study examines how young people with mild intellectual disability make sense of unwanted sexually explicit messages on social media and how they perceive related online sexual risks. Using a qualitative phenomenological design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 young people aged 14–24 enrolled in a special education high school in Turkiye. The analysis explored participants’ actual or anticipated responses to unwanted sexual images and messages, as well as the meanings they attached to privacy, shame, risk, and help-seeking. Findings show that participants described varied responses, including deleting or closing the image, blocking or unfollowing the sender, reporting or showing the content to family members, confronting the sender, remaining silent, or, in rare cases, responding in ways that could reproduce risk. These responses were shaped by emotional discomfort, family expectations, fear of blame, moral judgement, bodily privacy, and shame. The study suggests that online sexual risk for young people with mild intellectual disability should be understood as an educational, relational, and safeguarding concern. It highlights the need for accessible, safeguarding-informed online safety education using concrete scenarios, simple language, visual supports, and trusted-adult pathways.
Paper Information
Conference: ECE2026Stream: Education & Difference: Gifted Education
Published: Wednesday, September 23, 2026
This paper is part of the ECE2026 Conference Proceedings (View)
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To cite this article:
Dinc C., & Akcin F. (2026) “It’s a Private and Shameful Thing”: Young People With Intellectual Disabilities Making Sense of Unwanted Sexual Messages on Social Media ISSN: 2188-1162 The European Conference on Education 2026: Official Conference Proceedings (pp. 711-727) https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2188-1162.2026.55
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2188-1162.2026.55
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