Understandings of disability are situated within social, political and economic circumstances. Internationally, medical conceptualisations of disability prevail, influencing policy and practice, creating a discourse which encourages categorisation, diagnosis and prescribed ways of understanding behaviour. This body of knowledge has a profound…

Findings from a nationally representative telephone survey of 1,560 young Internet users revealed youth receiving special education services in schools were more likely to report receiving an online interpersonal victimization in the past year, even after adjusting for other explanatory factors. These findings suggest that special education staff…

Studies show that the exact number of children with disabilities in Botswana is unknown. A study on child abuse sought to determine: the forms of child abuse perpetrated on children with disabilities; the extent of child abuse; and the causes of child abuse of children with disabilities. A questionnaire on child abuse was adapted and used to…

This study examined the prevalence of and risk factors for sexual abuse of boys in South Korea by asking a national sample of 1,043 adult males whether they had experienced sexual abuse during childhood. The results indicate that 13.5% experienced at least one of the nine types of child sexual abuse assessed. In addition, the majority of the…

Both children and adults with disabilities face increased prevalence of abuse and assault, including sexual assault. Women and girls are disproportionately the victims of sexual assault in both disabled and nondisabled populations. Communication difficulties have been identified as a factor that may increase the vulnerability of individuals with…

The article looks at the increasing reports of child abuse and neglect including physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect (deprivation of necessities), and emotional (psychological) maltreatment. Implications for schools are noted including the greater risk of the handicapped for abuse. (DB)

A study investigated the association between disabilities and maltreatment in 3,001 children who had records of abuse and 880 controls. Results found that for both physical abuse and neglect there was a strong association between disabilities and maltreatment. Disability was also associated with longer duration of maltreatment. (CR)

The paper describes a federally funded project of the University of Alberta (Canada) addressing sexual assault and sexual abuse of people with disabilities. Written in outline style, the paper briefly describes project activities and general conclusions. Phase I of the project documented the nature and extent of the problem. It was concluded that…

Issues in the sexual abuse and exploitation of individuals with mental retardation are discussed, including sociolegal considerations of special protection from abuse and neglect, incidence of sexual abuse, increased vulnerability of individuals with mental retardation, nature of the abuse, initial and long-term effects, professional response, and…

Estimates of the incidence of abuse of children with disabilities range from 2 to 10 times the rate of children without disabilities All forms of abuse, including multiple types of abuse with the same child, multiple perpetrators of abuse, and multiple victims within a grouping of children, exist within the population of children with…

The article highlights the fact that children with disabilities are at higher risk for maltreatment. Factors are identified that contribute to maltreatment. An ecological perspective is considered as an approach to prevention of maltreatment that uses the medical home model and links it with ongoing monitoring and support for families. (Contains…

This commentary discusses the research article "Gender Differences in Abused Children with and without Disabilities" (Sobsey and others) that follows, which found that children with disabilities are at greater risk for being maltreated, that boys are more frequently abused, and that boys with disabilities are sexually abused more frequently than…

The case files of 1,834 abused children found more boys were physically abused and neglected, but more girls were sexually abused. Boys with disabilities were overrepresented in all abuse categories. Although 52% of abused children without disabilities were girls, 65% of abused children with disabilities were boys. (Author/CR)

Background: There is a lack of longitudinal large-scale studies of sexual abuse in intellectual disability services. Such studies offer opportunities to examine patterns in disclosure, investigation and outcomes, and to report on incidence and trends. Methods: All allegations of sexual abuse (n = 250) involving service users as victims or…