On March 22, The Lancet announced on its official WeChat that a study recently published by The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health showed that about one-third of children and adolescents with disabilities worldwide have experienced violence, and they are twice as likely to experience various forms of violence (physical violence, mental violence, sexual violence and neglect) as non-disabled children and adolescents.
Nearly 40% of children with disabilities and adolescents are bullied by their peers
The Lancet estimates that 291 million children and adolescents suffer from epilepsy, intellectual disability, visual impairment or hearing impairment – about 11% of the world's total population of children and adolescents. Many more children and adolescents suffer from other physical disabilities, mental disorders, cognitive or learning disabilities, or other chronic diseases. The vast majority of children and adolescents with disabilities (more than 94%) live in low- and middle-income countries where multiple risks converge.
Studies have shown that more than a third (38%) of children with disabilities have experienced bullying from their peers, with both traditional bullying and cyberbullying having higher rates. Children and adolescents with cognitive or learning disabilities (e.g., ADHD, autism) or mental health problems, as well as children and adolescents with disabilities from low-income settings, are particularly likely to experience violence.
The study's analysis of data from 92 incidence studies found that the most commonly reported types of violence were mental and physical violence, which occurred in about one in three children and adolescents with disabilities;
The study also mentioned a higher incidence of peer bullying, noting that nearly 40% of children and adolescents with disabilities experienced bullying from peer generations, and that traditional bullying (physical, verbal or relational behaviours such as hitting and kicking; insults and threats; or social exclusion) (37%) was more common than cyberbullying (23%).
Overall, children and adolescents with disabilities are more than twice as likely to experience violence than children and adolescents without disabilities, which can have a serious and lasting impact on their health and well-being. Children and adolescents with mental illness and cognitive or learning disabilities such as ADHD and autism are particularly vulnerable to violence; children and adolescents with disabilities living in low-income countries experience higher rates of violence than children and adolescents with disabilities in high-income countries.
Children and adolescents with disabilities urgently need more opportunities for growth
Stigma, discrimination, lack of information about disabilities and inadequate social support for caregivers are causing children and adolescents with disabilities to experience more violence. Poverty and social isolation can further exacerbate this situation. The unique challenges faced by children and adolescents with disabilities, such as the inability to express themselves or protect themselves in words, may also make them more likely to be targeted for violence.
The study's corresponding author, Dr. Zuyi Fang of Beijing Normal University, told The Lancet: "The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are committed to ending all forms of violence against children and adolescents by 2030. Achieving this will require governments, practitioners, and researchers to work together to implement what we know to be effective interventions to prevent violence, such as evidence-based family education interventions, while developing and evaluating community, school, and online interventions for specific forms of violence."
