Violence/ Nonviolence and Disability

1. Violence/ Nonviolence and Disability Jaclyn Anderson Jason Maseberg-Tomlinson Disability Support Services, 202 Holton Hall Kansas State University

2. Tonight’s presentation • Kansas Violence • Disability & Violence • Women with disabilities • Reporting • Creating a safe environment

3. Kansas ’05 Statistics on Personal Protection Orders • There were 8,222 Protection from Abuse Orders filed. • There were 3,405 Protection from Stalking Orders filed. Source: Kansas Governor's Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board http://www.governor.ks.gov/grants/gdvfrb.htm

4. Kansas ‘05 Rape Statistics • There were 1,099 rapes reported to law enforcement. • The offender knew the victim in approximately 74% of the reported cases. • Nearly 98% victims of rape were female. • 78% of reported rapes - occurred in homes. • "Personal" weapons such as hands, feet, and fists were used in 63% of the rapes reported.

5. Kansas ‘05 Domestic Violence Statistics • 14 women and 7 men were killed in domestic violence murders. • There were 19,222 domestic violence incidents and 21,777 domestic violence offenses reported by law enforcement. • The majority of domestic violence incidents - 83% of reported cases - occurred in homes. • Seventy percent of victims were female. • "Personal" weapons such as hands, feet, and fists were used in 68% of domestic violence incidents reported.

6. Statistics about Disability • As of 2002, people with disabilities made up 20% (and growing) of the population1. • Aging population/Baby Boom - Disability affects us all at a growing rate.

7. Facts about Violence and People with Disabilities • The National Rehabilitation Information Center (NARIC) has estimated that a large percentage-- perhaps as many as 50 percent--of patients who are long-term residents of hospitals and specialized rehabilitation centers are there due to crime-related injuries.

8. Facts about Violence and People with Disabilities1 • 4-10 times higher risk of becoming crime victims than a person without disability • Children with any kind of disability are more than twice as likely to be physically abused and twice as likely to be sexually abused • 68% to 83% of women with developmental disabilities will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime – 50% higher than the rest of the population. • People with developmental disabilities are more likely to be re-victimized by the same person and more than half never seek assistance from legal or treatment services.

9. What is abuse? • Withholding medication and/or assistive devices • Taking your money • Isolating you from communicating with others • Forcing sexual acts upon you • Failing to provide proper care as a form of punishment or coercion • Hurting your pets • Destroying your property on purpose • Using your disability against you

10. Who are the Perpetrators? • Perpetrators of Sexual Abuse are often: • 15-25% Natural Family Members • 15% Acquaintances and Neighbors • 30% Disability Service Providers (Caretakers) • 0-5% Strangers Violence and Abuse in the Lives of People with Disabilities, Gregor Wolbring (1994)

11. Who is at Greatest Risk for Violence? • Individual has diminished ability to comprehend, reason, or communicate. Increases risk because many perpetrators seek individuals who are unable to understand and communicate criminal actions and whose credibility will be questioned because of the disability. • Traumatic brain injury • Developmental disabilities • Dementia • Autism

12. Developmental Disabilities • Persons with developmental disabilities have a high risk of being sexually abused. One researcher estimates that 90% of people with developmental disabilities will be sexually abused in their lifetime, yet only 3% of the assaults will ever be reported. (Sobsey & Doe, 1991; Tyiska, 1998) • Among developmentally disabled adults, as many as 83% of females are sexual assaulted. (Stimson, L. and Best, M.C. 1991)

13. Who is at Greatest Risk for Violence (2) • Similar to those with cognitive disorders, individuals with psychological problems are readily abused because the perpetrator can raise questions about credibility of the accuser. • Schizophrenia • Bi-polar disorder • Clinical depression

14. Mental Illness Experiences of abuse and violence are especially high for women diagnosed with serious mental illness (SMI). • Out of 39 adult female clients in an intensive psychiatric case management program, 59% had been sexually abused and 62% had been physically abused as children and/or adults (Rose, Peabody, & Stratigeas, 1991).

15. Mental Illness (2) • In a study of 69 inpatients (male and female) who had ongoing relationships with partners or family members, 63% reported a history of physical abuse by a partner and 46% reported physical abuse by a family member (Cascardi et al., 1996). Twenty-nine percent had experienced domestic abuse within the past year.

