Abuse of the disabled child: a systematic review of population‐based studies
- 19 October 2006
- journal article
- review article
- Published by Wiley in Child: Care, Health and Development
- Vol. 33 (5), 552-558
- https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2214.2006.00693.x
Abstract
Objective To ascertain the strength of the association between childhood disability and abuse and neglect. Methods Systematic review of population‐based studies published between 1966 and January 2006. Medline, Embase, Cinahl, Cochrane library, National Research Register, Social Sciences database and PsychInfo databases were searched for potentially relevant studies. Inclusion criteria: population‐based cohort, case–control or cross‐sectional studies of children <18 years of age that reported empirical data on the association of abuse with disability. Risk estimates were expressed as odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals (CI) where possible. Meta‐analysis was not undertaken because of heterogeneity of studies. Results Four studies met the inclusion criteria. Two were longitudinal studies, one was a retrospective birth cohort and the remaining study was a cross‐sectional survey. Types of disability studied varied widely as did methods used to ascertain abuse and neglect. Two studies accounted for potential confounding. Three studies reported an association between psychological and emotional disabilities and abuse. Two studies reported an association of learning disability with abuse. Only one study examined the association of physical disability (cerebral palsy) with abuse reporting an adjusted odds ratio for all forms of abuse of 1.79 (95% CI 0.96, 3.36) and for physical abuse of 3.00 (95% CI 1.29, 6.78). Conclusions The evidence base for an association of disability with abuse and neglect is weak. Psychological and emotional problems, and learning difficulties appear to be associated with abuse but this association might arise because these conditions share a common aetiological pathway with abuse. There is limited evidence that physical disability predisposes to abuse.Keywords
This publication has 8 references indexed in Scilit:
- Disabling Conditions and Registration for Child Abuse and Neglect: A Population-Based StudyPublished by American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) ,2005
- Risk of mother-reported child abuse in the first 3 years of lifeChild Abuse & Neglect, 2004
- Injuries to Children Who Had Preinjury Cognitive ImpairmentArchives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 2003
- Child maltreatment in the “children of the nineties:” the role of the childChild Abuse & Neglect, 2003
- A longitudinal analysis of risk factors for child maltreatment: findings of a 17-year prospective study of officially recorded and self-reported child abuse and neglectChild Abuse & Neglect, 1998
- Risk of child abuse or neglect in a cohort of low-income childrenChild Abuse & Neglect, 1995
- The connections between disability and child abuse: A review of the research evidenceChild Abuse Review, 1992
- The abuse of disabled children: a review of the literatureChild: Care, Health and Development, 1991