Abstract
People who know the demographic trends among children with disabilities who are abused and neglected are poised to develop more effective intervention and prevention programming. In this chapter we examine the U.S. DHHS data on the age, sex, and disability characteristics of children with disabilities who are abused and neglected. We analyze the related peer reviewed literature in this area. We present the data from our analysis of the newspaper coverage of abuse and neglect of children with disabilities (ANCD). We get behind the numbers and provide stories from the newspaper coverage which illustrate the prevailing demographics of children with disabilities who are abused and neglected. We conclude this chapter with a set of recommendations for researchers and practitioners.
Keywords
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged … (Martin Luther King, Jr., American Activist, 1929–1968)
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsReferences
Akbas, S., Turla, A., Karabekirog˘lu, K., Pazvantog˘lu, O., Keskin, T., & Bo˘ke, O. (2009). Characteristics of sexual abuse in a sample of Turkish children with and without mental retardation, referred for legal appraisal of the psychological repercussions. Sexuality & Disability, 27, 205–213. doi:10.1007/s11195-009-9139-7
Alberto, P. A., & Troutman, A. C. (2013). Applied behavior analysis for teachers (9th ed.). Columbus, OH: Pearson.
Alriksson-Schmidt, A., Armour, B. S., & Thibadeau, J. K. (2010). Are adolescent girls with a physical disability at increased risk for sexual violence? Journal of School Health, 80(7), 361–367. doi:10.1111/j.1746-1561.2010.00514.x
Banks, N. (2014). Sexually harmful behaviour in adolescents in a context of gender and intellectual disability: Implications for child psychologists. Educational & Child Psychology, 31(3), 9–21. Retrieved from http://eds.a.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=3&sid=a13b4a23-6290-4f3e-a8c1-250410b08020%40sessionmgr4005&hid=4213
Balogh, R., Bretherton, K., Whibley, S., Berney, T., Graham, S., … Firth, H. (2001). Sexual abuse in children and adolescents with intellectual disability. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 45(3), 194–201. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2788.2001.00293.x
Benedict, M. I., White, R. B., Wulff, L. M., & Hall, B. J. (1990). Reported maltreatment in children with multiple disabilities. Child Abuse & Neglect, 14, 207–217. doi:10.1016/0145-2134(90)90031-N
Blatt, B., & Kaplan, F. (1966). Christmas in Purgatory: A photographic essay on mental retardation. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
Bones, P. D. C. (2013). Perceptions of vulnerability: A target characteristics approach to disability, gender, and victimization. Deviant Behavior, 34(9), 727–750. doi:10.1080/01639625.2013.766511
Bowman-Perrott, L., Benz, M. R., Hsu, H.-Y., Kwok, O.-M., Eisterhold, L. A., & Zhang, D. (2013). Patterns and predictors of disciplinary exclusion over time: An analysis of the SEELS national data set. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 21(2), 83–96. doi:10.1177/1063426611407501
Brassard, M. R., & Fiorvanti, C. M. (2015). School‐based child abuse prevention programs. Psychology in the Schools, 52(1), 40–60. doi:10.1002/pits.21811
Child Welfare Information Gateway. (2014). Mandatory reporters of child abuse and neglect. Retrieved from https://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/statutes/manda.cfm
Coorg, R., & Tournay, A. (2013). Filicide-suicide involving children with disabilities. Journal of Child Neurology, 28(6), 742–748. doi:10.1177/0883073812451777
Douglas, E. M., & Mohn, B. L. (2014). Fatal and non-fatal child maltreatment in the US: An analysis of child, caregiver, and service utilization with the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data Set. Child Abuse & Neglect, 38(1), 42–51. doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2013.10.022
Esernio-Jenssen, D., Tai, J., & Kodsi, S. (2011). Abusive head trauma in children: A comparison of male and female perpetrators. Pediatrics, 127(4), 649–657. doi:10.1542/peds.2010-1770
Firth, H., Balogh, R., Berney, T., Bretherton, K., Graham, S., & Whibley, S. (2001). Psychopathology of sexual abuse in young children with intellectual disability. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 45, 244–252. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2788.2001.00314.x
Goldberg, A. P., Tobin, J., Daigneau, J., Griffith, R. T., Reinert, S. E., & Jenny, C. (2009). Bruising frequency and patterns in children with physical disabilities. Pediatrics, 124(2), 604–609. doi:10.1542/peds.2008-2900
Govindshenoy, M., & Spencer, N. (2006). Abuse of the disabled child: A systematic review ofpopulation-based studies. Child: Care, Health and Development, 33(5), 552–558. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2214.2006.00693.x
Hershkowitz, I., Lamb, M. E., & Horowitz, D. (2007). Victimization of children with disabilities. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 77, 629–635. doi:10.1037/0002-9432.77.4.629
Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act. (2004). 20 USC 1400. Retrieved from http://nichcy.org/wp-content/uploads/docs/PL108-446.pdf
Jackson, D. (2008, July 17). A mother mourns 2 lost futures. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved from http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2008-07-17/news/0807161200_1_juvenile-group-therapy-single-mother
Khalifeh, H., Howard, L., Osborn, D., Moran, P., & Johnson, S. (2013). Violence against people with disability in England and Wales: Findings from a national cross-sectional survey. Plos One, 8(2), 1–9. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0055952
