Health and Socioeconomic Determinants of Abuse among Women with Disabilities

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 Jun 20;20(12):6191. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20126191.

Abstract

The double vulnerability of women with disabilities places them at the center of this research paper. Intersectionality is key in research on gender-based violence. This study analyzes the perspective of the victims and non-victims themselves on this issue, through a comparative analysis between women with and without disabilities, at two levels of analysis: quantitative, through the adaptation of various scales (Assessment Screen-Disability/AAS-D, and the Woman Abuse Screening Tool/WAST), and qualitative, with semi-structured interviews (open scripts and different themes), and focus groups with experts from the associative network. The results obtained indicate that the most frequent type of violence is physical, followed by psychological and sexual, mainly perpetrated by partners. The higher their level of education, the more they defend themselves; receiving public aid can be a risk factor for domestic and sexual violence, and belonging to the associative movement and having paid work outside the home act as preventive measures. In conclusion, it is necessary to establish strategic protection measures and effective detection and intervention systems to make victims visible and care for them.

Keywords: disability; gender; social risk; violence; vulnerability; women.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Disabled Persons*
  • Domestic Violence*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Sex Offenses*
  • Socioeconomic Factors
  • Spouse Abuse*
  • Violence / psychology

Grants and funding

This research was funded by the Ministry of Social Policy, Family and Equity of the Region of Murcia (Research Project 2022.2022.09.00TR.541A.64301). This research was funded by the University of Murcia (Research Project 2022.2022.11.0021.321B.64505).