Domestic Violence

People with disabilities, who are often isolated and dependent on others, can be seen as easy targets for abuse and victimization. This population is at least four times more likely to be abused, neglected or victimized than people without disabilities. People with an intellectual impairment are at the highest risk of victimization; one study notes that 80 per cent of women with developmental disabilities were sexually assaulted at some point in their lives.
 
Commonly, those with physical, psychiatric and cognitive disabilities experience mistreatment, abuse and exploitation from people they know and to whom they have entrusted their well-being: caretakers, personal assistants, paid staff, family members and parents. The perpetrators are almost always men but there have been cases reported of women as abusers.
 
Can abuse be stopped? To the greatest extent, yes, but those who are being abused must be empowered first to recognize the abuse, and then to report it. That isn’t always easy. According to the Center for Research on Women with Disabilities, women fear reporting abuse because they rely on the person who is abusing them for essential personal assistance and/or financial support. Moreover, women who seek entry into a domestic violence shelter may have trouble obtaining a personal assistant while they are in the shelter.

If you or someone you know is in an abusive or exploitative situation or relationship, there are resources in most communities to intervene and in many cases to help remove the victim from harm’s way. See Resources listed on this page.

If you can’t find a local resource, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline. Assistance is available in English and Spanish with access to more than 140 languages through interpreter services. Call toll free 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), or TTY 1-800-787-3224. On the Internet, visit http://ndvh.org