1. Introduction and background

Sexual Safety and Sexual Harm

Sexual Safety is now widely recognized as a fundamental human right. However, sexual harm has also been identified as a significant global issue and while not wholly confined to one specific group or individual, may be an issue, for a variety of reasons or vulnerabilities, for particular individuals for example, those who access mental health services and hence the rationale for the development of this resource. In addition, in the United Kingdom, (UK). The Care Quality Commission have identified Sexual Safety as a key area within mental health.

At first glance Sexual Safety may appear to be quite straightforward or 'common sense'. However, the more that we begin to unpack Sexual Safety the more complex our understanding of this phenomenon becomes. A part of this complexity arises as Sexual Safety encompasses a number of different elements or pieces for example, the individual, the environment, professionalism and wider societal attitudes and values. In this resource we have used the analogy of a jigsaw puzzle to help explain the complexity of sexual safety in greater detail.

The aim of this resource is to explore the concept of Sexual Safety from the perspective of women who have accessed mental services in order to unpack and to develop a greater understanding of this multi-faceted phenomenon. In this resource we will also hear from a number of professionals who work with women who have accessed mental health care.

We recognize that Sexual Safety is complex and hope that you will find the resource helpful as an introduction to further learning in this subject area.

Please see the resources section at the end for further guidance and information.

This report is available in the resources section.