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Cited by 38Child Abuse and TraumaSexual Assault and Victimization StudiesDisability Rights and Representation

Sexual Abuse of Children With Disabilities: Key Lessons and Future Directions Based on a Scoping Review

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Klebanov, Bella, Friedman-Hauser, Gal, Lusky-Weisrose, Efrat, Katz, Carmit·2024·Trauma, Violence, & Abuse
DOI 10.1177/15248380231179122
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Abstract

In recent years there has been a growing public and professional interest in situations of risk, abuse, and exploitation of children with disabilities (CWDs). Despite the increasing awareness of CWDs experiencing child sexual abuse (CSA) at high rates, research in this area is still in its infancy. The current study seeks to identify, map, and thoroughly analyze the existing knowledge to better inform future research, policy, and practice. A scoping review was conducted using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, identifying 35 articles addressing CSA among CWDs based on self-report surveys, official report data, and qualitative interviews. The findings addressed the phenomenon’s epidemiology, disclosure, identification patterns, and consequences. Studies showed that CWDs experience CSA two to four times more often than children without disabilities and that they suffer longer and harsher abuse due to factors that complicate the identification of CSA of CWDs. This review highlights the diverse methodologies, producing a high variance in phenomenon rates, as well as unique methodological strategies for addressing challenges in CSA and disability research. Future research should focus on qualitative-retrospective studies of the perceptions of survivors and significant others in their lives (e.g., parents). Moreover, an intersectionality paradigm must be adopted in future studies to address the diverse contexts that construct the phenomenon (including sociocultural contexts). There is also a need to develop integrative interventions to allow higher accessibility of services, adaptive identification mechanisms, and more effective collaboration between professionals and CWDs.

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Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Klebanov, B., Friedman-Hauser, G., Lusky-Weisrose, E., & Katz, C.
Affiliations
  • Tel Aviv University (IL)
  • Tel Aviv University, Israel
Corresponding author
Katz, Carmit
ORCID
Venue
Trauma, Violence, & Abuse
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Published
2023-06-12
Volume
25
Issue
2
Pages
1296-1314
ISSN
  • 1524-8380 (ISSN-L)
  • 1552-8324
DOI
10.1177/15248380231179122
OpenAlex
W4380290524
Cited by
38
References
1
Citations by year
2026: 11 · 2025: 17 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 1
FWCI
1.93
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
journals.sagepub.com/page/policies/text-and-data-mining-license (tdm)
Locations
  • Trauma Violence & Abuse (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child Abuse and Trauma
  • Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Sexual Assault and Victimization Studies
  • Social Sciences › Safety Research › Disability Rights and Representation
Keywords
child sexual abuse, children with disabilities, disclosure of abuse, abuse detection, intersectionality, parental attitudes, professional collaboration, abuse intervention, accessibility of services
MeSH terms
Child, Child Abuse, Child Abuse, Sexual, Humans, Retrospective Studies, Disabled Children, Children with Disabilities, Disclosure

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