HHS Public Access Author manuscript Author Manuscript
Am J Prev Med. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2017 March 01. Published in final edited form as: Am J Prev Med. 2016 March ; 50(3): 311–317. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2015.07.030.
Prevalence and Characteristics of Sexual Violence against Men with Disabilities Monika Mitra, PhD1, Vera E. Mouradian, PhD2, Michael H. Fox, ScD3, and Carter Pratt, MPH1 1University
of Massachusetts Medical School, Center for Health Policy and Research, Shrewsbury, Massachusetts
Author Manuscript
2Massachusetts
Department of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
3Division
of Human Development and Disability, National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, CDC, Atlanta, Georgia
Abstract
Author Manuscript
Introduction—Few studies have examined lifetime and past-year sexual violence against men with disabilities and the types of perpetrator–survivor relationships among men with disabilities. The purpose of this study is to document the prevalence of lifetime and past-year sexual violence against men with disabilities in the U.S., compare these estimates with those of men without disabilities and women with and without disabilities, and examine the gender and relationship of the perpetrator of sexual violence against men with disabilities relative to perpetrator characteristics identified in incidents against other adults. Methods—Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System 2005–2007 data were analyzed in 2014 using domain analysis and multivariate logistic regression. Results—Men with a disability were more likely than men without a disability to report lifetime sexual violence (8.8% vs 6.0%). They were also more likely than men without a disability to report lifetime experience of attempted or completed nonconsensual sex (5.8% and 2.3% vs 4.1% and 1.4%, respectively). There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups of men’s reports of their relationship to the perpetrator of the most recent incident of sexual violence or perpetrator gender.
Author Manuscript
Conclusions—Men with disabilities are at heightened risk for lifetime and current sexual violence compared with men without disabilities. Given the relatively high prevalence of sexual violence among people with disabilities of both genders, sexual assault screening, prevention, and response efforts need to be inclusive and attentive to all people with disabilities.
Address correspondence to: Monika Mitra, PhD, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Center for Health Policy and Research, 333 South St., Shrewsbury MA 01545. [email protected]. The contents of this publication are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of CDC or the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. No financial disclosures were reported by the authors of this paper. Appendix Supplementary data Supplementary data associated with this article can be found at, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2015.07.030.
Mitra et al.
Page 2
Author Manuscript
Introduction Over the past few decades, researchers have documented higher rates of violence against people with disabilities.1–6 Although most studies of sexual violence victimization against adults with disabilities have focused on women, a few emerging studies have examined sexual violence against men with disabilities.4,6–10 Mitra and colleagues9 found that men with disabilities in Massachusetts were more likely to report lifetime and past-year sexual violence than men without disabilities. Hayden et al.4 documented men with physical disabilities to be at increased risk compared to those without physical disabilities for coerced sex. Another study found that British men reporting a longstanding illness or disability were more likely than those without to have experienced lifetime attempted or completed nonconsensual sex.1
Author Manuscript
Studies examining the relationship between the perpetrator of sexual violence and men with disabilities have focused on sexual abuse by intimate partners6,11 and personal care assistants.7 Mitra and colleagues11 found 2.6% of men with disabilities reported sexual abuse by an intimate partner compared with 1.1% of nondisabled men. Powers et al.7 found 9% reported sexual abuse by their personal care assistants. To the authors’ knowledge, there are no population-based studies examining the gender or relationship of the perpetrator of sexual violence against men with disabilities. This study uses national data to extend prior research on sexual violence against men with disabilities by
Author Manuscript
1.
documenting prevalence of lifetime and past-year sexual violence among men with disabilities and
2.
describing gender and relationship of the perpetrator of violence against men with disabilities in comparison with men without disabilities, and women with and without disabilities.
Methods
Author Manuscript
Data from the 2005–2007 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)12 were analyzed in 2014. The BRFSS is a state-based system of random-digit-dialed telephone health surveys in the U.S. Data from 2005 to 2007 were pooled to obtain a sample size that would allow sufficient power. The Sexual Violence module was an optional module administered during 2005–2007. Details about BRFSS sampling are available at www.cdc.gov/brfss/annual_data/annual_data.htm. This study was considered exempt from review by IRB because data are publicly available and de-identified. Measures Respondents were asked, Are you limited in any way in any activities because of physical, mental, or emotional problems? and Do you now have any health problem that requires you to use special equipment, such as a cane, wheelchair, a special bed, or a special telephone? Those responding yes to either of the two questions were classified as having a disability. Survey participants who responded no to both disability screening questions were classified
Am J Prev Med. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2017 March 01.
