RAISE The Standard, February 2025, v.11 n.4 | |
|
Abuse and Exploitation
Many types of abuse can affect the lives of people with disabilities.
- Financial abuse can drain bank accounts and destroy support systems.
- Emotional abuse can make mental health struggles worse.
- Physical abuse threatens health and can escalate into severe harm.
- Sexual abuse, for instance, can leave life-long scars and destroy trust, making it even more challenging for individuals with disabilities to form healthy relationships and navigate the world.
- Verbal abuse creates fear, increases loneliness, and lowers self-esteem.
Numbers Don't Lie
In this issue of RAISE The Standard, we will explore how to prevent and respond to abuse of people with disabilities.
Check out this short video from the Australian Council on Intellectual Disabilities. It introduces the issues and the challenges from the perspective of people with I/DD. View the Council's video now on Youtube.
| |
|
Removing Inconsiderate Relatives
and Friends Improved My Life!
Sometimes, abuse comes from those who are supposed to love us and look out for us. In this article, Tracy Williams describes her experiences living with cerebral palsy and how "Removing Inconsiderate Relatives and Friends Improved My Life!"
"Some people believe that if a family member with a disability requires extra help, they can say whatever they want to them and take advantage of them…"
She suggests separating friends into three categories: those with whom to share personal triumphs and struggles, those for surface-level conversation, and surface acquaintances who may or may not be trustworthy.
Read Tracy's full article at this link.
| |
|
People with developmental disabilities (DD) are at a higher risk for abuse, neglect, or exploitation for many reasons. Here are a few important reasons to be aware.
-
Increased Dependency on Others - Many individuals with developmental disabilities rely on caregivers, family members, or support workers for daily activities such as personal care, communication, transportation, and even decision-making. This dependence creates an opportunity for mistreatment.
-
Communication Barriers - Individuals with developmental disabilities may have difficulty expressing themselves verbally or understanding others, making it harder for them to report mistreatment or even recognize that something inappropriate is happening.
-
Social Isolation - People with DD often face social exclusion or isolation due to stigmas surrounding their disabilities. They might also be less likely to have protective social networks to intervene if abuse occurs.
-
Limited Awareness of Rights and Boundaries - Some individuals with developmental disabilities may not fully understand their rights or what constitutes appropriate behavior, leaving them unable to identify abusive situations. Lack of education around personal boundaries, sexual rights, or financial exploitation can further increase their susceptibility to abuse.
-
Prejudice and Discrimination - Attitudes towards people with disabilities can sometimes dehumanize them, leading to their mistreatment or exploitation.
| | |
|
Elizabeth L. Gray, Esq., a lawyer who has practiced special needs and elder law for more than 20 years, writes about common types of fraud perpetrated against people with disabilities and schemes used by fraudsters, including:
- Signs of financial abuse to watch for.
- Who to contact in cases of fraud.
- Phishing scams defraud the victim using texts, phone calls, emails, and websites.
Click here to access this resource.
| |
|
Scammers and fraudsters use many tricks to exploit people, and they can spot an easy target. It's crucial to stay vigilant and aware of these tactics: they might impersonate a government agency or business to steal money; they may impersonate a love interest, where a scammer forms an online relationship to defraud the victim. They may even use AI scams through fake images, videos, and voice cloning.
Always remember:
- Stop before you share information or pay money.
- Think, 'Is this a scam, or is it real?' Ask someone you trust what they think.
- Get help if you have given away information or money from a scam.
For more information, check out this article at mencap.org.uk, a useful advice and information hub.
| |
|
Preventing Abuse of
Your Child with Disabilities
This article from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, by Alyssa Siegel, MD, covers ways to keep children with disabilities safer from abuse. Key points include:
Be familiar with your child's contacts: Know who is working with your child. When hiring on your own, gather as much information as possible, including educational, employment, and criminal history. Check their references, and if the position requires professional certification, verify that they have a license.
Educate your child early: Talk to your child about boundaries regarding words and touch. Revisit these concepts as your child ages, and be sure to outline how adults should speak and behave with your child and how they should not. Review the kinds of discipline, who can discipline your child, and what types of discipline are allowed. Review the correct names of private body parts and when they might need to be touched, as in a medical setting.
Explain sexual abuse: Include inappropriate talk, touch, or pictures, as well as being asked or forced to say, show, or do something uncomfortable. Be sure to discuss that unwanted behavior can come from a known individual or a stranger. Talk about how to recognize whether sexual feelings are mutual or one-sided if age-appropriate. Explain your child's domain over their own body and their right to say no.
Promote a 'no secrets' policy at home: Create a comfortable and supportive environment for your child to communicate. Emphasize that they should not keep unwanted behavior from others a secret. This policy can provide a sense of security and confidence for both you and your child.
Recognize signs of abuse: Evidence can be physical or behavioral. Explain any skin markings, bruises, broken bones, or head injury. Changes in mood, eating habits or sleep, avoidance of school or social situations, or changes in response to a specific place or individual can sometimes indicate abuse. Abuse may also cause a halt or regression in academic or social progress.
Read Dr. Siegel's full article at this link.
| |
|
Reporting Abuse
Supporting an individual who has experienced abuse can be a lot to take on. If there is an urgent risk of harm to your loved one or someone else, you should call 911 right away. If the person is not in imminent danger, these resources can help:
Preventchildabuse.org provides information to families seeking information on the matter.
The Victims of Crime Resource Center provides resource and referral information to victims and their families, victim service providers, and other victim advocates.
The National Center on Criminal Justice & Disability provides a resource called "Talk About Sexual Violence," which addresses the widespread and often unrecognized sexual violence of women with intellectual/developmental disabilities.
RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) provides information about the sexual abuse of people with disabilities and where to get help.
Adult Protective Services (APS). APS are social services programs in each state. They serve older adults and adults with disabilities who need help due to abuse, neglect, or exploitation. Find your local APS.
Help Is A Click Away offers a link to state resources to report abuse of children.
https://www.helpisaclickaway.org/support-us
National Adult Protective Services Association (NAPAS) offers a link to state resources to report abuse of adults: https://www.napsa-now.org/help-in-your-area/
| |
|
In this issue of RAISE The Standard, we focus on PACER Center's Project Launch, a collaboration between Parent Centers in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, West Virginia, and Wisconsin: https://www.pacer.org/project-launch/
Through individual assistance, workshops, resources, and more, Project Launch helps youth and young adults with disabilities pursue meaningful careers, live independently, and enjoy inclusion at work and in the community. It provides a practical website and an array of helpful publications, webinars, parent tip sheets, and videos on disability-related topics. It also offers guidance and information on transition, employment, and the role of vocational rehabilitation counselors and rehabilitation services.
| |
Collaboration • Empowerment • Capacity-building | |
RAISE The Standard enewsletter identifies and shares resources that the Rehabilitation Services Administration Parent Training and Information Centers (RSA-PTI) can use and share with families. | |
The RAISE Technical Assistance Center is working to advance the accessibility of its digital resources, including its websites, enewsletters and various digital documents. | |
RAISE, the National Resources for Access, Independence, Self-Advocacy and Employment is a user-centered technical assistance center that understands the needs and assets of the RSA-PTIs, coordinates efforts with the Technical Assistance provided by PTI centers and involves RSA-PTIs as key advisors and partners in all product and service development and delivery. | |  |
|
The RAISE Center is a project of the SPAN Parent Advocacy Network and is funded by the US Department of Education's Rehabilitation Service Administration. The contents of this resource were developed under a cooperative agreement with the US Department of Education (H235G200007)). However, the contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education and should not assume endorsement by the federal government.
| | | | |
