For confidential support and advocacy, contact project partners:
Stavros Center for Independent Living Expertise: Caregiver Abuse Phone: 413-256-0473 (TIVNOICE) Toll-free: 800-804-1899 (TTYNOICE) Website: www.stavros.org
tavros Deaf and Hard of Hearing dependent Living Services Program xpertise: Communication Advocacy hone: 413-781-5555 (TIVNOICE) n ebsite: www.stavros.org r he Everywoman's Center ~: Expertise: Sexual Assault ::J lQ n t. Phone: 413-545-5832 , 0 Confidential hotline numbers: 13-545-0800 [TIVNOICE) or 3 ::::J 8-337-0800 [TTYNOICE) CO ::::J
This project was supported by a sub-grant of Grant No. 2002-VF-GX-K005 awarded to Safe Place in Austin, Texas by the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. Points of view in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice or SafePlace. WHAT IS CAREGIVER ABUSE? WHAT IS SEXUAL ASSAULT? '* Access to Caregiver abuse is mistreatment by someone providing Sexual assault is a broad term referring to Equality Coalition personal assistance or household help. This could forced, manipulated, or non-consensual sexual include a paid employee or a non-paid person who is activity. Rape is one form of sexual assault that After several years of collaboration, a family member, relative, friend, domestic partner, is considered a violent crime. Rape and sexual four local nonprofit agencies are or spouse. assault are not sexually motivated acts; rather, establishing ourselves as a Did you know? they stem from aggression, rage, sexism, and the coalition of grassroots advocates ., Caregiver abuse can take many forms, including determination to exercise power over someone else to better respond to crime victims physical or sexual assault. Did you know? with disabilities. Our mission is to ., Nearly one out of every seven adult women, or work closely together to improve ., Acommon form of caregiver abuse is psychological or emotional abuse-abusing the person verbally, about 340,000 women in Massachusetts, has access to safety and justice for re-traumatizing the person, ignoring the person's been the victim of forcible rape in her lifetime people with disabilities who are requests or needs, or disrespecting the person. [National Violence Against Women Prevention survivors of the crimes of caregiver Research Centerl. abuse, domestic violence, sexual ., Caregivers may also abuse a person with a disability by mismanaging his/her finances, ., Sexual assault disproportionately impacts assault, and/or psychiatric abuse. stealing personal belongings, or withholding people with disabilities. By contacting a partner agency, medication or equipment. ., Survivors with disabilities are less likely to survivors of abuse will be able to report their sexual assault to police than are access coordinated services and ., People with disabilities are between two and five times as likely to be abused as people without survivors without disabilities. support from any of the partners. disabilities [Sobsey and Doe]' ., One study estimates that 83% of women and As a coalition, we are strengthened 32% of men with developmental disabilities by our numbers, enriched by our WHAT IS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE? experienced sexual abuse [Johnson & Siglerl. diverse experience, and united in Domestic violence is a pattern of behaviors where our philosophy of self-determination. one person tries to control the thoughts, beliefs, WHAT IS PSYCHIATRIC ABUSE? conduct, or actions of his/her partner. Domestic Psychiatric abuse is a term for a broad range People with disabilities are abused violence takes many forms, including physical, of human rights abuses of people labeled at an alarming rate. People with emotional, sexual, and/or economic abuse. People with mental illnesses by people in the mental disabilities can be more vulnerable with disabilities have additional challenges and health system. barriers in attempting to leave their abusers. to abuse because they may depend Did you know? on others to meet their basic needs, Did you know? Psychiatric abuse can include: have health care workers routinely ., Domestic violence occurs in a cycle which often ., The use of force or coercion, including examine or handle their bodies, escalates in frequency and intensity over time. involuntary treatment and forced drugging. and/or have limited mobility or ., The abuser may be the primary caretaker of a ., Treatment decisions that are made without cognitive ability. Studies show that person with a disability, and separation from that true informed consent. people with disabilities experience person can be life-threatening. ., The use of toxic psychiatric drugs. abuse for longer periods of time, ., Many survivors of domestic violence become ., The widespread use of psychiatric and from more sources, and face disabled, temporarily or permanently, because pharmaceutical industry myths and propaganda. significant barriers in escaping of the abuse. and reporting their abusers. ., Being dehumanized, disrespected, or disregarded. ., Transportation and survivor services may not be accessible. ., Individuals with psychiatric disabilities are ABUSE OF PEOPLE WITH twice as likely to experience sexual assault ., Recent reports indicate that domestic violence [Hidday, Swartz, Swanson, et.all. DISABILITIES IS A CRIME! affects women with disabilities at a rate up to three times higher than women without disabilities.