TRAINING AND GENERALIZATION OF SEXUAL ABUSE PREVENTION SKILLS FOR WOMEN WITH MENTAL RETARDATION

• Published in: Journal of applied behavior analysis Vol. 32; no. 3; pp. 385 - 388
• Main Authors: Miltenberger, Raymond G., Roberts, Jennifer A., Ellingson, Sherry, Galensky, Tami, Rapp, John T., Long, Ethan S., Lumley, Vicki A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 1999; Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior
• Subjects: Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; assessment; Behavior Therapy - methods; Behavioral sciences; behavioral skills training; Biological and medical sciences; Female; generalization; Generalization (Psychology); Humans; Intellectual deficiency; Intellectual disabilities; Intellectual Disability - psychology; Medical sciences; mental retardation; Middle Aged; Prevention; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Severity of Illness Index; Sex crimes; Sex Offenses - prevention & control; sexual abuse prevention; Skill development; Skills; Teaching; Training; Women; Human; Sanitary program; Developmental disorder; Victimology; Generalization; Mental retardation; Learning; Prevention; Behavioral analysis; Intellectual deficiency; Female; Sexual abuse; Public health
• ISSN: 0021-8855; 1938-3703
• DOI: 10.1901/jaba.1999.32-385

Previous research has shown that behavioral skills training to teach sexual abuse prevention skills to women with mental retardation results in skill acquisition but poor generalization. In this investigation we evaluated procedures for enhancing generalization following training. Five women with mental retardation received 10 behavioral skills training sessions followed by in situ training when the skills did not fully generalize. Behavioral skills training resulted in skill acquisition and in situ training produced generalized responding during naturalistic assessments.