16. Mental Illness: Stereotypes • American Psychiatric Association: People With Severe Mental Illness Are More Likely To Be Victims Than Perpetrators of Violence.

17. Who is at Greatest Risk? (3) • Although some of these conditions may involve compromised speech and language abilities, the key problem is the ability of the individual to physically escape from a location where violence may be or is occurring and is able to fight back against a perpetrator. Disabilities in this category usually result in loss of strength of the large muscle groups and reduce the individual’s chance of defending themselves against physical assault. • Cerebral palsy • Muscular dystrophy • Multiple sclerosis • Spinal cord injury • Spina bifida

18. Who is at Greatest Risk? (4) • Individuals who are blind and those who are deaf-blind will have a reduced sense of danger as well as an inability to escape from a dangerous encounter. Those who are deaf will have the diminished ability to sense danger but are usually physically capable of defending themselves against physical assault or escaping a dangerous situation. • Blindness • Deafness • Deaf-blind

19. Women with Disabilities • Women with disabilities, regardless of age, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or class, are assaulted, raped, and abused at a rate of two times greater than women without disabilities. (Sobsey, 1988, 1994; Cusitar, 1994; Stimpson & Best, 1991)

20. Women with Disabilities (2) Additional barriers that can make the violence even more difficult for her: • She may lose her primary caretaker (because this person may be her abuser or the person that assaulted her); • She may be at a greater risk of losing custody of her children (because women with disabilities may be viewed as having inadequate parenting skills);

21. Women with Disabilities (3) • She may have her credibility questioned, which may result in denial of services (because women with disabilities are not always believed); • She may lose her right to make personal decisions (because a woman with a disability may be viewed as unable to make decisions apart from her abusive partner, relative or caretaker); • She may experience an increased risk of being institutionalized (because the primary caretaker may be the abuser or the rapist and no other caretaker is available);

22. Women with Disabilities (4) • She may face a greater vulnerability to threats by the abuser (because she may be more isolated due to these barriers). • As a result of these and other barriers, many disabled women will not report abuse. The survivor may even decide to stay with her abuser or rapist rather than face the risks of leaving or reporting. Source: Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence, Winter 2004 Newsletter

23. Issues with reporting • Under reporting of criminal activity among the population, as with the general population of the U.S. • Lack of responsiveness from law enforcement and prosecutors who question victim credibility2 • Persons with developmental disabilities have a high risk of being sexually abused. One researcher estimates that 90% of people with developmental disabilities will be sexually abused in their lifetime, yet only 3% of the assaults will ever be reported. (Sobsey & Doe, 1991; Tyiska, 1998)

24. Speaking of Credibility

25. Creating a Safe Environment • There are many factors which may increase the chances of ‘victimization’

29. Nonviolent Actions • Support disability rights/awareness • Volunteer at support/crisis hotlines • Report suspected abuse • Use “person first language”

30. Resources - Handouts • Creating a Safety Plan • State of Kansas/SRS Adult Protective Services Fact Sheet

31. Resources for victims • Disability Rights Center of Kansas: http://drckansas.org • Adult Protective Services (SRS): http://www.srskansas.org/ISD/ees/adult.htm • Kansas Disability/Violence Awareness Project: http://www.kdheks.gov/dva/project_summary.html • The Crisis Center Hotline: 800-727-2785 or 539-2785 

32. Resources for more info… • 1 Report of the National Council on Disability, July 26, 1996, pages 13-14. as posted on the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (n.d.), Kansas Disability / Violence Awareness Project. Retrieved February 14, 2008, from http://www.kdheks.gov/dva/statistics.html • 2 Marge, D.K. (Ed.). (2003) A Call to Action: Ending Crimes of Violence Against Children and Adults with Disabilities. A Report to the Nation. • 3 Domestic Violence, Mental Health & Trauma, Research Highlights PDF. National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma & Mental Health.

33. THANK YOU! • Feel free to contact us if you have any questions: Disability Support Services, 202 Holton Hall, Kansas State University phone number: 785-532-6441 web url: www.k-state.edu/dss Jaclyn Anderson, Assistant Director jaclyna@ksu.edu Jason Maseberg-Tomlinson, Adaptive Technology Specialist jasontom@ksu.edu