What statistics are there on crime and violence against people with disabilities?
Recent research suggests that persons with disabilities are experiencing a heightened risk of becoming victims of violence and abuse. One recent study found that more than 70% of women with developmental disabilities are sexually assaulted in their lifetime, which represents a 50% higher rate than the rest of the population (Sobsey and Doe 1991). Sobsey and his colleagues reviewed the available literature and concluded that the best conservative estimate is that people with developmental disabilities are four to ten times more likely to be victims of crimes than are people without disabilities (Sobsey, Lucardie and Mansell 1995). Research also hints that the most frequent crimes were those of assault, sexual assault and robbery, as well as economic crimes, relating to benefit payments through third parties. There is also a high probability of repeat victimization. In a sample of intellectually disabled women, it was found that of those who had been sexually assaulted, nearly 50% had be
