1 / 22

Let’s Be… Abuse Free!

This work-in-progress addresses the problem of abuse, particularly among individuals with developmental disabilities. It emphasizes the need for education, boundaries, recognizing and reporting crimes, and providing personal safety training. The policy standards cover topics such as education, boundaries and privacy, relationships, sexuality and reproduction, and abuse and sexual misconduct.

mangelo
Download Presentation

Let’s Be… Abuse Free!

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Let’s Be… Abuse Free! “Healthy Relationships, Sexuality and the Prevention of Abuse” A Work in Progress….

  2. The Problem... • Is BIG • People are getting hurt • People NOT protected by “isolation” or ignoring “facts of life”

  3. Crimes against People with Developmental Disabilities 5 Millioneach year in the U.S. compares with • 8,000 hate crimes • 1 million Elder abuse • 1 million Spousal Abuse • 1.4 million Child abuse • Petersilia 1998

  4. Sexual Abuse Statistics • Children with DD … • girls...39% - 68% • boys...16% - 30% • The Roeher Institute, Canada • Adults with DD. . . • 80% of women • 54% of men • Stromness (1993)

  5. Multiple Sexual Assaults... Of those sexually assaulted: • 80% assaulted more than once • 50% 10 or MORE times • Sobsey & Doe, 1991

  6. Reporting… • only 3% sexual assaults on people with DD are reported James, 1988 • 71% crimes against people with severe MR went unreported Wilson/Brewer 1992 • 85% of criminal abuse in institutions never reaches authoritiesPowers, Mooney & Nunno, 1990

  7. Who Are The Offenders? 99% known & trusted by victim & their caregivers Baladerian, 1991 • 27.7% disability service providers • 6.5% other disabled individuals (often also in specialized program) • 5.4% specialized transportation • 4.3% specialized foster parents Sullivan & Knutson, 2000

  8. There is Hope • National…Crime Victims with Disabilities Awareness Act • California…Crime Victims with Disabilities Initiative (CVDI) Office of Criminal Justice Planning Police Officer training (POST) CA Department of Justice GATHERING STATISTICS on People with DD TRAINING and GRANTS INTER-AGENCY COORDINATION

  9. What can be done? • CA CVDI...Recommends: • Develop Interpersonal / Social Skills • Reduce Isolation • Recognize / Report Crime • Provide “Personal Safety” Training • Educate Communities

  10. Policy Standards for…. “Healthy Relationships, Sexuality and the Prevention of Abuse”

  11. Policy Standards Topics... • Education • Boundaries - Privacy • Relationships • Sexuality - Reproduction • Abuse • Sexual Misconduct

  12. Guiding Principles... • People with Developmental Disabilities have a right to: • … grow into adulthood and grow into adult relationships • … have a safe place to live • … have information in order to be able to form healthy relationships

  13. Policy Introduction... • response to concerns • developed by Advisory Committee • adopted by FNRC and AB2 • vendors develop own Policy • individualized implementation • staff training & competency evaluation

  14. Education Policies... • People with DD • need the most education • get the least • are punished for what they don’t know • Staff are always teaching clients… • with or without any formal training • All people can learn • Parents teach their children

  15. Policies on... Boundaries & Privacy • Boundaries - key to abuse prevention • Privacy - Socio/Sexual Information • Privacy - Space • key to dignity/adult relationships • If NO private space…no appropriate behavior • Personal Care must be done “right”

  16. Relationships Policies... • Relationships • To have friends and be loved… ….is to be human • Staff are not the same as friends • Marriage • People with healthy adult relationships... … are less likely to be victimized • Marriage can be beautiful!

  17. Policies on... Sexuality & Reproduction • 6 Policies - Big Issue… • Education…not about sex • Education…helps STOP abuse, unwanted births, inappropriate public behavior • Values are learned … and respected • Foundation for healthy adult relationships begins...very young

  18. Policies on... Abuse, Reporting & Misconduct • Abuse affects everything…lasts a lifetime • Trained staff < abusers • Trained staff > successful prosecution • People CAN learn • Ignoring sexual misconduct …HIGH COST for the person with DD and the victim

  19. Call To Action…Join Us! Is there really anything more important?

  20. Your First Steps… • Commit to our “Abuse Free” campaign • Review “Policy Standards” • Adopt or revise...for YOUR agency • Develop /Implement ... Plan /Protocols

  21. There’s Help… • FNRC website: • “Policy Considerations” Book • Resources..books, curriculum, videos AB2+ • Self Advocate Projects • Training Conferences… • Privacy & Personal Care Protocols • PR - Poster contest…buttons…bookmarks

More Related