An Integrative Literature Review of Interventions to Protect People with Disabilities from Domestic and Family Violence
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Seydel, T
Pang, B
Deshpande, S
Parkinson, J
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Abstract
Purpose: While domestic and family violence against people with disabilities is an ongoing and crucial public health concern, and awareness of the extent of violence against people with disabilities is growing, research on the field is still limited. Thus, the present review aims to systematically identify and synthesize evidence and effectiveness from intervention strategies to increase the awareness and skills of those with disabilities to reduce and prevent domestic and family violence against them. Method: PRISMA guidelines were followed to perform a systematic search of seven scientific databases to identify the peer-reviewed literature. Results: A total of 17 eligible studies were identified (14 evaluations and 3 descriptive studies), with most taking place in developed countries. Children and women are the most frequent victims, and they were therefore the most common target audience of the included studies. Sexual, physical, and verbal abuse were the most reported types of abuse, while financial abuse and neglect were studied less often. Interventions also focused on a diversity of disabilities, including learning, intellectual, mental, and physical impairments. Overall, the intervention strategies reflected a substantial homogeneity: focus on training and education as well as setting up channels and facilities for victims to seek help. Nine studies yielded significant positive outcomes using various strategies and techniques, while five studies had mixed results, and three studies only reported on the intervention strategies but did not evaluate the results. Conclusions: This review confirms a significant gap in the literature on domestic and family violence against people with disabilities and how to prevent and address the violence through evidence-based interventions. Several recommendations to improve future research and practice are proposed.
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International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
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20
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3
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© 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
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Criminology
Sociology
People with disability
disability
domestic violence
family violence
intervention
prevention
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Saleme, P; Seydel, T; Pang, B; Deshpande, S; Parkinson, J, An Integrative Literature Review of Interventions to Protect People with Disabilities from Domestic and Family Violence, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2023, 20 (3), pp. 2145