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Are Children with Developmental Disabilities More Likely to be Abused?
The literature presents
contradictory findings in response to this question. What is known is that children with developmental
disabilities are at least as likely to be abused and neglected as the general
population. There is, however, some
data to suggest that we should sound the alarm bell a little louder for children
with developmental disabilities.
There are many reasons why
children with disabilities may be more likely to be maltreated and less likely
to disclose abuse.
Lack of communication that may impact the ability of the child and
caregiver to establish a solid relationship:
·
inability to use language to express self and/or respond
to others
·
inability to produce strong, clear nonverbal signals as
an infant and young child
·
inability to express needs clearly such as discomfort,
hunger that may lead to care giver frustration or feelings of inadequacy
to meet the needs of the child
·
inability or impaired ability to report maltreatment
Judgment
·
inability to distinguish appropriate from inappropriate
treatment/behavior
·
inability to protect oneself, to tell when it is safe and
when it isn't
Social
·
behavioral issues related to the disability which can
increase the probability of maltreatment; for example, excessive crying,
difficulty accepting comfort when upset, hyperactive, unmanageable or
self-abusive, immobile and/or can't run away
·
decreased attractiveness
·
lack of awareness of increased unattractiveness which may
draw
unwarranted attention
·
easier to ignore/neglect; for example, a child who can
not see or hear
·
socialized to trust and obey adults
·
fear of physical abandonment as well as emotional
abandonment
·
desire to be "normal" - being
"sexual" is being "normal"
Stress
·
requires more extensive care-taking than typical children
which, for most parents, may be too much at times
Education
·
lack of safety education
·
lack of social skills training
·
lack of sex education
Discrimination
·
less likely to be believed
·
less valued when believed
·
less able to negotiate the court system
DOES DISABILITY AFFECT THE PRESENTATION OF ABUSE?
Many times, the developmental
disability does affect the presentation of the abuse. Some of the reasons that this is often true are:
·
More difficult to see the typical "signs and
symptoms" of maltreatment.
·
Only indication may be a sudden change in behavior, which
may only be detectable by people who know the child well.
·
Physical presentations of signs and symptoms of abuse
must be very carefully evaluated and investigated. For example, children with cerebral palsy really do fall down
a lot. Some children with disabling
conditions show bruises much more easily to very slight stimuli.
Thus bruising may not indicate physical abuse.
On the other hand, in cases of sexual abuse physical or medical evidence
may be the only clear indication that abuse has occurred.
NONVERBAL CHILDREN
Traditional casework methods
imply that clients will be able to communicate their experiences with another.
This is usually a combination of verbal and nonverbal communication with
the language of "play" included for young children.
Traditional interviewing methods may not be appropriate for children with
developmental disabilities who have limited or unusual use of verbal language,
weak or idiosyncratic nonverbal cues, and/or atypical play.
As one caseworker asked, "How do you interview a child who cannot
talk?" The answer is you don't
interview that child using traditional methods.
Children who have limited or
unusual uses of language represent a special challenge for child welfare
caseworkers who acknowledge that such children may be at increased risk, easy
targets for abusive adults and the least able to ask for help.
In such cases caseworkers will have to rely on:
·
Information from as many people as possible who are
regularly involved in the child's life, and
·
Consultation from an interdisciplinary team, including a
physician with considerable experience in working with children with
disabilities.
This information may be reproduced but not altered in any way. Excerpted from
the training curriculum,
"Working with Families with Children/Parents with Developmental
Disabilities". Developed by
Virginia Cruz, D.S.W., The Social Work Program, Metropolitan State College of
Denver,
PO Box 173362, Campus Box 70, Denver, Colorado, 80217. E-mail: Info@DevelopmentalDisability.org
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