Mitra et al.
Page 3
Author Manuscript
as not having a disability. The main predictor variable was a four-category gender–disability status composite variable: men with disabilities, men without disabilities, women with disabilities, and women without disabilities. The Sexual Violence Module assessed both lifetime and past-year sexual violence. Participants responding yes to any of the following questions were classified as having experienced lifetime sexual violence:
Author Manuscript
1.
Has anyone ever had sex with you after you said or showed that you didn’t want them to or without your consent? (completed nonconsensual sex).
2.
Has anyone ever attempted to have sex with you after you said or showed that you didn’t want to or without your consent, but sex did not occur? (attempted nonconsensual sex).
3.
In the past 12 months, has anyone touched sexual parts of your body after you said or showed that you didn’t want them to, or without your consent? (forced sexual touching).
4.
In the past 12 months, has anyone exposed you to unwanted sexual situations that did not involve physical touching? (forced sexual exposure).
Respondents reporting lifetime completed and attempted nonconsensual sex were asked if this had occurred in the past 12 months. Past-year violence was defined as a yes response to any of the questions on completed nonconsensual sex, attempted nonconsensual sex, forced sexual touching, or forced sexual exposure in the past 12 months. The eight sexual violence outcome variables were as follows:
Author Manuscript
1.
any lifetime sexual violence;
2.
lifetime attempted nonconsensual sex;
3.
lifetime completed nonconsensual sex;
4.
any sexual violence in the past year;
5.
past-year forced sexual exposure;
6.
past-year forced sexual touching;
7.
past-year attempted consensual sex; and
8.
past-year completed nonconsensual sex.
Author Manuscript
In 2005, respondents who reported attempted or completed nonconsensual sex in the past year were asked, for the most recent of these experiences, to report the gender of the person who assaulted them and the person’s relationship to themselves. In 2006 and 2007, these questions were asked of respondents who reported lifetime attempted or completed nonconsensual sex. The many original relationship categories were collapsed into five categories to ensure sufficient cell sizes for comparisons within and across the gender– disability composite groups. The five categories were as follows: intimate partner/date, family member, friend, acquaintance, and stranger/person known for
Am J Prev Med. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2017 March 01. Published in final edited form as: Am J Prev Med. 2016 March ; 50(3): 311–317. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2015.07.030.
Prevalence and Characteristics of Sexual Violence against Men with Disabilities Monika Mitra, PhD1, Vera E. Mouradian, PhD2, Michael H. Fox, ScD3, and Carter Pratt, MPH1 1University
of Massachusetts Medical School, Center for Health Policy and Research, Shrewsbury, Massachusetts
Author Manuscript
2Massachusetts
Department of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
3Division
of Human Development and Disability, National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, CDC, Atlanta, Georgia
Abstract
Author Manuscript
Introduction—Few studies have examined lifetime and past-year sexual violence against men with disabilities and the types of perpetrator–survivor relationships among men with disabilities. The purpose of this study is to document the prevalence of lifetime and past-year sexual violence against men with disabilities in the U.S., compare these estimates with those of men without disabilities and women with and without disabilities, and examine the gender and relationship of the perpetrator of sexual violence against men with disabilities relative to perpetrator characteristics identified in incidents against other adults. Methods—Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System 2005–2007 data were analyzed in 2014 using domain analysis and multivariate logistic regression. Results—Men with a disability were more likely than men without a disability to report lifetime sexual violence (8.8% vs 6.0%). They were also more likely than men without a disability to report lifetime experience of attempted or completed nonconsensual sex (5.8% and 2.3% vs 4.1% and 1.4%, respectively). There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups of men’s reports of their relationship to the perpetrator of the most recent incident of sexual violence or perpetrator gender.
Author Manuscript
Conclusions—Men with disabilities are at heightened risk for lifetime and current sexual violence compared with men without disabilities. Given the relatively high prevalence of sexual violence among people with disabilities of both genders, sexual assault screening, prevention, and response efforts need to be inclusive and attentive to all people with disabilities.
Address correspondence to: Monika Mitra, PhD, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Center for Health Policy and Research, 333 South St., Shrewsbury MA 01545. [email protected]. The contents of this publication are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of CDC or the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. No financial disclosures were reported by the authors of this paper. Appendix Supplementary data Supplementary data associated with this article can be found at, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2015.07.030.
