Maltreatment of Children with Disability

The concept of child maltreatment, defined as intentional or unintentional attitudes and behaviors that negatively affect a child’s health and development, is one of the most critical public health issues of our time and is emerging as an international problem. Children with all types of disabilities are more vulnerable to maltreatment than typically developing children because of their communication difficulties and inability to report problems directly. In addition, different types of disability may make children more vulnerable to certain types of maltreatment. In other words, there appears to be a relationship between the type of maltreatment and the type of disability. The consequences of child maltreatment are generally two-dimensional. The first dimension is short-term harms, which are physical consequences such as injury, death, pregnancy, and other physical consequences that occur shortly after the maltreatment. Long-term consequences include depression, anxiety, trauma-related psychological problems, and developmental difficulties. While these consequences are relevant to all children exposed to maltreatment, they may exacerbate existing limitations or health problems for children with disabilities. Despite its prevalence and the severity of its consequences, the problem of maltreatment of children with disabilities has been recognized in recent years and preventive and protective services, in addition to therapeutic services, have become more important. There is a need to develop and implement effective intervention methods and prevention programs against child maltreatment worldwide. The main aim of prevention is to stop abuse and neglect before it starts. In this context, it is crucial to address the dimensions and dynamics of maltreatment of children with disabilities.