Special Needs Children in Child Protection
Fewer Resources Stumbling Blocks in Adequately Serving Disabled Kids
Jun 13, 2009
“Each year more than 3000 children with disabilities end up in the Canadian child welfare system,” states the Canadian Welfare League. Excellence for Child Welfare: Promoting Excellence in Canadian Research, Policy and Practice, Child Welfare League of Canada.
There are many reasons why abuse may remain hidden. An abuser may manipulate, bribe, coerce or threaten a child (or someone the child loves) to prevent her from telling anyone about the abuse. Depending on the disability, a child may not be able to communicate what has happened to her. She may be convinced that the abuse is her fault and, if she tells anyone about it, she will be punished. Moreover, kids with disabilities are seldom believed (Child Welfare League of Canada).
Furthermore, children with disabilities are unable to defend themselves and have been taught to obey adults - all adults, any adult. They may even feel their bodies belong to other people.
Children with Disabilities and Vulnerability
Each year thousands of disabled children become victims of intentional neglect, sexual abuse and physical violence. Children with disabilities are 3.4 times more likely to be abused or neglected than children without disabilities. Neglect is the most common form of maltreatment for children with disabilities.
Disabled children are particularly vulnerable to abuse. A number of factors get in the way of protecting disabled children from abuse:
- Disabled children are more likely to spend time away from their families, in respite and short break services, residential schools etc
- Negative social attitudes towards children with disabilities can affect people’s willingness to believe that abuse has taken place.
- Sometimes the fact that a child is treated abusively can go unrecognized; for example, some methods of control or discipline may be permitted when in fact they are causing harm.
- Some children with disabilities will find it more difficult to communicate what they are feeling.
- Sometimes behaviour can be misinterpreted as being a consequence of a disability when in fact it is a sign of abuse.
Canada and Children in Welfare Care
In Canada, children who have communication impairments make up a majority of disabled children in contact with social services departments, yet social workers are rarely provided with training and resources to enable them to carry out their statutory duty to investigate a disabled child’s claim of maltreatment adequately (Child Welfare League of Canada).
Procedures to improve the early detection of maltreatment in the special needs population– including the training of professionals in physical and developmental disabilities – needs to be a top priority. Education, welfare, medicine, and the protective service agencies need to establish an interactive network that assures the identification, assistance, and monitoring of these children. Training for all personnel who interact with disabled children and their families should emphasize knowledge about handicapping conditions and indicators of child abuse.
All children have the right to be protected from being hurt and mistreated. Unfortunately, child protection systems are frequently unable to address the particular needs of disabled children. Regrettably, these children are often treated as invisible within the child protection system.
