by Leila Warner, Program Intern
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people who have a disability face an increased risk of experiencing sexual violence (CDC, 2024). People who have intellectual disabilities (ID) are among the most at risk (Davis, 2011). IDs impact a person’s intellectual functioning. This includes the ability to learn, reason, and problem-solve. IDs also impact a person’s adaptive behaviors. These include the ability to read, write, count numbers, and communicate with others (AAIDD, 2024).
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, 19% of sexual assaults reported to law enforcement, between 2017 - 2019, were committed against people with disabilities (Harrell, 2021). In 2022, 24% of adults in Maryland ages 18 and older reported having a disability (CDC, n.d., as cited in BRFSS), 11.2% of Maryland adults reported having a cognitive disability, 2.5% of Maryland adults reported having a self-care disability, and 6.0% reported having an independent-living disability (CDC, n.d., as cited in BRFSS). As a result, it is important to be able to recognize the risk factors for sexual violence against people with ID to prevent violence from happening.
What are the risk factors?
Individuals with ID rarely receive sex education beyond abstinence-only education. Without comprehensive sex education, survivors with ID may experience more confusion following a sexual assault (Davis, 2011). Not having sufficient background information could also make it harder for the survivor to talk about or report what they experienced. Additionally, some survivors with ID may not understand that they are being sexually assaulted or may be afraid to speak up against their abuser, especially if their abuser does not have a disability or is in a position of power (Davis, 2011). Survivors with ID may also belong to a community who has not been educated on sexual violence and sexual violence prevention.
Housing arrangements are another risk factor for sexual violence. People with ID may reside in an assisted living facility or other housing environment that creates challenges to safety and well-being. For example, people who live in an assisted living facility may be talked down to and their decision-making power may be taken away because they live in a controlled environment (Davis, 2011). Sexual violence is about power and control. If someone has less power and control over their lives as a result of their living circumstances, then they may be at an increased risk of experiencing sexual violence.
Inadequate support from caretakers can also contribute to sexual violence within this population. Individuals with ID may rely heavily on their caretakers for safety. If a caretaker betrays their patient’s trust, this can negatively impact the patient’s mental and physical health and well-being. For example, caretakers may not request comprehensive background information on those involved in their client’s life, unintentionally putting that individual in harm’s way. Beyond that, caretakers who are not familiar with abuse reporting practices within their agency may not be prepared to respond to reports of abuse when they do occur. These are all factors that can contribute to the prevalence of sexual violence within the intellectually disabled community (Davis, 2011).
Barriers to reporting
Survivors of sexual assault may face additional barriers to reporting when the perpetrator is someone they know personally. Research suggests that for survivors with ID, between 97 and 99% of abusers are known and trusted by the victim (Davis, 2011). For many survivors with ID, this person could be their caretaker and many people with ID find themselves isolated from a support system outside of caregivers or support workers. Factors including not knowing who to talk to about sexual abuse, relying on their care taker for basic needs and fear of losing that support, and even fear of getting their caretaker in trouble, can all be barries to reporting (Lalonde et al., 2023).
Once a survivor with ID reports their assault, they may face additional barriers to justice. Many service providers have not received adequate training on how to effectively support survivors with ID. The stigma associated with disabilities can contribute to this population of survivors not being believed (ACL, 2024). This perceived lack of credibility along with communication barriers survivors with ID may face makes these cases more difficult. Communication barriers may include difficulty speaking, describing things in detail, or failure to sequence events properly. These factors make police and prosecutors reluctant to take on these cases (Shapiro, 2018). As such, offenders are typically not held accountable for their crimes, and abuse continues (Davis, 2011).
Ways Forward
While there is still a lot of work to be done, there are organizations dedicated to reducing harm and empowering survivors with disabilities. Disability Rights Maryland supports survivors by providing access to information, training, and resources that will help individuals to advocate for themselves or for others who have disabilities.
Preventing sexual violence against those with ID requires action at individual, relational, community, and societal levels. This can look like building self-advocacy skills, promoting ongoing, accessible, and sex-positive sexual education, creating peer support groups, and addressing the underlying factors that contribute to the cycle of violence such as barriers to housing, employment, and financial resources (Lalonde et al., 2023).
To learn more about this topic, follow this link to an informational page on sexual violence and people with disabilities from The Arc.
Note: For this article, we are using the word “survivor” to refer to someone who has experienced sexual assault. Some people who have experienced sexual violence do not use the word survivor, and may prefer another word such as “victim”. When speaking to a survivor, validate their experience and use the language they feel most comfortable with.
References
American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD). (2024). Defining criteria for intellectual disability. Retrieved here.
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). Definitions of Communication Disorders and Variations. (1993). Retrieved here.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2024, July 8). Disability & Health U.S. State Profile Data: Maryland. Disability and Health Promotion. Retrieved here.
CDC. (2024, April 23). Sexual violence and intimate partner violence among people with disabilities. Sexual Violence Prevention. Retrieved here.
CDC. (n.d.). Maryland category: Disability estimates. Disability and Health System Data. Retrieved here.
Davis, L. A. (2011). People with Intellectual Disabilities and Sexual Violence. The ARC. Retrieved here.
Domestic Violence Services Network (2022, April 26). April 2022: The complexities of consent. Retrieved here.
Harbor. (n.d.) Behavioral Disorders. Retrieved here.
Harrell, E. (2021, November). Crime against persons with disabilities, 2009-2019 – Statistical tables. US Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics. Retrieved here.
Lalonde, D., Brayton, B., Grand’Maison, V., & Lyons-MacFarlane, M. (2023). Addressing Sexual Violence and Promoting the Sexual Rights of Women Labelled with Intellectual Disabilities. Learning Network Issue, 41, 1–20. London, Ontario: Centre for Research & Education on Violence Against Women and Children. Retrieved here.
Preventing and Addressing Sexual Violence Against People with I/DD. ACL Administration for Community Living. (2024, April 30.). Retrieved here.
Resources. (n.d.). Disability Rights Maryland. Retrieved here.
Shapiro, J. (2018, January 8). The sexual assault epidemic no one talks about. NPR. Retrieved here.
Tchounwou, P. B. (2021). Prevalence of sexual abuse in adults with intellectual disability: Systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(4). Retrieved here.
