Further reading and case studies
Relationship skills
Peter is 28 years old with a moderate intellectual disability having been assessed as having an IQ of around 49. He lives in a group home.
It has been suggested that Peter’s developmental delay may have been due to Foetal Alcohol Syndrome. His history is punctuated by behavioural difficulties which are most likely the result of an inability to control frustration, rejection and to compensate for feelings of insecurity.
IDRS became involved in Peter’s matter when Peter was refused bail after he allegedly breached an APVO taken out by a female neighbour. Peter had been on remand for two weeks and housed in isolation during that period.
Peter had been charged with three sets of offences involving stalk and intimidate, assault x2, and contravene AVO x 2. All matters involved the same woman. Peter had a history of similar offences, usually involving women.
Peter had become involved with the neighbour when she had offered to help him learn to read and write. Unfortunately because of Peter’s history of abuse as a child and of being a ward of the state he had never had any strong female relationships either with girlfriends or with a mother figure. Due to Peter’s lack of understanding about such relationships he interpreted the offer of support by the neighbour to mean that she was his girlfriend. When asked what made her his girlfriend he would reply that because she had played ball with him and gone with him to the beach.
On this occasion it was alleged that when the neighbour stopped coming to Peter’s house, Peter did not understand and would follow her asking why she was being mean to him. This would escalate into Peter getting upset and angry. It was alleged that when Peter saw her in the street and threw a can of Pepsi at her when she wouldn’t talk to him.
Peter was already supported by ADHC. ADHC initiated a behaviour support plan that specifically addressed Peter’s relationship skills and anger management. It included education and counselling about what it meant to have a girlfriend and how to build relationships with women in an appropriate way. The support plan also included increasing Peter’s social activities in the community, with a support person, to enable him to develop his social skills.
ADHC were also able to relocate Peter to different accommodation with a higher level of support.
An application under section 32 and Peters charges were dismissed on the conditions that he comply with support plan provided by ADHC and to continue with counselling in relation to sexuality and building appropriate relationships.