Sexual abuse of young children with special needs: Are they safe in day care?

Recognizing child abuse and neglect in child care settings

“…Research has indicated that children with special needs are particularly vulnerable to abuse (Gargiulo, 1990;Goldman, 1993;Zirpoli, 1990). Special children may be more dependent on adult caregivers for a longer period of time and less knowledgeable about their rights to privacy and the appropriateness of certain types of physical attention (Sobsey, 1992 9 Physical abuse includes violent assault with instruments such as a strap or knife, burns, fractures, or other nonaccidental actions that lead to possible harm or injury of the child.…”