There are very few things that can make me as angry as this topic. Anyone who has perused this site probably noticed fairly quickly the amount of space dedicated to crimes committed against individuals with disabilities, specifically the type of disability that makes it difficult to defend or speak for themselves. Please click here for a more in-depth review with further details regarding how crime statistics are relevant to individuals with special needs and their families. I would love to ignore it, to pretend it doesn’t happen. But that isn’t possible, nor is it okay. If I want to protect my children, I need to know what we are facing.

Disability Scoop Reports, By Michelle Diament:

Crime Odds Double For Those With Disabilities 

Overall, people with disabilities were more than twice as likely to experience violent crime as compared to the general population

Within this population, those with cognitive disabilities were the most likely to report being victims of violent crime and about half of victims had multiple conditions. The vast majority of crimes cited were related to simple assault followed by aggravated assault, robbery and rape or sexual assault.

Just under half of incidents involving people with disabilities were reported to police, the Bureau of Justice Statistics found. In other cases, those surveyed said they didn’t seek law enforcement assistance because they dealt with the matter another way, believed the incident was not significant enough or thought police would not help, among other reasons.

Nearly a quarter of those with disabilities who were victimized indicated that they believed they were targeted due to their disability.