NCJ Number
159729
Date Published
1994
Length
97 pages
Annotation
This literature review focuses on how violence against people with disabilities is defined, the kinds of violence that people with disabilities experience, the causes and incidence of this violence, issues relating to disclosure, responses to violence, and prevention issues, with emphasis on issues in Canada.
Abstract
People with disabilities may be more likely than others to experience physical abuse, sexual abuse, psychological and emotional abuse, neglect and acts of omission, and financial exploitation. Among factors contributing to violence against people with disabilities are negative public attitudes toward disability, social isolation of people with disabilities and their families, lack of support for caregivers, gender, poverty, and perceived lack of credibility of people with disabilities when they report abuse. Factors influencing the reporting decision include the significance the victim attaches to the incident, the availability of a physical means of communicating with others, the probability of being believed, and the perceived consequences to the victim's and others' safety as a result of the disclosure. Issues related to the responses to this violence include service environments, community support services, police attitudes, and the nature of the judicial system. The literature makes numerous recommendations for preventing violence against people with disabilities. These include systemic changes to eliminate conditions favoring violence, specific preventive measures in a variety of settings, and measures to ensure effective responses when abuse occurs. Charts and over 250 references