Sanctuary for the Abused

Wednesday, July 11, 2018

Disabled Women & Abuse

Domestic violence & women with disabilities
Domestic violence means violence that occurs in your home. Around one quarter of married women and women in de facto relationships in Australia experience domestic violence at some stage. Compared to women without disabilities, women with disabilities are more likely to experience violence and for more extended periods of time.

Types of violence
The different types of domestic violence experienced by women with disabilities can include:

Hitting, punching, choking, kicking, pushing, burning with lit cigarettes.
Threats, such as threatening physical harm or threatening to have the woman institutionalised.
Threats against the woman's children, pets or guide dog.
Verbal abuse such as criticisms, putdowns and insults.
Taking control of the woman's disability aids against her wishes, such as moving her wheelchair around.
Damaging or threatening to damage belongings, including disability aids.
Neglect, such as refusing to wash or feed the woman or to hand over medications.
Performing care in cruel ways, such as washing her in cold water.
Refusing to offer help until the woman consents to sex.
Unwanted sexual advances, ranging from unwanted touching to rape.
Withholding information.
Making decisions on the woman's behalf without her consent.
Taking control of the woman's finances without her consent, including withholding money or not allowing her to shop for herself.
Isolating the woman from family, friends and services.

The abusers
According to Western Australian research, the abusers are:
Male spouse or partner - 43 per cent
Parent - 15 per cent
Female spouse or partner - 11 per cent
Other relative - 8 per cent
Child - 7 per cent
Another person such as a neighbour - 6 per cent
Carer - 4 per cent
Work colleague - 2 per cent
Healthcare professional - 2 per cent
House or flat mate - 1 per cent
Clergy - 1 per cent.

Women with disabilities are more likely to experience violence

Compared to women without disabilities, women with disabilities are more likely to experience violence and for more extended periods of time. Some of the many reasons for this include:

Social myths - people with disabilities are often dismissed as passive, helpless, child-like, non-sexual and burdensome. These prejudices tend to make people with disabilities less visible to society, and suggest that abuse, especially sexual abuse, is unlikely.

Learned helplessness - people with disabilities, particularly people with cognitive disabilities or those who have been living in institutions for a long time, are encouraged to be compliant and cooperative. This life history can make it harder for a woman to defend herself against abuse.

Lack of sex education - there is a tendency to deny sex education to people with intellectual disabilities. If a woman with no knowledge of sex is sexually abused, it is harder for her to seek help because she may not understand exactly what is happening to her.

Dependence - the woman may be dependent on her abuser for care because her disability limits her economic and environmental independence.

Misdiagnosis - authorities may misinterpret a cry for help; for example, a woman's behaviour might be diagnosed as 'anxiety' rather than signs of abuse. In other situations, workers may not be aware that domestic violence also includes financial or emotional abuse, or may not be sensitive to the signs.

The abuser takes control - if the woman seeks help, follow-up may be difficult because the abuser isolates her and prevents her from using the phone or leaving the house.

Reasons for not seeking help from authorities
One US study found that women with disabilities tend not to report the abuse themselves. Some of the many reasons why women with disabilities may not seek help from authorities and support agencies include:

Shame.
Belief that she somehow deserves to be abused.
Belief that she is being abused because she is disabled.
Not knowing that she has any rights or that there are laws to protect her.
Not realising that the treatment she receives is abusive, because she has been treated this way her whole life.
Staying where she is and enduring the abuse may seem like a slightly better option than poverty, homelessness or institutionalisation.
Belief that the police and the courts don't take domestic violence as seriously as other kinds of violence.
Prior bad experiences with authorities - for example, a woman with a psychiatric illness may have had an upsetting experience with police in the past, which is why she won't consider contacting them for help.
Isolation - for example, the abuser may not allow her to use the phone or leave the house.
Lack of access to information, because the abuser chooses to withhold information from her.
Fear of negative outcomes.

