Investigation of Abuse and Women With Disabilities: Going Beyond Assumptions

• NCJ Number: 188029
• Journal: Violence Against Women Volume: 7 Issue: 4 Dated: April 2001 Pages: 477-499
• Author(s): Margaret A. Nosek; Carol A. Howland; Rosemary B. Hughes
• Date Published: April 2001
• Length: 23 pages
• Grant Number(s): HD35051; H133A60045; USPH R04/CCR614142
• Sponsoring Agency: Ctr's for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); National Ctr on Minority Health and Health Disparities; National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Issue Overview
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This article delineates issues that should be considered by investigators who are involved in conducting empirically sound research on abuse and women with disabilities.

Abstract

These issues include incorporating in the research design variables that assess increased vulnerabilities; using literature-based definitions that distinguish emotional, physical, sexual, and disability-related abuse; using population-based sampling methodologies; and securing informed consent. Other issues related to such research are the maintenance of confidentiality; the installation of safety measures to protect study participants and protect staff from retaliation; and making special efforts to include minority women with disabilities. Such research must also use appropriate, validated, disability-sensitive screening instruments; understand the legal requirements for reporting abusive incidents; implement abuse studies in clinical settings; and include formative and summative evaluations in outcome studies of abuse interventions. To increase the capacity of battered women's programs to serve women with disabilities, considerably more must be known about interventions that are most effective for this population. 42 references