4.4 Review

Sexual Violence Against Persons With Disabilities: A Meta-Analysis

Journal

TRAUMA VIOLENCE & ABUSE
Volume 23, Issue 4, Pages 1330-1343

Publisher

SAGE PUBLICATIONS INC
DOI: 10.1177/1524838021995975

Keywords

disability; sexual violence; victimization; meta-analysis

Funding

  1. Office des personnes handicapees du Quebec [2231]

Ask authors/readers for more resources

A growing number of large-scale studies suggest that individuals with disabilities are at higher risk of sexual victimization compared to non-disabled individuals, with the risk being significantly higher among adults with disabilities. Sensory impairment is the type of disability associated with the highest risk of sexual victimization. Additionally, individuals with disabilities in African countries have significantly higher odds of experiencing sexual victimization compared to other countries.
A growing number of large-scale studies suggest that people with disabilities are at greater risk of sexual victimization than nondisabled individuals. However, certain results are inconsistent and whether potential moderators explain this variability in previous findings remain to be considered. This meta-analysis aimed to determine the magnitude of the difference in risk of being sexually victimized based on the presence of a disability. An additional objective was to evaluate the relative influence of gender, age, type of disability, type of sexual violence, and relationship with the perpetrator on the association between the presence of a disability and sexual victimization. Studies were searched using pertinent databases and retained if they included a group with a disability, provided data that quantify the occurrence of abuse, indicated the type of sexual violence, and was published between 1970 and 2018 in French or English. A total of 68 studies, allowing 84 independent samples and 12,427 participants, were included. Individuals with disabilities were at significantly higher risk of sexual victimization than persons without disabilities (odds ratio = 2.27). The risk of sexual victimization among individuals with a disability was significantly higher in adult participants compared with the risk in minor participants. Sensory impairment was the type of disability associated with the highest risk of sexual victimization. Odds of sexual victimization among individuals with a disability were significantly higher in African countries compared with all others, and odds in Western Europe were significantly lower than in the United States. No significant differences emerged across eras.

Authors

I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.

Reviews

Primary Rating

4.4
Not enough ratings

Secondary Ratings

Novelty
-
Significance
-
Scientific rigor
-
Rate this paper

Recommended

No Data Available
No Data Available