NCJ Number
215522
Journal
Violence Against Women: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal Volume: 12 Issue: 9 Dated: September 2006 Pages: 838-850
Date Published
September 2006
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This study examined the characteristics of a sample of primarily minority women with physical disabilities who experienced physical, sexual, and disability-related abuse within the past year.
Abstract
The results suggest that five factors can be used to identify with 84 percent accuracy whether a woman with a disability may have experienced physical, sexual, or disability-related abuse: age, education, mobility, social isolation, and depression. Women with disabilities who were younger, more educated, less mobile, more socially isolated, and who had higher levels of depression were more likely to have experienced physical, sexual, or disability-related abuse during the past year. The authors note, however, that the finding of greater abuse likelihood among more educated women with disabilities is inconsistent with previous research and may be a statistical artifact. The findings suggest that physicians and other service providers should administer the Abuse Assessment Screen-Disability (AAS-D) in combination with a consideration of age, education, mobility, social isolation, and depression, to women with disabilities who present for help with physical, psychological, social, or economic problems. Data were gathered via a survey questionnaire from 415 primarily minority women with physical disabilities who were recruited from private and public specialty outpatient clinics. Questionnaires assessed demographic information, perceived stress and depression, and abuse victimization. Data analysis was completed using logistic regression models. Future research should employ a prospective, multiple-time-point research design with comparison samples of women without disabilities to identify the risk factors for abuse among women with disabilities. Tables, references