It is most likely believed that children with disabilities tend to be more abused than children in the general population. This is an area for continued research to determine more precisely the connection between maltreatment and disability.

According to Prevent Child Abuse America (1998), researchers have not been able to gather precise information to determine the extent of abuse among children with disabilities.

According to MST Services, statistics show that one in three children with a disability are often victims of maltreatment like neglect, physical or sexual abuse. One in three children is in contrast to one in ten non-disabled children experiencing abuse.’

All research studies indicate that under-reporting is a major concern. Even if a case is reported to the state central registry, most state child protective service reporting agencies do not gather information on children with disabilities as part of the data collection process for abused children.

What We Know About Disability and Maltreatment

Child abuse and neglect have reached epidemic proportions in the United States (Gargiulo & Kilgo). Frequently, the media provides access to many accounts of child maltreatment and abuse inflicted to children by adults. Some of the examples of media presents include:

• Parents who use chemicals to harm children(i.e. pouring lighter fluid on the child’s body to then lit it)
• Infants that are beaten and sexually abused by caregivers
• Children slapped on their face or kicked for making excessive noise
• Children left alone in locked cars under high temperatures
• Refusal to provide medical attention to a child (this is different to lack of medical care access for poverty factors as in this case the parent refuses to seek medical care)

Local and nationwide news provide society with all sort of information and images reporting similar cases as the above-listed scenarios.

What do we know about child abuse for children with disabilities? 

• Parents can more easily become stressed with the demands placed on them by parenting a child with a disability (CDC).
• Children with behavioral problems, like, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or other conduct problems, may be more likely to experience physical abuse because parents can become frustrated by the child’s difficult behavior and respond harshly (CDC).
• Children who are less able to do things independently rely more on adults for their care. These children may be more likely to be sexually abused or neglected by adults (CDC).
• Abusers may take advantage of children who have problems speaking, hearing or who don’t understand social situations very well. These children may be more likely to experience sexual abuse (CDC)

Signs of Child Abuse

• Physical Abuse

There are some physical indicators that could be observed if a child is undergoing physical abuse. These range from bruises and cuts in body areas where the child can’t hurt by themselves, burn marks, lacerations, fractures and sprains. Along with the physical indicators some behavioral elements could also be observed. For instance, the child may evade physical contact, wear concealing clothing, refuse to go home at the end of the day, behavioral changes such as passiveness or excessive aggression, or the child expresses pain or soreness.

• Neglect

Children who are experiencing neglect may show some of the following physical signs: poor personal hygiene (wearing same filthy clothes or lack of bathing), lack of supervision, complains of constant hunger, constant school absence, and lack of medical care. Along with the physical indicators some behaviors could be observed, such as stealing food, falling asleep in school, irregular school attendance, body odor and dirty clothes worn several days.

• Emotional Abuse

This type of abuse it’s the most difficult to identify as it’s rarely manifested through physical signs. The most possible way to identify it is through observation of the children’s behaviors which may consist of low self-esteem, depression, sleeping or eating disorders, suicidal thoughts, temper tantrums, enuresis, and/or poor peer relationships.

• Sexual Abuse

Some of the physical indicators of sexual abuse include torn, stained or bloody undergarments, pain in the genital area, sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy, problems with urination, presence of semen, difficulty walking or sitting. The most common displayed behaviors of sexually abused children are sexual themes during play time, earlier sexual maturation, infantile behavior, fear of physical contact, poor peer relationships, and irregular school attendance among others.

Preventing the Abuse

One way to prevent abuse is for society members to recognize that abuse can occur with all populations of children. The goal of child abuse prevention is to intervene before the abuse happens. Several strategies have proven helpful:

• Teaching children personal safety skills to discourage abuse, and making others aware of the child’s knowledge, can greatly reduce the risk of abuse.
• Recognizing that the child is very dependent on the caregiver, parents should get to know all persons working with the child, and observe interactions.
• The caregiver is in a position to provide or withhold daily necessities, and the child may have trouble communicating this information to the parent.

Since parents as well as other caregivers may be perpetrators of abuse, everyone who has a role in caring for the child with disabilities can participate in prevention training programs as well as programs for early identification and intervention. Forming relationships with local Developmental Disability Councils and other local schools and agencies serving individuals with disabilities can strengthen the network of those who can provide assistance to families.

If abuse does occur, early detection is most helpful. Encouraging the child to report and learning to recognize indicators of abuse through observation of changes in children’s behavior can result in early intervention and treatment.

When suspecting of possible child abuse, teachers and school administrators are mandated, reporters. This means that they are, per law, obligated to report suspected child abuse to Child Protective Services in their local city or county.

Resources

Prevent Child Abuse America Maltreatment of Children with Disabilities Fact Sheet. from http://preventchildabuse.org/resource/maltreatment-of-children-with-disabilities-2/ on 10/27/2018.

Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention. Safety and Children with Disabilities. https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/disabilityandsafety/abuse.html. Accessed on 10/27/2018.

MST Services. Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect. http://info.mstservices.com/blog/preventing-child-abuse-neglect. Accessed on 10/27/2018.