Mate crime victimization against individuals with intellectual disability
| Date | 06 December 2024 |
| Pages | 23-35 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/AMHID-06-2024-0019 |
| Published date | 06 December 2024 |
| Author | Tharshini N.K. |
Mate crime victimization against
individuals with intellectual disability
Tharshini N.K.
Abstract
Purpose –Mate crime is a recentlycoined term in which a perpetrator befriendsa vulnerable person to
exploit them. The present study aims to investigate this phenomenon by examining mate crime
victimizationagainst individuals with intellectualdisability in Sarawak, Malaysia.
Design/methodology/approach –Data was collectedquantitatively from 180 respondentsfrom various
governmentaland non-government organizationslocated in Kuching, Kota Samarahan, and Asajayathat
provide medical care, residentialcare, employment opportunities, basic education, rehabilitation, and
trainingfor individuals with intellectual disability.
Findings –The results showed that majority of the respondents werefemales (69.4%) between 18 and
28years old (52.8%). Additionally, most respondents were Malay (48.9%), single (94.4%), diagnosed
with mild level of intellectualdisability (91.67%), have been victimized by their friends(87.2%) and have
known the perpetrators for over five years (68.3%). The result also indicated that a majority of females
have experienced mate crime victimization, especially related to emotional abuse [(M ¼16.15, SD ¼
8.16);t(34) ¼3.09, p¼0.020] and sexual abuse [(M ¼14.01, SD ¼7.67); t(38)¼3.29, p¼0.040].
Research limitations/implications –While this study provides valuable insights for place-based
evidence on gender differences in the prevalence of self-reported mate crime victimization, it is
essential to acknowledge several limitations as well. Firstly, this study is geographically limited to
participants from Sarawak (a Malaysian state on the Borneo Island) combined with the use of
convenience sampling, which could restrict the generalizability of the findings. However, despite
these limitations, the study highlights an important finding –that the victimization of individuals with
intellectual disability is not unique to Western contexts or heavily researched regions alone. The
results demonstrate that similar vulnerabilities and patterns of abuse exist in underrepresented
cultural and societal settings, contributing to a growing recognition that intellectual disability, gender-
based vulnerability and the risk of victimization are issues that transcend geographic boundaries. This
underscores the need for more research focusing on mate crime victimization in non-Western
countries, where such studies are notably scarce. Secondly, the current research is a cross-sectional
study that focuses on the emotional and sexual abuse domains alone. Hence, to capture the variations
of mate crime experiences among individuals with intellectual disability other domains such as
financial abuse and physical abuse should be incorporated in future research. Another significant
limitation of this study is its focus on individuals who are already engaged with disability support
services. In reality, those who are not connected to such services may be at greater risk of mate crime
victimization but remain invisible in the data due to lack of connection/engagement with support
systems. This omission limits a comprehensive understanding of the full scope of mate crime
victimization against individuals with intellectual disability. It is likely that individuals without access to
services are more isolated, face heightened vulnerability and have reduced access to protection and
support. Thus, future research should therefore explore strategies to include these underserved
individuals, as they represent a crucial yet overlooked population in the study of mate crime
victimization.
Originality/value –To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first research study conducted in
Sarawak, Malaysia,that examined mate crime victimization againstindividuals with intellectual disability.
It contributes to the knowledge pool by providing place-based evidence that takes into account mate
crime victimization against individuals with intellectual disability in Sarawak, Malaysia, from an Asian
perspectiveto promote the attainment of SustainableDevelopment Goal 10 (reduced inequalities).
Keywords Mate crime, Intellectual disability, Victimization, Vulnerable, Inequality, Malaysia
Paper type Research paper
Tharshini N.K. is based at
the Faculty of Social
Sciences and Humanities,
Universiti Malaysia
Sarawak, Kota Samarahan,
Malaysia.
Received 16 June 2024
Revised 5 October 2024
Accepted 4 November 2024
The author wishes to
acknowledge all the
respondents and social service
agencies for their support in
conducting this study,
including the Sarawak Society
for the Deaf, the Sarawak
Cheshire Home, Community
Rehabilitation Centres (Sri
Satok, Petra Jaya, Bengkel Seri
Sarawak, Kem Penrissen, and
Harmoni Asajaya), the Mental
Health Association Sarawak,
the Kuching Autistic
Association, and the CBR
Centre, Kuching. The author
also extends gratitude to
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak
(UNIMAS) for funding this
research through the Small
Grant Scheme (F06/SGS/1952/
2020).
DOI 10.1108/AMHID-06-2024-0019 VOL. 19 NO. 12025, pp. 23-35, ©Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 2044-1282 jADVANCES IN MENTAL HEALTH AND INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES jPAGE 23
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