Protecting Kids with Disabilities
In our efforts to safeguard children, it's important to recognize the especially vulnerable kids in our community. Learn why some children are at greater risk for abuse and what you can do to help.
Disability and abuse
According to the World Health Organization, more than 1 billion people live with some form of disability, and 1 in every 20 children has a moderate to severe disability. For Oregon schoolchildren, the rate is slightly higher. The Oregon Secretary of State determined 13.5% of all K-12 students have a disability, according to a 2018-1019 audit.
Children with disabilities face a host of challenges. They may have limited support at home or at school. They may have multiple barriers preventing them from attending extra-curricular activities or forming relationships with peers and trusted adults. They may experience discrimination or negative attitudes from other kids, teachers, or family members. Children with disabilities are frequently misunderstood and are often perceived as less capable than they really are.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, children with disabilities and special health care needs are three times more likely to experience child abuse and neglect. They are also more likely to be victims of violence than their peers. What's most concerning: for kids with disabilities, the abuse they experience tends to be more severe and last longer.
Risk factors
Families with a child with disabilities have significant risk factors that increase the chances of abuse. Some of these risk factors include:
Family isolation. Taking care of a child with a disability is challenging and caregivers may feel unsupported due to the limited number of services available. Children with disabilities also tend to be isolated from peers.
Caregiver frustration. Caring for a child with a disability can be challenging. When there are extra stressors present, the risk of abuse increases.
Missed diagnosis. Some children have mild disabilities that may not be identified. These kids may be perceived as simply "difficult" or "hard to teach." Unaware of a child's disability, caregivers may set unrealistic standards and expectations for the child and grow frustrated when the child fails.
Child's confusion. Some children with disabilities may not be able to recognize that they are being abused and therefore may not think to tell someone.
Heavy reliance on adults. Some kids with disabilities receive intimate care from multiple caregivers, which can create opportunities for sexual abuse. Kids may also rely on their abuser to meet their needs.
Overlooking signs. Adults can also miss signs of abuse by mistakenly attributing a child's behavior or physical condition to their disability instead of recognizing it as a sign of abuse.
What you can do
We all need to be more aware in order to keep children with disabilities safe. Here are a few things you can do to help.
Raise Awareness
Share this post with other adults. Our community can do more if we have an even greater awareness of the risks children with disabilities face.
Voice Your Concerns
If you know of a child – either with or without a disability – that you have a concern about, please call the Child Abuse Screening Hotline at 855.503.SAFE (7233). We know it might feel scary to make a report because so much is unknown—you don’t have to be 100% sure. All you need is to have a feeling or suspicion that something might not seem right. By making that call, you put your concern in the right place and into the hands of someone who can figure out whether your concern needs to be investigated.
Get Trained
Learn how to better recognize the signs of abuse and therefore minimize opportunities for abusers. Take a Darkness to Light training through KIDS Center. These trainings are free and are offered throughout Central Oregon as well as virtually. The more people we train, the safer kids will be. Learn more about all our trainings and sign up for a training at kidscenter.org/get-trained.
Find Support
Families caring for a child with a disability need support. If you’re the primary caregiver, or a person who interacts with a child with a disability, the following resources might be helpful. And if you know a family that needs more support, please share these resources with them:
Central Oregon Disability Support Network
CODSN.org
FACT Oregon
factoregon.org
The M. ❤ .R.G.A.N. Project
themorganproject.org
We appreciate you and any steps you take to help protect kids!
“Until the great mass of the people shall be filled with the sense of responsibility for each other’s welfare, social justice can never be attained.”
“Disability need not be an obstacle to success…We have a moral duty to remove the barriers to participate, and to invest sufficient funding and expertise to unlock the vast potential of people with disabilities…for inclusion of people with disabilities in the lives of their societies.”
References
1. Jones, L. et al (2012) Prevalence and risk of violence against children with disabilities: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.
2. Legano, L. et al. Maltreatment of Children with Disabilities. (2021). American Academy of Pediatrics
3. Sullivan, P. et al (2000) Maltreatment and Disabilities: A Population-Based Epidemiological Study.
4. World Report on Disability. December 2011. World Health Organization.