Barriers and facilitators in supporting people with intellectual disability to report sexual violence: perspectives of Australian disability and mainstream support providers
| Pages | 5-16 |
| Published date | 12 February 2018 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JAP-08-2017-0031 |
| Date | 12 February 2018 |
| Author | Ellen Frances Fraser-Barbour,Ruth Crocker,Ruth Walker |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Vulnerable groups,Adult protection,Safeguarding,Sociology,Sociology of the family,Abuse |
Barriers and facilitators in supporting
people with intellectual disability to report
sexual violence: perspectives of
Australian disability and mainstream
support providers
Ellen Frances Fraser-Barbour, Ruth Crocker and Ruth Walker
Abstract
Purpose –Evidencefrom Australia and worldwidehas highlighted the ongoingmarginalisation, discrimination,
abuse, violence and neglect of people with disability. One of the main areas of concern is that despite such
evidencethere remain fundamentalbarriers for people with disabilityto report violence and/oraccess supports.
Significantly few studies have canvased the perspectives of people with intellectual disability (ID), family
members or disabilityservice providers. Accordingly as a first step, the purpose of this paper is to explorethe
perceptionsof disability and violence-responseprofessionals’regardingthe barriers and facilitators of effective
support for people withID reporting sexual violence and accessingmainstream supports.
Design/methodology/approach –A qualitative research design informed the basis of this study.
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven participants who held roles within disability services
and mainstream violence response. Interviews were recorded and transcribed. These transcripts were then
analysed individually using a combination of thematic analysis and discourse analysis to bring to light the
social and material structures within service systems in terms of how they disempower or empowersupports
for people with ID.
Findings –Participants from both services reported that professionals (particularly those outside the
disability sector) lacked awareness of practical ways in which they could support people with ID to report and
access services outside of disability-specific services. Participants also felt the capacity for people with ID to
have a voice about what happens in the “aftermath”of reporting sexual violence was rarely acknowledged.
Participants called for education and development of resources which could guide professional practice
across disability and wider violence-response services. Participants saw investment in building interagency
relationships across sectors as key to supporting the citizenship of people with ID.
Originality/value –This study suggests that there is a strong need for better community engagement and
understanding of the multi-faceted issues surrounding responses to violence concerning people with ID.
The findings of this study also outline implications for practice and policy which may be of interest to
professionals both within disability and wider violence-response sectors in Australia and internationally.
Keywords Learning/Intellectual disabilities, Safeguarding, Abuse, Service providers, Reporting, Sexual violence
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
In recent years, the work of journalists, disability activists and researchers has evidenced an epidemic
of abuse, violence and neglect of people with disability both internationally (Beadle-Brown et al., 2010;
Breiding and Armour, 2015; Mikton and Shakespeare, 2014; Marsland et al., 2015) and in Australia
(Family and Community Development Committee, 2016; Deam and Mcarthy, 2015). Research
indicates higher rates of violenc e among the disability community c ompared to the
Received 25 August 2017
Revised 26 October 2017
4 November 2017
Accepted 13 November 2017
Ellen Frances Fraser-Barbour,
Ruth Crocker and Ruth Walker
are all based at the Flinders
University, Adelaide, Australia.
DOI 10.1108/JAP-08-2017-0031 VOL. 20 NO. 1 2018, pp. 5-16, © Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 1466-8203
j
THE JOURNAL OF ADULT PROTECTION
j
PAG E 5
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