CLOSE MENU
Photo: (From left to right) STEPS2 Health Educators Ariel Davis, Jordan Fogle, and Abigail Winokur
As part of the NIH-Funded Socialization To Enrich Participation & Support Sexuality (STEPS2) Health Education study, two CUNY SPH researchers have published papers that spotlight trauma‑informed sex education and data integrity in disability research. Together they argue that people with disabilities deserve safer, more responsive systems—both in the classroom and in public health research and practice.
Trauma‑informed sex education for youth with I/DD
Traditional curricula often do not meet the needs of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), overlooking safety, autonomy, and choice despite their heightened risk of sexual victimization. In a commentary in the American Journal of Sexuality Education, Health Educator Ariel Davis and colleagues call for trauma‑informed, consent‑centered sexuality education for individuals with I/DD.
Drawing on lessons from the STEPS2 study, Davis outlines core trauma‑informed principles—safety, trust, collaboration, empowerment, and cultural responsiveness—and argues that how sex education is delivered is just as important as what is taught. The commentary urges educators, researchers, and institutions to intentionally design sexuality education that centers dignity and agency for young people with I/DD, rather than treating trauma‑informed practice as an “optional extra.”
Protecting disability research from “imposter” participants
In a letter to the editor in the Disability and Health Journal, Lead Health Educator Jordan Fogle and colleagues describe how “imposter” participants—people who misrepresent themselves to gain study incentives—threaten the validity of disability and health research. During recruitment for the STEPS2 study, the team identified predictable patterns of imposter behavior, such as inconsistent disability narratives and responses that closely echoed recruitment materials.
The letter offers practical screening strategies for future studies, including layered eligibility checks, close review of communication patterns, and adaptive protocols to flag and exclude likely imposters without deterring legitimate participants. By sharing these lessons learned, the team aims to help other researchers protect data quality while maintaining equity and trust with participants from disability communities.
“Systems not built to include disabled people can reinforce harm, whether by withholding comprehensive sex education or allowing fraudulent participants to skew disability research findings,” says Professor Heidi Jones. “By centering trauma‑informed pedagogy and tightening protections against imposters in research, we are pushing toward public health systems that uphold the dignity, safety, and well‑being of disabled communities.”
