User:Gerachino/sandbox

PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL ABUSE EXPERIENCED BY CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIESChildren with disabilities include the full spectrum of children and adolescents who have deviated from the societal norms physically, psychologically, socially, cognitively, or emotionallyas a result of impairment or damage to any part of the body resulting from accident or diseases, which limits their functions or performance of tasks considered normal for children of their age and sex (Legono et al., 2021). These are children with hearing impairment, visual impairment, physical impairment, celebral palsy, intellectual impairment, psychological and emotionally disturbances, mental retardation, learning disability, speech impairment, developmental disability. This set of children are very vulnerable and are often denied access to educational, medical, legal services, psychosocial care and other services due to societal barriers, negative attitude and discrimination (Okposio, 2020). Children with disabilities face particular challenges in reporting abuse against them especially in the case of speech and language disorders, mental problems or degree and type of disability, which make them vulnerable and expose to risk, maltreatment and abuse. Child maltreatment and abuse includes all forms of physical and psychological/emotional ill-treatment, sexual assault, neglect, and exploitation that results in actual or potential injury, pains or harm to the child’s health, development or dignity (Winters et al., 2017). Risk of abuse and neglect on children with disabilities varies by type of disability. A study by Legano et al., (2021) conducted in Western Australia between 1990-2010, Children with disabilities make up 10.4% of the population, and they represent 25.9% of children with a maltreatment allegation and 29.0% of those with a substantiated allegation. This study suggests that there is need for sensitization and awareness programs on challenges faced by these children and the need for interagency collaboration to ensure their needs are met. Families of children with disabilities need support to enable them cater for their children’s health and developmental needs.Physical abuse is any act or treatment that causes injury, pain or discomfort, such as slapping, pushing, kicking, battery, hitting among others. While psychological/emotional abuse is any act which lowers a person’s dignity and self-worth. This may include yelling at, criticizing, and threatening, humiliating, isolating or molesting children with special needs. Abuse can come from both institutionalized care settingsand family care settings.Winters et al. (2017), systematically carried out a research that studied the Physical, psychological, sexual, and systemic abuse of children with disabilities in East Africa, and base on their findings, abuse of children with disabilities is more prevalence in low- and middle-income countries than the developed nations. Children with disabilities are at a higher risk of being abused than their counterparts. This work developed a systematic evidence map of the available evidence base that explicitly shows the areas and relationships that have either received attention or not. It contributes to the field primarily by identifying an evidence gap and presenting the need for it to be taken forward to support the prioritization of new research in this neglected area. This study shows the detailed breakdown of the types of abuse and maltreatment for each disability condition Study was carried out on stigma and negative attitudes, social isolation and loneliness, and mistreatment by peers and significant others. Okposi (2020), carried out a study on different disability types prevalent in children, various abuse and indicators for measuring violence and causes of violence against children with disabilities and the effects of abuse on the health and development of children with special needs, as well as the preventive measures that address different barriers that prevent children with disabilities from accessing services, care and supportAlso Thornbrry & Olson (2005), in their  Developmental Disability Bulletin, discussed the  vulnerability of children with developmental disability towards abuse, various forms of abuse experienced by children with disabilities as physical, emotional/psychologicaland sexual abuse,also including neglect, exploitation and deliberate abuse of drugs or medications.According to them, factors that contribute to abuse against children with disabilitiesare social and physical environment, negative societal attitude, family type(lower income families, polygamy, single parent house hold), parental child rearing pattern,personality traits and attitudes of care givers towards those under their care,high level of dependency on others, gender factor, the nature and degree of disability andtheproblematic behavior of the child withdisability.They further emphasized on the intervention measures toeliminateabuse and violence against children and adults with disabilitiesLegano et al (2021) recognized children with disabilities as a population at increased risk for maltreatment, provided information about the factors that increase the risk of abuse and neglect. This report includes research conducted, surveillance systems and data collection, violence prevention, recommendations on policy, intervention, community resources and preventive strategies that may reduce the risk of abuse and neglect. It also reveals the type, degree, age bracket and category of children with disabilities that are at greatest risk for abuse because certain types of disabilities are associated with different forms of abuse.

Reference Legano, L.A., Desch, L.W., Messner, S.A., Idzerda, S.,& Flaherty, E.G.(2021).Maltreatment of children with disabilities.Pedriatrics volume 147(5).

Maclean, M., Leonard, H.M., Sims, S.A., & Bourke, J.(2017). Abuse and neglect in children with disabilities:risks varies by type of disability. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/316329678

Okposio, O.C.(2020).Violence against Children with Special Needs: Types, Causes and Health Consequences, (2020), International Journal of health and Pharmaceutical research, 5(3)

Winters, N., Langer, L., & Geniets, A. (2017).International Journal of Population Data Science.Physical, psychological, sexual, and systemic abuse of children with disabilities in East Africa: Mapping the evidence.PLoS ONE 12(9) https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0184541

Thornbrry, C. & Olson, K. (2005).The abuse of individuals with developmental disabilities.Developmental Disabilities Bulletin, 33(1&2), 1-19