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Abstract

Research indicates that the incidence of physical and sexual assault of people with disabilities is high. Anecdotal information on conditions inside state-operated institutions for people with mental disabilities suggests that residents are at high risk for assault. This study focuses on the assault experiences of 58 residents of a Midwestern state-operated psychiatric institution. Sixty percent of the women and 36% of the men reported that they had been raped during their lifetime. Seventy-one percent of the participants reported that they had been threatened with violence while inside a psychiatric institution. Fifty-three percent reported that they had been physically assaulted, and 38% reported that they had been sexually assaulted inside a psychiatric institution. Fifty-two percent of the assaulted residents reported that they had been physically assaulted the most by other residents, and 39% reported that they had been physically assaulted the most by staff members. Of the residents reporting sexual assault, 55% reported that they had been sexually assaulted the most by other residents, and 27% reported being sexually assaulted the most by institution staff. This study suggests a significant need to reduce the vulnerability to assault of people with disabilities, both inside and outside institutional settings.

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Assaults Against Residents of a Psychiatric Institution

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