While studies suggest that the rate of abuse of women with disabilities is similar or higher compared to the general population, there continues to be a lack of attention to this issue. Women with disabilities are at particularly high risk of abuse, both through typical forms of violence (physical, sexual, and emotional) and those that target one’s disability. In an effort to highlight the need for increased attention to this issue, this article reviews the current peer-reviewed research in this field. The authors outline recommendations for future research goals and provide implications for research, practice, and policy.
BargerE.WackerJ.MacyR.ParishS. (2009). Sexual assault prevention for women with intellectual disabilities: A critical review of the evidence. Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 47, 249–262.
2.
BarrantiC.YuenF. K. (2008). Intimate partner violence and women with disabilities: Toward bringing visibility to an unrecognized population. Journal of Social Work in Disability and Rehabilitation, 7, 115–130.
3.
BrownridgeD. A. (2006). Partner violence against women with disabilities: Prevalence, risk, and explanations. Violence Against Women, 12, 805–822.
4.
BrownridgeD. A. (2009). Situating research on safety promoting behaviors among disabled and deaf victims of interpersonal violence. Violence Against Women, 15, 1075–1079.
5.
CarlsonB. E. (1997). Mental retardation and domestic violence: An ecological approach to intervention. Social Work, 42, 79–89.
6.
CasteelC.MartinS. L.SmithJ. B.GurkaK. K.KupperL. L. (2008). National study of physical and sexual assault among women with disabilities. Injury Prevention, 14, 87–90.
7.
ChenowethL. (1996). Violence and women with disabilities. Violence Against, 2, 391–411.
8.
CleggM. A. (2006). Exploring the meaning of trauma with adults with intellectual disabilities. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 19, 131–142.
9.
CokerA. L.SmithP. H.FaddenM. K. (2005). Intimate partner violence and disabilities among women attending family practice clinics. Journal of Women’s Health, 14, 829–838.
10.
CopelL. C. (2006). Partner abuse in physically disabled women: A proposed model for understanding intimate partner violence. Perspectives in Psychiatric Care, 42, 114–129.
11.
CramerE. P.GilsonS. F.DePoyE. (2003). Women with disabilities & experiences of abuse. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 7, 183–199.
12.
CurryM.A.PowersL.E.OschwaldM. (2003). Development of an abuse screening tool for women with disabilities. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 8(4), 123–141.
13.
CurryM. A.RenkerP.HughesR. B.Robinson-WhelenS.OschwaldM.SwankP. R.PowersL. E. (2009). Development of measures of abuse among women with disabilities and the characteristics of their perpetrators. Violence Against Women, 15, 1001–1025.
14.
FreebornD.CurryM. A. (2009). Experiences of mistreatment among women with cerebral palsy. Women & Health, 49, 555–572.
15.
GilsonS. F.DePoyE.CramerE. P. (2001). Linking the assessment of self-reported functional capacity with abuse experiences of women with disabilities. Violence Against Women, 7, 418–431.
16.
GrossmanS. F.LundyM. (2008). Double jeopardy: A comparison of persons with and without disabilities who were victims of sexual abuse and/or sexual assault. Journal of Social Work in Disability & Rehabilitation, 7, 19–46.
17.
Hassouneh-PhillipsD.CurryM. (2002). Abuse of women with disabilities: State of the science. Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin, 45, 96.
18.
Hassouneh-PhillipsD.McNeffE. (2005). “I thought I was less worthy”: Low sexual and body esteem and increased vulnerability to intimate partner abuse in women with physical disabilities. Sexuality & Disability, 23, 227–240.
19.
JonesN. L. (2001). The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): Statutory language and recent issues. Washington, DC: Congressional Research Service.
20.
LinV. W. (Ed.). (2003). Spinal cord medicine: Principles and practice. New York, NY: Demos.
21.
MackelprangR. W.SalsgiverR. O. (1996). People with disabilities and social work: Historical contemporary issues. Social Work, 41, 7–23.
22.
MartinS. L.RayN.Sotres-AlvarezD.KupperL. L.MoraccoK.E.DickensP. A.ScandlinP.GizliceZ. (2006). Physical and sexual assault of women with disabilities. Violence Against Women, 12, 823–837.
23.
MaysJ. M. (2006). Feminist disability theory: Domestic violence against women with a disability. Disability & Society, 21, 147–158.
