Sexual Violence Against Children and Youth with Disabilities: A Systematic Review

Previous research has shown that children and youth with disabilities have a higher risk of being victims of sexual violence than their peers without disabilities. However, robust evidence on sexual victimization processes remains scarce and often plagued by inconsistent findings. This review aimed to synthesize research on sexual violence of children and youth with disabilities, namely the rates of sexual violence, risk factors, and characteristics of victims, environment, and perpetrators. A systematic search was conducted using the EBSCO, Web of Science, PubMed, PsycInfo, and Sage databases. Twelve studies were included for review using PRISMA guidelines. Findings from this systematic review clearly showed that sexual violence is a serious problem for children and youth with disabilities and a widespread public health concern, particularly young girls and those with intellectual disabilities. Social isolation, care needs, dependence on others, environments with restrictive routines, relational inequalities, and belonging to a family with adverse or dysfunctional characteristics were the main risk factors highlighted by the studies reviewed. This review suggested that perpetrators of sexual violence are mostly male, namely professional caregivers, teachers, peers, and family members, with a great heterogeneity regarding the types of abusive behaviors and settings where they occur. To improve prevention and intervention strategies in the field of sexual violence against children and youth with disabilities, more research is needed, particularly on risk and protective factors, as well as on predictors of potential victimization.