It is estimated that, overall, between 500 and 650 million people worldwide live with a significant impairment. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), around 10% of the world's children and young people, some 200 million, have sensory, intellectual or mental health impairment. Around 80% of them live in developing countries.
Statistics such as these demonstrate that to be born with or acquire an impairment is far from unusual or abnormal. Sadly children who live with a physical, sensory, intellectual or mental health disability are among the most stigmatised and marginalised of all the world's children. Although all children are at risk of being victims of violence, disabled children find themselves at significant increased risk because of stigma, negative traditional beliefs and ignorance.
Due to the lack of social support, limited opportunities for education, employment or participation in the community further isolates disabled children and their families. Disabled children are also often targeted by abusers, who seem them as easy victims. According to researchers, 'children with a physical, sensory, intellectual or mental health impairment are at increased risk of becoming victims of violence'. Although the amount of research available is extremely limited, the American Academy of Pediatrics in 2011 estimated that abuse amongst disabled children occurs at annual rates at least 1.7 times greater than their non-disabled peers.
More targeted research studies also indicate reasons for serious concern. For example, one group of researchers report that 90% of individuals with intellectual disabilities experience sexual abuse at some point in their lifetime. Research by UNICEF suggests that the specific type and amount of violence against disabled children will vary depending on whether it occurs within the family, in the community, in institutional settings or in the work place. Despite the variations, the most striking issue is the reoccurring stigma and prejudice prevalent across the world.
Throughout history, many societies have dealt poorly with disability. Many cultural, religious and popular social beliefs often assume that a child born with a disability or becomes disabled after birth as the result of a curse, 'bad blood', an incestuous relationship, a sin committed in a previous incarnation or a sin committed by a family member.
A child born into a community where such beliefs exist increases the risk of child abuse. For example, Advantage Africa who operate in Kenya and Uganda note that 'a person is raped every half an hour in Kenya, and incidents of rape are thought to be up to three times higher against people with disabilities'. This violence compounds already existing social, educational and economic marginalisation that limits the lives and opportunities of these children.
Disabled children are far less likely than their non-disabled peers to be included in the social, economic and cultural life of their communities. This increases their chances of being trafficked or sold into prostitution. For example in Taiwan a recent study found that the proportion of child prostitutes who had mild developmental disabilities was six times greater than what might be expected from the incidence in the general population.
Violence and sexual abuse are rife across all sectors of everyday life including schools, family homes, institutions, workplace and criminal justice system. Disabled children are far more likely to end up in the criminal justice system and suffer abuse due to lack of training, understanding and discrimination. Moreover, disabled children in developing countries are more at risk to end up in the hands of criminal gangs due to a lack of economic opportunity. UNICEF estimates that perhaps a third of all street children may have some type of disability. This increases their risk of psychological abuse by gangs, sexual exploitation and abuse within the criminal justice system.
Lack of consequences for abusers and lack of response to disabled children by the police, judges and court system further compounds the risks faced by disabled children. Due to a lack of knowledge about disability within the legal system very few abusers are prosecuted. There are a number of reasons why conviction rates are so low ranging from the police believing the claim is false or disabled children are easily confused. Even more troubling is the assumption that a child or adolescent with a disability, is unable to tell 'right' from 'wrong' or to decide themselves what they want and do want done to their bodies. Even when police, lawyers or judges recognise the abuse, the families are often encouraged to drop the charges because they believe a disabled child will not be a reliable witness.
Unsurprisingly there is a severe lack of support for survivors, domestic violence shelters, drug and alcohol intervention programs, and other community-based programs specifically designed to address behaviours and practices strongly associated with violence, are often inaccessible to those with disabilities.
If violence against children is a global concern then the development community need to include all disabled children in outreach programmes. If disabled children are continually marginalised and isolated within the community violence will never end. The Thematic Group lead by one of the leading experts in global health Nora Groce specialising in disability recommends that intervention and improvement are gravely needed.
Services and programs at the levels of government and civil society, as well as individual family and advocacy initiatives that can drive these components forward. However, it is important to italicise the fact that no single initiative either through government, civil society or advocacy can alone eliminate violence against disabled children. This systemic global epidemic must be an on-going collaborative effort of viable changes are to be made.
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