Zero Tolerance > Overview

Understanding the Nature and Scope of the Problem

Please pick a topic:

• Incidence of Maltreatment
• Sexual Abuse
• Common Case Characteristics
• Why are people with developmental disabilities so often abused, neglected, and exploited?
• Limited Public Awareness
• Navigating a Complex System

Incidence of Maltreatment

Countless research studies document over and over that individuals with developmental disabilities have a significantly higher risk of becoming the victims of abuse, neglect, or exploitation as compared to the non-disabled population.

• Valenti-Hein & Schwartz (1995) estimated that 90% of people with developmental disabilities will experience sexual violence at some point during their lives. Wilson and Brewer (1992) report that women with developmental disabilities are 10.7 times as likely to be sexually assaulted than other women.
• Sullivan & Knutson (1998) also found that out of all the types of disability, children with behavior disorders and children with mental retardation were both at increased risk for all three forms of abuse (neglect, physical abuse and sexual abuse) compared to those children with other types of disabilities (speech/language disorders, hearing impairments, learning disabilities, health impairments and Attention Deficit Disorder).
• People with mental retardation and other developmental disabilities are at an even greater risk of sexual victimization. Victims who have some level of intellectual impairment are at the highest risk of abuse. (Sobsey & Doe, 1991).
• The most widely cited study on the incidence of assault on individuals with disabilities was published in 2000 in the academic journal of Child Abuse and Neglect. The study looked at about 50,000 public and private school children in Nebraska, almost 5,000 of whom were disabled. The study found that children with mental retardation were four times more likely to be sexually assaulted than their typically developing peers. Overall the study found that one in three children with disabilities had been abused compared to one in 10 children who were not disabled.

Sexual Abuse

Sexual violence committed against persons with developmental disabilities is particularly widespread in our society. Valenti-Hein & Schwartz (1995) estimated that 90% of people with developmental disabilities will experience sexual violence at some point during their lives. Wilson and Brewer (1992) report that women with developmental disabilities are 10.7 times as likely to be sexually assaulted than other women.

It is estimated that nearly half of the population (of persons with developmental disabilities) will experience 10 or more incidents of sexual abuse. However, only 3% of sexual abuse cases involving people with developmental disabilities will ever be reported. (Valenti-Hein & Schwartz, 1995) Other studies suggest that between 39 and 68 percent of girls and 16 to 30 percent of boys with developmental disabilities will be sexually abused before their eighteenth birthday. Estimates indicate that over 15,000 people with developmental disabilities are raped each year in the United States (Sobsey, 1994).

Additional research reveals that:

• 15.2% of children who were found to be sexually abused had disabilities (Crosse, Kaye, & Ratnofsky, 1993)
• 61% of girls and 25% of boys with disabilities have been found to be sexually abused before the age of 18 (McArthy and Thompson, 1997)
• Among deaf children, 54% of boys and 50% of girls have been sexually abused. Studies of deaf children in residential schools found that between 50-75% of these children had experienced sexual abuse (Sullivan, Vernon, & Scanlan, 1987)
• 38% of women with developmental disabilities who have been married experienced sexual violence by their partners (Roeher Institute, 1995)
• Males with developmental disabilities are twice as likely as males without developmental disabilities to be sexually abused in their lifetimes (Roeher Institute, 1995)
• People with mental retardation have been found to be especially vulnerable to sexual abuse. Between 25-85% of people with mental retardation have been victims of sexual abuse. (Morano, 2001)

Common Case Characteristics

Research indicates that people with developmental disabilities are:

• Abused more frequently than others
• Abused more severely and for longer periods of time than people without disabilities
• Less able to escape the abuse, find justice or services
• More likely to remain in situations that increase their vulnerability and risk of repeated abuse (due to limited availability of accessible transportation and abuse shelter services)
• Caught up in a cycle of abuse that repeats itself

• Multiple forms of abuse, neglect, and exploitation
• Multiple perpetrators
• Inadequate or inappropriate healthcare
• Multiple contacts with health care providers and other professionals who: fail to recognize or respond to abuse, neglect, or exploitation
• Inappropriate use or misuse of prescribed treatments and medications
• Use of the disability to explain away or minimize the person’s condition
• Being blamed for injuries or conditions
• A lack of concern from professionals and others because of empathy for caregivers’ responsibilities
• Rejection of their reports of abuse, neglect, and exploitation by authority figures

Why are people with developmental disabilities so often abused, neglected, and exploited?

