Research published from 2000 to 2020 illustrates increased prevalence rates of sexual violence against people with intellectual disabilities, compared to the general population.
[1]:61 The World Health Organization (WHO)[2] funded a study which concluded that 15% of the adult population worldwide in 2012 had a disability, putting them at increased risk of physical, sexual, and intimate partner violence.
[7] While people with intellectual disabilities experience sexual violence in many of the same ways as the general population,:73 those with intellectual disability may be more vulnerable to sexual violence because of their dependence on others for economic support, personal care, and support with tasks associated with daily living such as bathing and eating.
[6] These additional issues can include questions around the ability to consent to sexual activities, differential treatment before the law and restricted access to proper support and recovery services.
[9][10] Societal attitudes and beliefs about the sexuality of those with intellectual disabilities and the validity or accuracy of their claims of abuse are additional risk factors.
[14] Understanding race and ethnicity factors in sexual assault incidence among those with an intellectual disability are vital for addressing differences between white and minority populations in victimization and intervention.
[18] In 1996 Dick Sobsey, associate director of the JP Das Developmental Disabilities Centre and Director of the John Dossetor Health Ethics Centre at the University of Alberta, concluded that 80% of 162 people with developmental and substantial disabilities who had been sexually assaulted had been sexually assaulted more than once.
[23] A 2010 study concluded that the largest group of identified perpetrators of sexual abuse is developmental disability service providers or caregivers.
[24] 87% of a sample from 874 surveys of individuals with intellectual disabilities reported that they had been sexually abused, and 67% had experienced vaginal or anal penetration.
[24] The study also concluded that these service providers lacked basic knowledge about abuse, perpetrator characteristics, and facts about potential victims.
[25]: 71 A survey by Brown et al. of senior managers in 1992 found an incidence rate of 0.5 per thousand people with intellectual disabilities each year.
[8]: 71 A study by Dunne and Power in 1990 found an incidence rate of 2.88 per thousand people with intellectual disabilities per year.
[33] In addition, 19% of sexual offenders were natural or stepfamily members, 15.2% were acquaintances (neighbors, family friends), 9.8% were informal paid service providers (babysitters), and 3.8% were dates.
[37] As Deborah W. Denno of the Fordham University School of Law explains: Courts have applied vague, unworkable tests in determining a mentally retarded victim's capacity to consent; it would be unrealistic to suggest that a rigid, precisely defined standard could ever be effective in so amorphous an area as sexual relations.
[41] The harm is often worse when the violence occurs over a long period or if the individual has experienced multiple traumatic events throughout their lives.
[6] Individuals with intellectual disabilities who have experienced trauma such as sexual assault are at greater risk for more severe trauma-related distress, including PTSD.
[45] Evidence-based recommendations for treating trauma-related distress and Post-traumatic stress disorder for adults and children with developmental and intellectual disabilities are interdisciplinary treatment approaches.
[47] One intervention that was most effective at reducing trauma symptoms was establishing changes in a person's daily environment to avoid traumatic cues.