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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Monika Mitra, PhD, Office on Health and Disability, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, 250 Washington St., 5th Floor, Boston, MA 02108, 617-624-5592, monika.mitra@state.ma.us and Nancy Wilber, EdD, Statistics & Evaluation, Massachusetts Dept. of Public Health, 250 Washington Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02108.

Data from the 2004 Massachusetts Youth Health Survey (MYHS), a representative survey of high school youth, suggests that students with disabilities were more likely to be exposed to violence than those without disabilities and that violence is associated with other health concerns. Among MA youth with disabilities (N=461), almost 13% (95%CI 9.1–17.8) were bullied, pushed around or beaten in school, 5.5% (95%CI 3.7–8.2) were threatened with a weapon in school, 14.9% (95%CI 11.7–18.9) were physically hurt by a date, 17% (95%CI 13.3–21.1) were hurt by a family member, and 40% (95% CI 34.5–45.0) were verbally abused by someone in the family compared with 4.4% (95% CI 3.5–5.6), 3.2% (95%CI 2.3–4.4), 5.5% (95%CI 4.4–6.9), 6.8% (95%CI 5.6–8.2), and 20.4% (95%CI 18.2–22.8) of youth without disabilities. Approximately 36% (95%CI 30.3–40.8) of high school youth with disabilities in Massachusetts' report experiencing some type of violence compared to 17% (95%CI 14.4–19.1) of youth without disabilities. In addition, compared to youth with disabilities who did not experience violence, and youth without disabilities regardless of whether they experienced violence, youth with disabilities who experienced violence were more likely to report tobacco and drug use. Controlling for age, race/ethnicity, and the above risk behaviors, youth with disabilities experiencing violence were more likely to report feeling sad or hopeless, suicide ideation and attempting suicide compared to their non-disabled counterparts. These analyses support the importance of increased assessment and interventions for violence against youth with disabilities.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will be informed about the prevalence of among high school youth with disabilities. They will also develop an understanding of the connection between risky behaviors and health indicators associated with violence among youth with and without disabilities. Finally, participants will recognize the importance of increased assessment and interventions for sexual assault among youth with disabilities.

Keywords: Disability, Violence

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation