Abstract
Violence against youth with disabilities: Residual physical and mental health symptoms
Robbie Dembo, MA1, Monika Mitra, PhD2 and Ilhom Akobirshoev, PhD, MA, MSW2
(1)Brandeis Univertsity, Waltham, MA, (2)Brandeis University, Waltham, MA
APHA's 2018 Annual Meeting & Expo (Nov. 10 - Nov. 14)
Background:
Youth with disabilities are more likely to experience violence compared to their peers without disabilities. Little evidence exists about the health consequences of violence against youth and whether subsequent ailments differ by disability status.
We examined the differential health impacts of violence against youth with and without disabilities.
Methods:
We analyzed pooled waves of the 2008-2014 National Crime Victimization Survey. The sample consisted of respondents aged 12 to 19 who experienced sexual or non-sexual assault, robbery, or a threat of violence (n=728). Youth with disabilities were identified as having a vision, hearing, cognitive, physical, or self-care disability, and comprised 16% of the sample.
Logistic regressions were estimated to examine the adjusted odds of experiencing select physical and mental health symptoms following violence victimization.
Results:
Youth with disabilities had significantly higher odds of experiencing difficulty sleeping (aOR: 2.0, p<0.01), a change in eating/drinking (aOR: 2.5, p<0.001), fatigue (aOR: 2.6, p<0.001), high blood pressure (aOR: 4.0, p<0.01), muscle pain (aOR: 3.2, p<0.01), severe distress (aOR: 2.1, p<0.01), and, marginally, depression (aOR: 1.5, p=0.07) compared to youth without disabilities who experienced violence.
Conclusions:
Youth with disabilities, who face heightened exposure to physical maltreatment, also experience adverse physical and mental health symptoms following violent incidents. Individuals with greater medical vulnerability may be particularly susceptible to developing secondary ailments as a consequence of violence. Policymakers interested in closing adolescent health disparities should focus on the increased risk of violence against youth with disabilities, as well as the unequal health impacts of violent crime.
Chronic disease management and prevention Social and behavioral sciences