Domestic violence against children with disabilities
Description
This study investigates domestic violence against children with disabilities, focusing on the forms, causes, and consequences of such violence through the theoretical framework of the ecological model. The aim of the research is to understand the risk factors that increase the vulnerability of children with disabilities to abuse, as well as to explore the impact on their physical, psychological, and social development. The methodological approach employed is a systematic review of international and Greek literature. The review highlights the main forms of abuse (physical, sexual, and emotional), along with the multifactorial causes that perpetuate them, such as parental psychological burden, lack of social support, cultural perceptions of disability, and socioeconomic difficulties. Special emphasis is placed on the Greek context, where empirical research in this field remains scarce. The findings underscore the necessity for targeted prevention and intervention programs, professional training for those working with children with disabilities, and the implementation of protective institutional policies. The study concludes with recommendations for future research, emphasizing the importance of strengthening scientific knowledge in Greece.
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Method The study was conducted as a literature review aiming to examine the forms, causes, and consequences of intrafamilial violence against children with disabilities. The methodological approach was informed by the PRISMA protocol (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses), although not fully implemented. Core principles were applied, including the definition of inclusion and exclusion criteria, systematic searches in scholarly databases, and transparent documentation of the selection process. Inclusion criteria comprised studies published between 2000 and 2025 in peer-reviewed journals, in English or Greek, focusing explicitly on children with disabilities and addressing either forms, causes, or consequences of abuse. Exclusion criteria applied to studies unrelated to children with disabilities, pre-2000 publications, and texts in other languages. The literature search was conducted in Google Scholar, PubMed, and ScienceDirect using combinations of keywords such as child abuse, disabled children, intrafamilial violence, risk factors, and effects. Logical operators (AND, OR) were applied to refine results. From an initial pool of 1,525 records, 69 studies met the eligibility criteria and were included for analysis. Data analysis followed a qualitative synthesis. Articles were categorized based on the main research questions (forms, causes, consequences) and further organized within the ecological model (individual, family, community, societal). This framework allowed the identification of common patterns and risk factors, leading to evidence-based conclusions.
Institutions
- University of Macedonia