The online lives of adolescents with mild or borderline intellectual disabilities in the Netherlands: Care staff knowledge and perceptions

Abstract

Background: This study reports the findings from a Dutch study, exploring care workers’ knowledge and perceptions of the online lives of adolescents with mild or borderline intellectual disabilities. Method: Using an inductive research design 33 semi-structured interviews were conducted with care workers. Results: Three themes were derived from the data: (1) The clients’ online world is largely unknown to care workers. (2) The online world is a gateway to an inclusive and connected life. (3) The online world is a dangerous and challenging place. Conclusion: Care workers have limited knowledge of clients’ online lives. Care workers show ambivalence about the good and bad of the Internet for their clients. They acknowledge the possibilities of the Internet but mostly perceive it as a place of risk and challenge. Paradoxically, care workers report little experiences of incidents of online risks. Perceptional processes might help explain why this paradox exists.