There are several likely attributes of individuals with developmental disabilities that make them particularly vulnerable or susceptible to abuse, neglect, and exploitation. For example, these individuals…

• May be physically unable to defend themselves or subsequently report abuse, neglect, or exploitation.
• May not be considered credible when reporting their victimization
• Are not typically considered good witnesses during criminal trials (which may result in a reluctance by state attorneys to aggressively prosecute such cases)
• May not be able to differentiate between appropriate and inappropriate touching
• Are often taught to be compliant and passive
• May be more easily threatened or coerced by the withholding of needed care or equipment
• May be socially isolated
• May rely upon others for assistance with the most intimate of personal hygiene activities
• May be hesitant to leave abusive situations due to limited availability of accessible transportation and abuse shelters.
• May have limited incomes and therefore believe they lack the financial means by which to leave abusive relationships.

Limited Public Awareness

Despite years of research studies and the shocking prevalence statistics yielded by those studies, there is a marked lack of awareness (among both the general public and even some professionals in disability-related fields) of the national epidemic of abuse, neglect and exploitation. In fact, many people in our society simply refuse to believe that anyone would even consider abusing, neglecting, or exploiting a person with a developmental disability. As discussed below, this limited awareness presents a number of challenges for those individuals and agencies who are committed to preventing maltreatment of these individuals and securing appropriate services in the aftermath of maltreatment.

First, an "ostrich in the sand" viewpoint lessens the likelihood that someone who encounters the signs and symptoms of abuse, neglect, or exploitation will subsequently report such information to the Florida Abuse Hotline or the police. Failure to report suspicions of abuse, neglect, or exploitation (due to the aforementioned disbelief) allows such acts to continue or even escalate in their intensity and frequency.

Secondly, when case workers, law enforcement officers, counselors and advocates in the fields of both sexual/domestic violence and developmental disabilities are either poorly informed about the problem, or have little experience working with individuals with developmental disabilities, the provision of timely and appropriate post-incident services is unlikely to occur. Law enforcement officers are often the first responders in the aftermath of crimes committed against persons with developmental disabilities and the adequacy of their training (in regard to the needs and characteristics of this population) is essential in facilitating successful investigations and prosecutions. Staff of sexual/domestic violence agencies need specialized materials and information in order to render services to individuals with developmental disabilities who have been abused. Those working in disability-related fields also need information and training to most effectively deal with individuals with developmental disabilities who have been victimized.

Finally, lack of acknowledgment (of the pervasiveness of this societal problem) offers little incentive for families, teachers, service providers, advocates, and others to provide information and training to persons with developmental disabilities on self-protection/risk reduction skills. Extensive research in this area reveals a clear correlation between the provision of such consumer education and decreased vulnerability to abuse, neglect, and exploitation. However, many people are reluctant to initiate such sensitive and potentially awkward conversations with persons with developmental disabilities if they don’t believe there is a compelling need to do so. As a result, many people with disabilities live most of their lives without ever receiving information and education about abuse, neglect, and exploitation as well as personal safety strategies. Instead, they are quite often taught to be compliant, obedient and passive to wishes of others and have never received education about boundaries or that they have a right to say "no" to painful or unwanted touches.
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Navigating a Complex System

Once abuse, neglect, or exploitation occurs, a person with a developmental disability has to navigate a complicated system that is not always equipped to handle their special needs.

• First, an individual must either be trained to recognize and/or report such maltreatment themselves or rely upon a caregiver to recognize the physical or behavioral signs and make a report.
• Next, DCF adult and child protection staff must be trained to effectively investigate allegations involving victims whom may have communication difficulties or cognitive impairments.
• Law enforcement officials who respond must be familiar with issues involving capacity to consent, communication difficulties, mental retardation, guardianship, etc.
• Medical professionals who conduct forensic exams to gather evidence must be comfortable and familiar with methods to assist individuals as they undergo an emotionally difficult and confusing experience.
• Prosecutors are then faced with victims who are often unable to testify on their own behalf or are not considered credible when they do testify. They are also faced with issues involving competency and capacity to consent.