Prevalence and Prevention of Sexual Violence, Dating Violence, and Sex Trafficking Among Youth with IDD

• In Event: Psychosocial and Sexual Wellbeing among Youth with Developmental Disabilities

Abstract

Background: Youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are at risk of experiencing various forms of victimization, including dating violence (DV) and sexual violence (SV). Another type of violence that continues to receive considerable attention is sex trafficking (ST). Learning, behavioral, and social challenges associated with having an IDD have been theorized as risk factors for experiencing ST. Although establishing prevalence is important for determining the scope of a social problem, there are several methodological challenges to determining the prevalence of ST. Notably, there is a lack of a centralized system for tracking and analyzing trafficking data, and counts of suspected cases of ST involving minors (based on arrest records or hotline reports) are often presented as accurate estimates without substantiation. Due to the scarcity of research pertaining to ST occurrence among youth with IDD, it is helpful to review sexual violence and dating violence more generally. This study aims to determine what is currently known about prevalence and prevention of DV, SV, and ST among youth with IDD.

Methods: A comprehensive search string and controlled vocabulary was developed in consultation with a reference librarian to identify all relevant papers published between January 2000 and January 2022 in 12 computerized bibliographic databases. Reference harvesting methods, such as using a university library search engine to find studies not indexed in the selected databases, were also used to identify articles. A study protocol was registered with PROSPERO that specified inclusion/exclusion criteria. The presenting author and two coders screened 3,597 titles and abstracts with 516 full-text studies assessed for eligibility. After double-screening, 46 studies were included. All study decisions and discrepancies were resolved through consensus.

Results: The most common IDD diagnoses were ADHD (n = 18), autism (n =13), and intellectual or cognitive disability (n = 11). Interestingly, some studies included samples of individuals with IDD who were dual victims/perpetrators. Very few (n = 5) studies provided estimates for ST, with an average of 25% of ST victims having an IDD. In all but two studies with comparison data, youth with IDD were more likely to experience SV than their peers without disabilities. Five studies focused on SV, DV, ST, or sexual/relationship education. Prevention and education settings were primarily generalized except for one program focused on sexual harassment prevention in the workplace.

Discussion: Given the heterogeneity of methodologies used, this review was conducted to present a quantitative overview of the victimization and IDD literatures. How disability is measured and victimization reported varied greatly; for young children, sexual victimization is usually measured via agency or medical records or parent-reported. One study compared parents and young adults with autism report of SV, finding that parents underestimated their children’s experiences. Comorbidity of mood disorders is common with this population, implying the need for comprehensive treatment. Future research should consider how components of DV and SV prevention for youth with IDD can be adapted to ST prevention.

Authors

• Melissa Jenkins, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  Presenting Author

• Stefani N. Baca-Atlas, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

• Cynthia Fraga Rizo