Sexual crime against children with disabilities: a nationwide prospective birth cohort-study

Background
The rate of violent and sexual victimization against children
with disabilities is thought to be lower than the rate for children
without disabilities but several studies shows otherwise.
Aims
The study focuses on examining sexual crime against children
with disabilities and explaining differences in victimization in
order to elucidate to what extent types of disability, family
disadvantages, gender, high-risk behavior, location influences
adolescents’ risk of sexual victimization. Previous population
studies lack scientifically sound research methodology and results
are weak or inconclusive.
Method
Data is based on a national study of reported sexual crime
against children in Denmark aged between 7 and 18 years of
age using total birth cohorts (N=678,000). The statistical
analysis is a discrete time Cox-model. An extended list of potential
risk factors was included in the analysis in order to adjust
for confounding. The potentially confounding risk-factors
were collected independently from various population-based
registers, e.g. employment statistics, housing statistics, education
statistics, income compensation benefits, and population
statistics (e.g. gender, age, location). Hospital records with
information on types of disability based on the national inpatient
register and national psychiatric register were collected
independently of the collection of law enforcements records
about reported sexual offences under the Danish Central Crime
Register.
Results
Children with disabilities are more likely to be victimized of a
reported sexual crime than non-disabled children: ADHD odds
ratio: 3.7 (3.5-3.9), mental retardation: 3.8 (3.6-4.0), autism
3.8 (3.6-4.0).
Conclusion
The present study finds that family disadvantage e.g.parental
substance abuse, parental violence, family separation, the child
in care, and parental unemployment indicate an increased risk
of being a victim of a sexual crime.
Assessment of risk factors may permit professionals to facilitate
prevention and treatment interventions. The study
underreports the size of the problem because adolescents with
disabilities face barriers when reporting victimization.