Stopping and Addressing Sexual Violence Towards Individuals with I/DD

To shut Sexual Assault Consciousness Month (SAAM), we’re sharing this letter from Alison Barkoff, who leads ACL, Jeff Hild, who leads the Administration for Kids and Households, and Admiral Rachel Levine, the HHS Assistant Secretary for Well being, which was written to enhance help for individuals with mental and/or developmental disabilities who expertise sexual violence – and to stop it from occurring.

The letter and the record of suggestions it references had been despatched to HHS-funded packages, together with rape disaster facilities, behavioral well being packages, violence towards ladies well being program initiatives, and those who serve individuals with I/DD and are actually posted on ACL’s web site (as a mixed PDF).

Pricey Colleague,

April is Sexual Assault Consciousness Month (SAAM) and a time to resume our dedication to stopping sexual assault and supporting those that have been victimized.

This April, the Administration for Neighborhood Residing, the Workplace of the Assistant Secretary for Well being, and the Administration for Kids and Households are issuing this informational memo about sexual violence towards individuals with mental and developmental disabilities (I/DD). This letter goals to lift consciousness of the disparities individuals with I/DD expertise that may put them at larger threat for sexual assault and offers steerage and sources that assist advocates and different care suppliers acknowledge sexual violence and enhance companies for survivors.

Based on the CDC’s Nationwide Intimate Associate and Sexual Violence Survey, over half of ladies and nearly a 3rd of males have or will expertise a type of undesirable sexual contact of their lifetimes. Whereas statistics fluctuate, a better prevalence of sexual violence towards individuals with disabilities is well-documented, and an estimated 2 in 5 feminine victims of rape are reported to have a incapacity on the time of assault. A current examine from the American Journal of Preventive Drugs discovered that girls with I/DD expertise roughly double the proportion of sexual violence skilled by nondisabled ladies, and that the prevalence of bodily violence is roughly thrice greater for girls with cognitive disabilities and 4 occasions greater for girls with a number of disabilities when in comparison with nondisabled ladies. Equally, males with disabilities are extra seemingly than males with out disabilities to expertise sexual violence of their lifetime, together with tried or accomplished nonconsensual intercourse.

The influence of sexual violence is distressing for anybody. Nonetheless, as a result of individuals with I/DD expertise a variety of further disparities (e.g., well being, financial, academic, social) and face boundaries in accessing companies and helps, together with these for survivors of sexual violence, the expertise could also be that rather more traumatic.

Individuals with I/DD could also be scared to return ahead about sexual violence, particularly if perpetrated by a caretaker or authority determine, as a result of it may result in detrimental penalties associated to accessing the care that helps their impartial dwelling. People with I/DD might not be believed once they make a report or disclose sexual assault due to incorrect assumptions others made about their capabilities. People with I/DD and people with communication disabilities might have hassle understanding or conveying what is going on to them and could also be unable to obviously talk non-consent. Individuals with I/DD additionally usually don’t obtain any intercourse training and, in the event that they do, it may be insufficient. In consequence, individuals with I/DD might have difficulties recognizing that they’re being abused, and due to this fact might not report it when it occurs.

Survivors with I/DD might face further challenges receiving disaster help companies as a result of many service suppliers lack satisfactory coaching on supporting victims with I/DD, together with coaching on survivor-informed care. In consequence, they don’t have the knowledge and information wanted to plan for serving a various inhabitants with accessibility wants. For instance, rape disaster facilities might not have accessible buildings or companies, reminiscent of having sufferer advocates who can successfully help individuals with I/DD with totally different communication wants. With out correct planning and protocols in place, they could not know tips on how to help victims with I/DD reporting abuse.

Sexual Assault Consciousness Month challenges public well being and human companies professionals to each mirror on these boundaries to care and recommits us to our obligation to ship a lifeline to all who want it, together with individuals with I/DD. HHS packages and the Division’s grant recipients are sometimes the primary stops for people in want of help. HHS funded organizations embody rape disaster facilities, home violence organizations, Facilities for Impartial Residing, Safety and Advocacy Methods, College Facilities for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, State Councils on Developmental Disabilities, and Neighborhood Therapy and Service Facilities, all of which offer essential sources that assist victims with I/DD to steer their healthiest and fullest lives.

Constructing and sustaining collaborations between the federal authorities and nationwide and state networks that work on these points is essential to enhancing particular person and population-level outcomes. We advocate that well being and human companies professionals enhance their capability to serve survivors with I/DD by:

• Constructing relationships between home violence packages, sexual assault packages, tribes, culturally particular organizations and incapacity organizations to facilitate collaboration and coaching;
• Studying what works for prevention of sexual assault and home violence;
• Offering technical help to make sure packages are compliant with related incapacity legal guidelines and greatest practices in sexual violence response companies;
• Growing advocacy and case administration protocols that guarantee designated workers can be found to help survivors with I/DD at any time when attainable;
• Growing trauma-informed services and companies for individuals with disabilities; and
• Involving survivors with lived expertise in designing companies to fulfill their wants.

We’re happy to share a listing of sexual violence prevention and response sources, a few of that are particular to people with disabilities, to assist your organizations construct these essential collaborations and study extra about this subject. We have now organized these sources by advice.

We encourage you to make the most of these sources and proposals to start out conversations inside your organizations about this essential subject.

Thanks for all that you simply do to help victims of sexual violence and individuals with I/DD not simply this month, however all year long.

Sincerely,

Alison Barkoff
Administration for Neighborhood Residing

Jeff Hild
Administration for Kids and Households

Admiral Rachel Levine 
Assistant Secretary for Well being