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The Prevalence of Child Sexual Abuse in Out‐of‐home Care: Increased Risk for Children with a Mild Intellectual Disability
Author(s) -
Euser Saskia,
Alink Lenneke R.A.,
Tharner Anne,
IJzendoorn Marinus H.,
BakermansKranenburg Marian J.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.056
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1468-3148
pISSN - 1360-2322
DOI - 10.1111/jar.12160
Subject(s) - intellectual disability , sexual abuse , medicine , population , residential care , psychiatry , family medicine , pediatrics , gerontology , poison control , injury prevention , environmental health
Background Children without disabilities in out‐of‐home care have a higher risk of child sexual abuse [CSA (Euser et al. 2013)]. In this study, we examined the year prevalence of CSA in out‐of‐home care for children with a mild intellectual disability, and compared it with the prevalence in out‐of‐home care for non‐disabled children and children in the general population. Materials and Methods Professionals ( N = 104) from out‐of‐home care facilities reported cases of CSA that occurred in 2010 for the children they worked with ( N = 1650). Results In out‐of‐home care for children with a mild intellectual disability, 9.8 per 1000 children were victims of CSA. This prevalence was significantly higher than in regular out‐of‐home care and in the general population. Conclusion Children with a mild intellectual disability in out‐of‐home care have an increased risk of CSA. Adequate education and support for both children and caregivers is necessary to recognize and prevent further sexual abuse.