24.
McFarlaneJ.HughesR. B.NosekM. A.GroffJ. Y.SwedlendN.MullenP. D. (2001). Abuse assessment screen-disability (AAS-D): Measuring frequency, type, and perpetrator of abuse toward women with physical disabilities. Journal of Women’s Health & Gender-Based Medicine, 10, 861–866.
MilbergerS.IsraelN.LeRoyB. (2003). Violence against women with physical disabilities. Violence and Victims, 18, 581–591.
27.
MurrayS.PowellA. (2009). “What’s the problem?” Australian public policy constructions of domestic and family violence. Violence Against Women, 15, 532–552.
28.
NanniniA. (2006). Sexual assault patterns among women with and without disabilities seeking survivor services. Women’s Health Issues, 16, 372–379.
29.
NixonJ. H. C. (2010). Marshalling the evidence: Using intersectionality in the domestic violence frame. Social Politics, 17, 137–158.
30.
NosekM. A.HowlandC.RintalaD. H.YoungM. E.ChanpongG. F. (2001). National study of women with physical disabilities: Final report. Sexuality & Disability, 19, 5.
31.
NosekM. A.HowlandC.YoungM. (1997). Abuse of women with disabilities: Policy implications. Journal of Disability Policy Studies, 8, 157–176.
32.
NosekM. A.HughesR. B.TaylorH. B.TaylorP. (2006). Disability, psychosocial, and demographic characteristics of abused women with physical disabilities. Violence Against Women, 12, 838–850.
33.
OktayJ. S.TompkinsC. J. (2004). Personal assistance providers’ mistreatment of disabled adults. Health & Social Work, 29, 177–188.
34.
OschwaldM.RenkerP.HughesR. B.ArthurA.PowersL. E.CurryM. A. (2009). Development of an accessible audio computer-assisted self-interview (A-CASI) to screen for abuse and provide safety strategies for women with disabilities. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 24, 795–818.
35.
PascallH. N. (1998). Independent living: Gender, violence and the threat of violence. Disability & Society, 13, 415–427.
36.
PowersL. E.CurryM. A.OschwaldM.MaleyS. (2002). Barriers and strategies in addressing abuse: A survey of disabled women’s experiences. Journal of Rehabilitation, 68, 4.
37.
PowersL. E.RenkerP.Robinson-WhelenS.OschwaldM.HughesR.SwankP.CurryM. A. (2009). Interpersonal violence and women with disabilities: Analysis of safety promoting behaviors. Violence Against Women, 15, 1040–1069.
38.
SaxtonM.CurryM. A.PowersL. E.MaleyS.EckelsK.GrossJ. (2001). “Bring my scooter so I can leave you”: A study of disabled women handling abuse by personal assistance providers. Violence Against Women, 7, 393–417.
39.
SmithD. L.StrauserD. R. (2008). Examining the impact of physical and sexual abuse on the employment of women with disabilities in the United States: An exploratory analysis. Disability & Rehabilitation, 30, 1039–1046.
40.
SobseyR. (1994). Violence in the lives of people with disabilities: The end of silent acceptance?Baltimore, MD: Brookes.
41.
Social Security Administration. (2011). Social Security online, from Retrieved March 27, 2011, fromhttp://www.ssa.gov/disability/
42.
SwedlundN. P.NosekM. A. (2000). An exploratory study on the work of independent living centers to address abuse of women with disabilities. Journal of Rehabilitation, 66, 57–64.
43.
ThomasK. A.JoshiM.WittenbergE.McCloskeyL. A. (2008). Intersections of harm and health: A qualitative study of intimate partner violence in women’s lives. Violence Against Women, 14, 1252–1273.
44.
ThompsonD. (1997). Profiling the sexually abusive behaviour of men with intellectual disabilities. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 10, 125–139.
45.
WighamS.HattonC.TaylorJ. L. (2011). The effects of traumatizing life events on people with intellectual disabilities: A systematic review. Journal of Mental Health Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 4, 19.
46.
World Health Organization. (2001). International classification of functioning, disability and health. Geneva, Switzerland: Author
47.
YoungM. E.NosekM. A.HowlandC.ChanpongG.RintalaD. H. (1997). Prevalence of abuse of women with physical disabilities. Archives of Physical Medical Rehabilitation, 78, 34–38.
