SOURCES
A Beckie Child et al., “Understanding the Experience of Crime Victims with
Disabilities and Deaf Victims,” J of Policy Practice vol. 10, 4(2011): 247-67,
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15588742.2011.605829
B Bureau of Justice Statistics, Crime Against Persons with Disabilities, 2009-
2015 Statistical Tables, (U.S. Department of Justice, 2017), https://www.bjs.
gov/content/pub/pdf/capd0913st.pdf
C Children’s Bureau, Child Maltreatment 2013, (U.S. Department of Health
& Human Services, 2015), https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/les/cb/
cm2013.pdf
NOTES
1 Violent victimization encompasses rape, sexual assault, robbery, aggra-
vated assault, and simple assault. Serious violent victimization excludes
simple assault.
2 The term “disability” encompasses a wide range of physical, mental, and
emotional limitations. To quantify victims’ experiences, researchers group
disabilities into various categories. Common terms include: physical,
ambulatory, vision, hearing; mental, cognitive, intellectual, memory, emo-
tional, behavioral; and autonomy, self-care, independent living.
Individuals with a disability who experience violent
victimization are more frequently victimized by relatives,
including parents and children, and acquaintances than
victims without a disability. Almost 95% of individuals with a
disability who were victims of violent crime could identify their
perpetrator; 40% were victimized by an acquaintance, 30%
were victimized by a stranger, and 15% were victimized by an
intimate partner. (An acquaintance is dened as someone who
was well or casually known to the victim, including caregivers.)
B
In 2013, nearly 13% of children who were abused or
neglected also had a disability. Of those, children with
behavioral problems (24%) and those with emotional
disturbance (19%) were most frequently victimized. One-
third of victimized children with a disability also had an
unlisted medical condition.
C
Between 2011 and 2015, nearly 60 of every 1,000 individuals
age 12 or older with a cognitive disability reported they
were victims of a violent victimization. Of individuals age 15
or older with an independent living, ambulatory, vision, or
self-care disability, about 30 of every 1,000 individuals were
victims of a violent victimization, as were nearly 16 of every
1,000 individuals with a hearing disability.
B2
Individuals with a disability were slightly more likely to
report receiving assistance from non-police victim service
agencies compared to individuals without a disability.
Overall, only a small percentage of violent crime victims
receive victim services.
B
Victim Relationship to Offender
B
Child Victims of Abuse and Neglect
C
by disability type
CURRENT DATA ON CRIMES AGAINST PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
Victims Who Receive Services
B
by disability status
Victims without
disabilities
8
12
Victims with
disabilities
15%
Other medical condition (33%)
Behavioral problem (24%)
Emotional disturbance (19%)
Learning disability (9%)
Visual or hearing impairment (6%)
Physical disability (5%)
Intellectual disability (4%)
Behavioral Problem
Emotional Disturbance
Learning Disability
Visually or Hearing Impaired
Physical Disability
Intellectual Disability
Other Medical Condition
Well Known/Casual Acquaintances
Strangers
Intimate Partner
Other Relatives
Unknown
Well Known/Casual Acquaintances
Strangers
Intimate Partner
Other Relatives
Unknown
Behavioral Problem
Emotional Disturbance
Learning Disability
Visually or Hearing Impaired
Physical Disability
Intellectual Disability
Other Medical Condition
Well Known/Casual Acquaintances
Strangers
Intimate Partner
Other Relatives
Unknown
Well Known/Casual Acquaintances
Strangers
Intimate Partner
Other Relatives
Unknown
Behavioral Problem
Emotional Disturbance
Learning Disability
Visually or Hearing Impaired
Physical Disability
Intellectual Disability
Other Medical Condition
Well Known/Casual Acquaintances
Strangers
Intimate Partner
Other Relatives
Unknown
Well Known/Casual Acquaintances
Strangers
Intimate Partner
Other Relatives
Unknown
Aquaintance (40%) Aquaintance (33%)
Stranger (30%) Stranger (39%)
Intimate partner (15%) Intimate partner (13%)
Other relative (10%) Other relative (6%)
Unknown (5%) Unknown (9%)
Cognitive Independent
living
57.9
30.8
22.3
12.1
60
Ambulatory Vision
18.8
29.4
16.3
13.1
Self-care Hearing
35.6
28.8
17.6
11.3
25.9
16
9.9
15.7
7.97.8
Total violent
victimization
Serious violent
victimization
Simple
assault
Victimization of People with Disabilities
by Type of Disability and Victimization
B1
rate per 1,000 people with disabilities age 12 or older
Victims with
disabilities
Victims without
disabilities