This suggests that risk of violence in adulthood may be even higher. Although there are fewer and less well-controlled studies of adults, the available data seem to bear this out. 381 disabled women took part in a suicide and abuse survey carried out by DAWN Canada, a disabled women's organisation. In that survey the following numbers were found. So the first difference between the abuse of children or women and disabled people is in the numbers.
Disabled people are much more likely to be victims.
And that despite the fact that the problem of violence and abuse against disabled people is greater than against women or children. And also no public awareness exist about that problem. A variety of emotional disorders and symptoms have been described among victims of violence. Many of these have been documented among people with disabilities as well as those who do not have disabilities. We compared counsellors' descriptions of behavioral symptoms in a group of 43 sexually abused children with developmental disabilities and 43 sexually abused children without disabilities.