Factors Contributing to Violence Against Persons with Disabilities
- Negative myths and stereotypes about disability that relegate persons with disabilities to powerless positions and the perception of being an “easy target” for perpetrators;
- Power imbalances between persons with disabilities and their caregivers;
- Isolation in homes or institutions away from public and governmental scrutiny;
- Lack of education and training that helps to identify and address violence, especially for women and girls with disabilities;
- Lack of training for family members, caregivers, and health professionals on appropriate care for persons with disabilities;
- Armed conflict and certain environmental hazards, such as landmines;
- Poverty; and
- Cultural practices, such as female genital mutilation, “virgin rape” of women with disabilities (based on the false assumption that they are asexual and often connected to notions of cure for HIV), and withholding food from infants with disabilities.
Sexual exploitation and abuse is a widespread phenomenon among persons with disabilities, particularly women and girls, although men and boys with disabilities also experience sexual violence, exploitation, and abuse.
Studies indicate that persons with disabilities are disproportionately at risk for violence and that sexual abuse among women with disabilities is significantly higher than the rest of the population. Most instances of abuse go unreported and therefore remain unaddressed. Very often, abuse takes place in a private home dwelling or in an institution, where it is sometimes imagined that persons with disabilities will be free from abuse.
Medical and scientific experimentation without free and informed consent is a human rights violation to which persons with disabilities continue to be subjected.
The prohibition against torture and abusive treatment applies to prison authorities and requires protection from violence by other prisoners. It also requires protection from prison conditions that amount to cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment.