Experiences of Mistreatment Among Women with Cerebral Palsy

Abstract

Abuse and mistreatment of women with disabilities is a complex problem that affects their health and well-being. Previous studies have focused on heterogeneous groups of women with disabilities, with only small numbers of women with cerebral palsy included, but different disabilities may play specific roles in relation to abuse. Exploring mistreatment of women with cerebral palsy is important in determining the relationship between mistreatment and a specific disability. The aim of this article was to describe experiences and meanings of mistreatment among women with cerebral palsy. The feminist biographical method was used to provide an in-depth exploration of women's storied lives, uncover the meaning of women's lives from their own perspective, and provide understanding of women whose stories are seldom told. A sample of eight participants participated in two in-depth, audio-recorded interviews. Two major themes and five subthemes emerged. The meaning of mistreatment included participants' definition of mistreatment and their explanation for mistreatment. Outcomes of mistreatment were divided into emotional, social, and physical outcomes. Health care providers need to understand the meaning and outcomes of mistreatment in their patients' lives to begin to address mistreatment, listen to patients, advocate when needed, and provide appropriate health care.

Women With Disabilities’ Experience With Physical and Sexual Abuse

“…We felt this was important since these are two very different populations in how they may experience having a disability. Moreover, while there have been some studies of individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities and their experience with violence and abuse (Barger, Wacker, Macy, & Parish, 2009; Carlson, 1997; Freeborn & Curry, 2009; Sobsey, 1994; Thompson, 1997), the lack of reliable and valid measures of abuse and trauma in individuals with intellectual disabilities makes any comparisons or grouping difficult with those with physical disabilities (Clegg, 2006; Wigham, Hatton, & Taylor, 2011). The field of research in the area of violence against individuals with disabilities is fairly new.…”

Child protection services and parents with intellectual and developmental disabilities

“…Life challenges for parents with IDD are also compounded by co‐occurring disabilities, such as mental illness (Chaplin, Gilvarry, & Tsakanikos, ; Llewellyn & Hindmarsh, ; Llewellyn, McConnell, & Ferronato, ) and/or substance abuse (Chapman & Wu, ; van Duijvenbode et al., ; Hammink, VanDerNagel, & van de Mheen, ; To, Neirynck, Vanderplasschen, Vanheule, & Vandevelde, ). Parents with IDD often have a history of being abused or neglected themselves—as children (Granqvist, Forslund, Fransson, Springer, & Lindberg, ; McGaw, Shaw, & Beckley, ; Tymchuk & Andron, ) and adults (Barger, Wacker, Macy, & Parish, ; Carlson, ; Freeborn & Curry, ; Mitchell, Clegg, & Furniss, ; Sobsey & Doe, ; Wigham, Hatton, & Taylor, ). Social isolation and little social support also make parenting with IDD difficult (Feldman, ; Llewellyn & Hindmarsh, ; McConnell & Llewellyn, ; Tymchuk, ; Tymchuk & Andron, ; Weiber, Eklund, & Tengland, ).…”

Views on disclosing mistreatment: A focus group study of differences between people with MS and their caregivers

“…Specifically, even when the caregivers disclosed in a self-administered questionnaire that they had mistreated their partners with MS, some mistreated partners denied or minimized the mistreatment, a pattern opposite to what the literature shows (Simpson and Christensen, 2005). To investigate further this discrepant pattern in a disability-specific way (Freeborn and Curry, 2009), we interviewed willing couples using focus group methodology. Our institutional review board reviewed and approved the study.…”