Knutson, J. F., Johnson, C. R., & Sullivan, P. M. (2004). Disciplinary choices of mothers of deaf children and mothers of normally hearing children. Child Abuse & Neglect, 28(9), 925–937. doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2004.04.005
Kvam, M. H. (2000). Is sexual abuse of children with disabilities disclosed? A retrospective analysis of child disability and the likelihood of sexual abuse among those attending Norwegian hospitals. Child Abuse & Neglect, 24(8), 1073–1084. doi:10.1016/S0145-2134(00)00159-9
Kvam, M. H. (2004). Sexual abuse of deaf children: A retrospective analysis of the prevalence and characteristics of childhood sexual abuse among deaf adults in Norway. Child Abuse & Neglect, 28(3), 241–251. doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2003.09.017
Leeb, R. T., Bitsko, R. H., Merrick, M. T., & Armour, B. S. (2012). Does childhood disability increase risk for child abuse and neglect? Journal of Mental Health Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 5(1), 4–31. doi:10.1080/19315864.2011.608154
McDonald, J. L., Milne, S., Knight, J., & Webster, V. (2013). Developmental and behavioural characteristics of children enrolled in a child protection pre-school. Journal of Paediatrics & Child Health, 49(2), 142–146. doi:10.1111/jpc.12029
McLeod, J., Uemura, R., & Rohrman, S. (2012). Adolescent mental health, behavior problems, and academic achievement. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 53(4), 482–497. doi:10.1177/0022146512462888
Mueller-Johnson, K., Eisner, M. P., & Obsuth, I. (2014). Sexual victimization of youth with a physical disability: An examination of prevalence rates, and risk and protective factors. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 29(17), 3180–3206. doi:10.1177/0886260514534529
Nalavany, B. A., Ryan, S. D., & Hinterlong, J. (2009). Externalizing behavior among adopted boys with preadoptive histories of child sexual abuse. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 18(5), 553–573. doi:10.1080/10538710903183337
Osterman, R. (2004, March 24). Girl, 10, testifies to sex abuse by teacher. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved from http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2004-03-24/news/0403240157_1_after-school-program-sexual-safe-school
Reeder, S. (2007). Experts disagree on frequency of sexual abuse of students. Hidden Violations, Small Newspaper Group. Retrieved from http://hiddenviolations.com/stories/?prcss=display&id=358899
Sebald, A. M. (2008). Child abuse and deafness. American Annals of the Deaf, 153(4), 376–383.
Scholes, L., Jones, C., Stieler-Hunt, C., Rolfe, B., & Pozzebon, K. (2012). The teachers’ role in child sexual abuse prevention programs: Implications for teacher education. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 37(11), 104–131.
Sobsey, D., Randall, W., & Parrila, R. K. (1997). Gender differences in abused children with and without disabilities. Child Abuse & Neglect, 21(8), 707–720. doi:10.1016/S0145-2134(97)00033-1
Soylu, N., Alpaslan, A. H., Ayaz, M., Esenyel, S., & Oruc, M. (2013). Psychiatric disorders and characteristics of abuse in sexually abused children and adolescents with and without intellectual disabilities. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 34(12), 4334–4342. doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2013.09.010
Spencer, N., Devereux, E., Wallace, A., Sundrum, R., Shenoy, M., Bacchus, C., et al. (2005). Disabling conditions and registration for child abuse and neglect: A population-based study. Pediatrics, 116(3), 609–613. doi:10.1542/peds.2004-1882
Stalker, K., & McArthur, K. (2012). Child abuse, child protection and disabled children: A review of recent research. Child Abuse Review, 21(1), 24–40. doi:10.1002/car.1154
Sullivan, P. M. (2009). Violence exposure among children with disabilities. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 12(2), 196–216. doi:10.1037/0002-9432.77.4.629
Sullivan, P. M., & Knutson, J. F. (2000a). The prevalence of disabilities and maltreatment among runaway children. Child Abuse & Neglect, 24(10), 1275–1288. doi:10.1016/S0145-2134(00)00181-2
Sullivan, P. M., & Knutson, J. F. (2000b). Maltreatment and disabilities: A population-based epidemiologic study. Child Abuse & Neglect, 24(10), 1257–1273. doi:10.1016/S0145-2134(00)00190-3
Ulloa Flores, R. E., & Navarro Machuca, I. G. (2011). Estudio descriptivo de la prevalencia y tipos de maltrato en adolescentes con psicopatología. Salud Mental, 34(3), 219–225. Retrieved from http://www.scielo.org.mx/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0185-33252011000200005
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Children’s Bureau. (2013). Child maltreatment 2012. Retrieved from http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/research-data-technology/statistics-research/child-maltreatment
Vig, S., & Kaminer, R. (2002). Maltreatment and developmental disabilities in children. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities, 14(4), 371–386. doi:10.1023/A:1020334903216
Walker, H. M., & Gresham, F. M. (Eds.). (2013). Handbook of evidence-based practices for emotional and behavioral disorders. New York, NY: Guilford Press.
Wells, M., & Mitchell, K. J. (2013). Patterns of internet use and risk of online victimization for youth with and without disabilities. The Journal of Special Education, 20(10), 1–10. doi:10.1177/0022466913479141
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Crowley, E.P. (2016). Age, Sex, Disability, and Other Characteristics of Children with Disabilities Who Are Abused and Neglected. In: Preventing Abuse and Neglect in the Lives of Children with Disabilities. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-30442-7_2
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-30442-7_2
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-30440-3
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-30442-7
eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)