How Often Are Special Needs Children Sexually Abused?

Parents with special needs children take on a whole other level of challenges when it comes to providing a safe and nurturing living environment for their kids. Depending on the situation, extra effort is needed for everything from schoolwork to eating to developing motor skills. Parents also have to be overly diligent in protecting their special needs children from being sexually abused. That is because these children are more vulnerable to this type of abuse.

Facts compiled by the advocacy group The Mama Bear Effect, find that “children with disabilities are potentially affected by sexual abuse and exploitation at a rate of 83%-90% for males and females, respectively.”

The Reasons for This Populations’ Increased Risk

There are many reasons why special needs children are at an increased risk for sexual abuse. One of the main contributing factors is the expanded circle of potential caregivers. In addition to their parents and family, the child can come in contact with the following type of support personnel on a regular basis:

• One-on-one aides
• Occupational and physical therapists
• Speech therapists
• Nurses
• Special transportation staff

In addition to school time, some of these children are placed in out-of-home centers. That increases the number of potential interactions with adults and older children. That is not to say that all of these professionals could be abusers, but the more environments that you place a child in that are out of direct supervision of their parents, the more the risk increases.

Some of the signs of sexual abuse could include changes in appetite or incidents of self-harm. A child could also wet the bed and withdraw emotionally. Unfortunately, those are also signs that could be associated with the type of issues that are part of being a special needs child. Additionally, there are many special needs children with communication challenges. That can keep them from talking about the incident.

How To Reduce the Incidence Rates of Child Sexual Abuse in West Virginia

The West Virginia legislature has enacted comprehensive laws pertaining to sexual abuse. That helps prosecutors and lawyers for the family of the victim seek justice. It also helps to take a proactive stance when introducing a special needs child to a new learning or care environment. It is important for parents to ask about the safety protocols to keep kids safe. They should also find out about requirements for the staff to be trained in recognizing and preventing sexual abuse. It is also important to know how facility rooms are monitored. The same questions can be asked for any of the transportation services. Cameras should be prevalent.

Parents should also drop in unexpectedly to check in on how their child is doing. They can also volunteer and keep the dialogue going. Parents can also request that doors be left open for any one-on-one sessions.

It will also help if parents provide a daily check-in with their children. These are the kinds of questions they can ask on a regular basis:

• What did you do today?
• Did you have fun?
• Did you do anything different or new?
• Did you meet anyone new?
• Did anyone help you use the bathroom?
• Did you play any games?
• Did anyone take your picture or show you pictures?
• Did anyone touch you in your private areas?

It is also important to instill in the child some body safety rules such as not allowing anyone to touch their privates and not to keep secrets.

Reporting Incidents of Inappropriate Sexual Activity Involving Minors

Anyone who suspects a child is being abused can call the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources at 1-800-352-6513 to report the incident. That call should not go beyond 24 hours of the first incident of suspicion about the abuse. The West Virginia Code §49-2-803 details the list of professionals who are required by law to report a suspicion of sexual abuse. Among that list of professionals are the following:

• Any medical, dental, or mental health professional
• School teachers and other school personnel
• Social service worker
• Childcare or foster care worker
• Emergency medical services personnel
• Member of the clergy
• Family court judge

Getting Help From a Legal Advocate

If you find yourself dealing with a suspected incident of sexual abuse of your special needs child, the team at Hendrickson & Long, PLLC is standing by to help. We can be your advocate as you consider the next best course of action if someone sexually abused your child in West Virginia. Call today for a free consultation to discuss what is happening.