Supporting Those With Disabilities
If you know an individual with a disability who has been sexually abused or assaulted, it is important to believe the person and to support their recovery while maintaining respect for their independence in making choices for themselves.
Page Contents
Individual Rights | Vulnerabilities | Indications of Abuse | Actions for Supporting a Person Who Has Been Sexually Assaulted | Tips for Professionals and Loved Ones | Things to Avoid | Resources
Individual Rights
Empowering a survivor with a disability to increase their knowledge and skills for self protection can make a difference in their healing process.
Discuss with the person their individual rights:
• Right to feel safe
• Right to safety
• Right to a life free from sexual violence
You can give the person information on local community resources or help them contact the resources if they are unable to do so for themselves. In Cedar, Iowa, Johnson or Washington Counties you can refer people with disabilities to RVAP for counseling, advocacy, and information by having them call 319-335-6000 or 1-800-228-1625 (24 hours). If outside this area, they (or you on their behalf) can call the Iowa Sexual Abuse Hotline 1-800-284-7821 for support and information. Additionally, you can also go to the ISAH page on this website to look at the Iowa Sexual Abuse Hotline Resource Guide (PDF Document) to look for local resources in any community or county in Iowa.
Vulnerabilities
Persons with disabilities are 10 times more likely to be the victims of sexual abuse than are people without such disabilities. They are particularly vulnerable for various reasons, including the following:
• Lack of knowledge about what abuse is and what personal rights they have
• Physical limitations
• Difficulty in communicating
• Lack of skills or understanding about reporting abuse
• Impaired cognitive functioning
• Learned compliance
• Dependency on others
Because of these reasons it is important that service providers, guardians and family members remain vigilant for signs of abuse. Providing information about abuse and the rights that people with a disability have, including the right to be safe.
Indications of Abuse
Some signs that may indicate a person has experienced abuse are:
• Shying away from being touched (new behavior)
• Withdrawing from others (new behavior)
• Regression
• Becoming involved with substance abuse
• Having fears triggered by memories of abuse
• Eating too little or too much
• Having nightmares or other sleep disturbances
• Showing fear or discomfort being around a certain person/people
• Physical injuries in genital area
• Sudden behavioral changes
• Change in hygiene habits (excessive cleaning or no bathing at all)
• Sexually transmitted Infections
• Pregnancy
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Actions for Supporting a Person Who Has Been Sexually Assaulted
1. Honesty
• That a report must occur
• No promises about what you can and cannot do
• That you will have to tell someone
• Remember secrecy and manipulation may have played a role in the abuse so building trust is important
2. Discretion
• Is critical for victim’s recovery process
• Sexual abuse is a personal violation
• Do not tell people unnecessarily of the assault
3. The Sense of Loss of Control
• Is central to the negative impact of the abuse or assault
• Assist them in any way to regain control, making decisions etc.
• Victim should be central part in all decisions regarding the assault
• Who should be told
• Reporting to law enforcement, medical exam
4. Privacy
• If disclosure is openly discussed, the victim will feel more alienated
• Could cause more feelings of being out of control
• It is their story to tell on a broad or narrow scale
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Tips for Professionals and Loved Ones
1. Report the disclosure
• Report to the proper authorities
• Follow agency’s guidelines and internal protocol
2. Talk to the victim in a private place
• Away from other staff and consumers
• Allow them to tell in their own words without pressing for details
3. Explain your role
• Explain your professional role in relation to the disclosure
• As an investigator or support person
• Assess immediate safety of victim
• Is victim in danger of additional or on-going abuse
4. What action is required to maintain safety
• Is victim physically injured, at risk for pregnancy of STI?
• Is immediate medical examination needed?
• Medical exam should occur for collection of evidence if criminal/abuse investigation is likely (victim’s decision).
5. Immediately reassure victim
• You believe what they have disclosed
• Are glad they told
• Do not blame them for what happened
• Will do your best to be supportive ( if able to be in that role)
6. Listen
• It may be confusing for victim to relay events/details
• Use victim’s language/vocabulary don’t correct them
7. Support feelings
• Validate victim’s/survivor’s feelings (e.g., “It sounds like that was very frightening.”)
• May be confused.
• Reassure the victim/survivor that there is no right or wrong way to react, and that people have various reactions ways of releasing emotions
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Things to Avoid
1. Ask blaming questions
• Why they did not disclose sooner
• What they were doing there
• Why they didn’t fight etc.
• It is not the victim’s fault
2. Make promises
• Promise to tell no one
• Promise that everything will be fine
• What they will or will not have to do
3. Criticize offender
• Could cause fear of retaliation or further abuse
• Could cause fear of negative consequences for offender
• Could be that the offender is someone she/he otherwise loves
4. Ask for specific details
• Unless you are assessing the need for an investigator
• If you are the investigator
• Specific details are not necessary to give support
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Resources
- Handout developed by RVAP staff
- Providing services to women with disabilities
- Austin Safe-Place
- College of Direct Support
- Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape Resource Guide
- Institute on Disabilities
- Possibilities, a Bi-Monthly publication by the University of Iowa Center for Disabilities and Development