Fear can stop women from seeking help
Common fears include:

Fear that no one will believe her.
Fear that no one will be able to help her.
Fear of being punished by the abuser for reporting the violence.
Fear of being shamed, punished or shunned by her family, friends and community.
Fear of loss - for example, she may be afraid of losing her home or having her children taken away from her.
Fear of being institutionalised.
Fear of having no one to help her if she leaves the relationship.
Barriers to women with disabilities getting help

Some of the reasons why women with disabilities may not get help include:

Disability policies tend to rely on family members taking care of the person, which is disastrous if the carer is also the abuser.
Since the abuser is often the caregiver, the woman is denied information and access to help services.
The wide range of disabilities means there is no distinct 'group', so there is no 'one size fits all' policy to adopt nor any easy way to access all of the women who need help.
Domestic violence workers may not be educated about the issues facing women with disabilities, and disability workers may not be educated about domestic violence.
The various agencies that help people with disabilities aren't cross-referenced as thoroughly as they could be, which creates service gaps. For example, a woman might be referred back and forth between two agencies, such as sexual assault services and disability services, without receiving help from either because she falls outside the guidelines of both agencies.
Studies and statistics on women with disabilities and domestic violence are few and far between, so agencies may not be aware of service gaps.

Where to get help
Your doctor
Police
Ambulance
Domestic Violence Outreach Workers

Compared to women without disabilities, women with disabilities are more likely to experience violence and for more extended periods of time.

The male spouse or partner is the abuser in 53 per cent of cases according to one Western Australian study. Your abuser may well be female

There are many barriers that prevent women with disabilities from seeking help, including reliance on the abuser, fear and service gaps in disability and women's agencies.

Labels: abuse, disabilities, reporting, resources, support, women

shared by Barbara at 12:25 AM 0 comments

Getting Law Enforcement Authorities & the Police Involved

If you want the nightmare to end, there is a rule of thumb which requires courage and determination to implement:

Involve the police whenever possible.

Report his crimes as soon as you can and make sure you retain a copy of your complaint. Your abuser counts on your fear of him and on your natural propensity to keep domestic problems a secret. Expose him to scrutiny and penalties. This will make him re-consider his actions next time around.

Physical assault is a criminal offence as are rape and, in some countries, stalking and marital rape. If you have been physically or sexually assaulted, go to the nearest hospital and document your injuries. Be sure to obtain copies of the admission form, the medical evaluation report, and of any photographs and exam results (X-rays, computerized tomography-CT, biopsies, and so on).

If your abusive intimate partner verbally threatens you, your nearest and dearest, or your property or pets - this is also criminal conduct. To the best of your ability, get him on tape or make him repeat his threats in the presence of witnesses. Then promptly file a complaint with the police.

If your abuser forces you to remain indoors, in isolation, he is committing an offence. Forced confinement or imprisonment is illegal. While so incarcerated, failing to provide you with vital necessities - such as air, water, medical aid, and food - is yet another criminal act.

Damage to property rendering it inoperative or useless - is mischief. It is punishable by law. Same goes for cruelty to animals (let alone children).

If your partner swindled you out of funds or committed fraud, theft, or perjury (by falsifying your signature on a checking or credit card account, for instance) - report him to the police. Financial abuse is as pernicious as the physical variety.

In most countries, the police must respond to your complaint. They cannot just file it away or suppress it. They must talk to you and to your partner separately and obtain written and signed statements from both parties. The police officer on the scene must inform you of your legal options. The officer in charge must also furnish you with a list of domestic violence shelters and other forms of help available in your community.

If you suspect that a member of your family is being abused, the police, in most countries, can obtain a warrant permitting entry into the premises to inspect the situation. They are also authorized to help the victim relocate (leave) and to assist her in any way, including by applying on her behalf and with her consent to the courts to obtain restraining and emergency protection orders. A breach of either of these orders may be an indictable criminal offence as well as a civil offence.

If you decide to pursue the matter and if there are reasonable grounds to do so, the police will likely lay charges against the offender and accuse your partner of assault. Actually, your consent is only a matter of formality and is not strictly required. The police can charge an offender on the basis of evidence only.

If the team on the scene refuses to lay charges, you have the right to talk to a senior police officer. If you cannot sway them to act, you can lay charges yourself by going to the court house and filing with a Justice of the Peace (JP). The JP must let you lay charges. It is your inalienable right.

You cannot withdraw charges laid by the police and you most probably will be subpoenaed to testify against the abuser.

Labels: abuse, assaulted, domestic violence, law enforcement, police, reporting, stalking

shared by Barbara at 12:52 AM 2 comments