THE IMPACT OF PHYSICAL ABUSE TOWARDS PERSON

WITH DISABILITIES

Presented by:

Mike Daniel Salem

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

In a stratified society characterized by inequality, certain groups

experience marginalization. Marginalization refers to the unequal
distribution of resources and power which produces conflict between
groups, leaving some more vulnerable to abuse than others. Persons
with disabilities are one such group (Oliver, 1996; Campbell and Oliver,
1996). They are marginalized socially, economically and politically and
frequently are treated as a subordinate group within society. Individually
and collectively they are denied full participation in society. Their
marginalization places them at a serious disadvantage within the
community. People with disabilities experience conflict in a variety of
forms, including problems of physical accessibility, lack of employment
opportunities and lower salaries, and problems accessing health care.

One important manifestation of the marginalization of persons with

disabilities can be seen in the rate of abuse directed at people with
disabilities. Research on abuse traditionally defined as physical,
emotional, sexual and financial abuse and neglect has documented that
people with disabilities experience rates much higher than the rate for
people without disabilities (Crosse et al., 1993; Sobsey et al., 1995;
Sullivan and Knutson, 2000; Wilson and Brewer, 1992). Traditional
methods of capturing data on crime victims, however, such as the
Bureau of Justice Statistics National Crime Victimization Survey and the
Federal Bureau of Investigation's Uniform Crime Report have not
included data on the crime victim's disability status.

While abuse in the literature is defined by researchers and providers as

physical, sexual, emotional, and financial abuse and neglect, there are
very few studies which focus on how people with disabilities actually
define abuse. The Roeher Institute (1995) surveyed a sample of people
with disabilities (as well as conducted interviews and focus groups with
service providers, police, advocates, and family members). They found
that types of violence and abuse identified by persons with disabilities
included: physical violence; denial of rights, necessities, privileges, and
opportunities; verbal and emotional abuse; and failure to respond to
their complaints of abuse and violence. In addition, there have been
studies of other marginalized populations where it was found that
members of the affected population have defined abuse more broadly.
For example, Lewis, et al (2005) studied intimate partner violence in the
Latino community and found that women (many of whom were victims
of violence) added another category to possible types of abuse. In
addition to identifying traditional types of abuse (physical, sexual,
emotional, and financial abuse), they spoke of the unequal burden of
expectations imposed on women in society as a type of abuse. This
abuse (identified as "unequal burden") referred to the abusive
expectation that women were not only expected to cook, clean house,
shop and prepare food, care for children and aging parents, and meet
the needs of their spouse, but they were also expected to contribute
financially as a breadwinner within the family — and in many cases, the
only breadwinner.

A similar understanding of how people with disabilities actually define

abuse is missing from the literature. The overall goal of our research
was to develop a better understanding of abuse directed at people with
disabilities — from their perspective. In particular, we wanted to learn
about types of behaviors identified as abusive, likely abusers, reporting
behaviors and perceived outcomes. This paper focuses on the way in
which abuse is defined by people with disabilities and who they identify
 as likely abusers. Findings with regard to reporting abuse have been
presented elsewhere (West and Gandhi, 2005).

Statement of the Problem

This study is set out to address the following questions:

1. Who is likely to do these things to people with disabilities?

2. How does the respondent describe their experience regarding physical
abuse?
3. How do they overcome physical abuse?