Mitra et al.
Page 2
Author Manuscript
Introduction Over the past few decades, researchers have documented higher rates of violence against people with disabilities.1–6 Although most studies of sexual violence victimization against adults with disabilities have focused on women, a few emerging studies have examined sexual violence against men with disabilities.4,6–10 Mitra and colleagues9 found that men with disabilities in Massachusetts were more likely to report lifetime and past-year sexual violence than men without disabilities. Hayden et al.4 documented men with physical disabilities to be at increased risk compared to those without physical disabilities for coerced sex. Another study found that British men reporting a longstanding illness or disability were more likely than those without to have experienced lifetime attempted or completed nonconsensual sex.1
Author Manuscript
Studies examining the relationship between the perpetrator of sexual violence and men with disabilities have focused on sexual abuse by intimate partners6,11 and personal care assistants.7 Mitra and colleagues11 found 2.6% of men with disabilities reported sexual abuse by an intimate partner compared with 1.1% of nondisabled men. Powers et al.7 found 9% reported sexual abuse by their personal care assistants. To the authors’ knowledge, there are no population-based studies examining the gender or relationship of the perpetrator of sexual violence against men with disabilities. This study uses national data to extend prior research on sexual violence against men with disabilities by
Author Manuscript
1.
documenting prevalence of lifetime and past-year sexual violence among men with disabilities and
2.
describing gender and relationship of the perpetrator of violence against men with disabilities in comparison with men without disabilities, and women with and without disabilities.
Methods
Author Manuscript
Data from the 2005–2007 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)12 were analyzed in 2014. The BRFSS is a state-based system of random-digit-dialed telephone health surveys in the U.S. Data from 2005 to 2007 were pooled to obtain a sample size that would allow sufficient power. The Sexual Violence module was an optional module administered during 2005–2007. Details about BRFSS sampling are available at www.cdc.gov/brfss/annual_data/annual_data.htm. This study was considered exempt from review by IRB because data are publicly available and de-identified. Measures Respondents were asked, Are you limited in any way in any activities because of physical, mental, or emotional problems? and Do you now have any health problem that requires you to use special equipment, such as a cane, wheelchair, a special bed, or a special telephone? Those responding yes to either of the two questions were classified as having a disability. Survey participants who responded no to both disability screening questions were classified
Am J Prev Med. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2017 March 01.
Mitra et al.
Page 3
Author Manuscript
as not having a disability. The main predictor variable was a four-category gender–disability status composite variable: men with disabilities, men without disabilities, women with disabilities, and women without disabilities. The Sexual Violence Module assessed both lifetime and past-year sexual violence. Participants responding yes to any of the following questions were classified as having experienced lifetime sexual violence:
Author Manuscript
1.
Has anyone ever had sex with you after you said or showed that you didn’t want them to or without your consent? (completed nonconsensual sex).
2.
Has anyone ever attempted to have sex with you after you said or showed that you didn’t want to or without your consent, but sex did not occur? (attempted nonconsensual sex).
3.
In the past 12 months, has anyone touched sexual parts of your body after you said or showed that you didn’t want them to, or without your consent? (forced sexual touching).
4.
In the past 12 months, has anyone exposed you to unwanted sexual situations that did not involve physical touching? (forced sexual exposure).
Respondents reporting lifetime completed and attempted nonconsensual sex were asked if this had occurred in the past 12 months. Past-year violence was defined as a yes response to any of the questions on completed nonconsensual sex, attempted nonconsensual sex, forced sexual touching, or forced sexual exposure in the past 12 months. The eight sexual violence outcome variables were as follows:
Author Manuscript
1.
any lifetime sexual violence;
2.
lifetime attempted nonconsensual sex;
3.
lifetime completed nonconsensual sex;
4.
any sexual violence in the past year;
5.
past-year forced sexual exposure;
6.
past-year forced sexual touching;
7.
past-year attempted consensual sex; and
8.
past-year completed nonconsensual sex.
Author Manuscript
In 2005, respondents who reported attempted or completed nonconsensual sex in the past year were asked, for the most recent of these experiences, to report the gender of the person who assaulted them and the person’s relationship to themselves. In 2006 and 2007, these questions were asked of respondents who reported lifetime attempted or completed nonconsensual sex. The many original relationship categories were collapsed into five categories to ensure sufficient cell sizes for comparisons within and across the gender– disability composite groups. The five categories were as follows: intimate partner/date, family member, friend, acquaintance, and stranger/person known for
