Why do some people abuse people with disability?

A report commissioned by the Disability Royal Commission has found that further research is needed on protective factors and interventions to protect people with disability from violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation.

The Rapid Evidence Review: Violence, neglect, abuse and exploitation of people with disability, published today, was a joint project between Monash University and the Centre for Evidence and Implementation and examined existing research to gain a better understanding of both risk and protective factors relating to why some members of society cause harm to people with disability.

Researchers - with the help of an advisory group comprising members with lived experience of disability, disability service providers and advocates - used a rapid review process to identify 168 papers in the peer-reviewed literature.

They found that while the vast majority of studies focused on the risks for people with disability, few looked at the risk factors which enable perpetrators or systemic issues that enable violence.

The lack of education for formal and informal carers and professionals has a negative impact on people with disabilities. In addition, a lack of understanding about disabilities and how to support them increase the likelihood of neglect and abuse.

They also highlighted that the research tends to point out the ways in which people with disability struggle within existing systems, rather than identifying the ways in which individuals closest to the person with disability contribute to harm.

These may be carers, family members, educators, healthcare staff, those in the legal system, and other professionals.

“Few to no studies examined the role of perpetrators and the systemic factors that enable the perpetrators to target people with disabilities, often repeatedly,” the report concluded.

The report found that evidence from the studies suggest that people with disability are more likely than others to experience all forms of violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation.

It also suggests that being a female with disability increases the risk of violent crime, intimate partner or gender-based violence, sexual abuse, and physical abuse.

However, two studies reported that being a male with a disability increases the risk of experiencing physical abuse.

Other risk factors include being female and young; past experience of violence or abuse; lower socioeconomic status or poverty; and unemployment.

Research is an important part of the Royal Commission’s activities and is designed to learn about all aspects of violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation experienced by people with disability. This work informs the scope and direction of public hearings and policy work and will ensure that the recommendations contained in the final report are based on the best available evidence.

The Royal Commission is due to deliver its final report in September 2023.

For further information, please contact the Disability Royal Commission Media team on 0436 841 166.