Behinderung und internationale Entwicklung Disability and ...

K URZMELDUNGEN/ANNOUNCEMENTSAdults and Children with Disabilities atMuch Higher Risk of ViolenceBoth children and adults with disabilities are at much higherrisk of violence than their non-disabled peers, accordingto two systematic reviews recently published in theLancet. The reviews were carried out by Liverpool JohnMoores University’s Centre for Public Health, a WHO CollaboratingCentre for Violence Prevention, and WHO’sDepartment of Violence and Injury Prevention and Disability.These are the first studies to confirm the magnitude ofthe problem and they provide the strongest available evidenceon violence against children and adults with disabilities.They also highlight the lack of data on this topicfrom low- and middle-income countries. The review onthe prevalence and risk of violence against children withdisabilities, published in July 2012, found that overallchildren with disabilities are almost four times more likelyto experience violence than non-disabled children. The reviewindicated that children with disabilities are 3.7 timesmore likely than non-disabled children to be victims ofany sort of violence, 3.6 times more likely to be victims ofphysical violence, and 2.9 times more likely to be victimsof sexual violence. Children with mental or intellectual impairmentsappear to be among the most vulnerable, with4.6 times the risk of sexual violence than their non-disabledpeers (Prevalence and Risk of Violence Against Childrenwith Disabilities: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysisof Observational Studies, available at: http://press.thelancet.com/childrendisabilities.pdf).The systematic review on violence against adults withdisabilities, published in February 2012, found that overallthey are 1.5 times more likely to be a victim of violencethan those without a disability, while those with mentalhealth conditions are at nearly four times the risk of experiencingviolence (Prevalence and Risk of Violence AgainstAdults with Disabilities: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies, available at:www.who.int/disabilities/publications/violence_children_lancet.pdf).“The results of these reviews prove that people withdisabilities are disproportionately vulnerable to violence,and their needs have been neglected for far too long,”notes Dr Etienne Krug, Director of WHO’s Department ofViolence and Injury Prevention and Disability. “We knowthat specific strategies exist to prevent violence and mitigateits consequences. We now need to determine if thesealso work for children and adults with disabilities. Anagenda needs to be set for action”.Factors which place people with disabilities at higherrisk of violence include stigma, discrimination, andignorance about disability, as well as a lack of social supportfor those who care for them. Placement of peoplewith disabilities in institutions also increases their vulnerabilityto violence. In these settings and elsewhere, peoplewith communication impairments are hampered in theirability to disclose abusive experiences."The impact of a child's disability on their quality of lifeis very much dependent on the way other individuals treatthem,” stresses Dr Mark Bellis, Director of the Centre forPublic Health at Liverpool John Moores University, a WHOCollaborating Centre for Violence Prevention, and leadresearcher on the review. “This research establishes thatthe risk of violence to children with disabilities is routinelythree to four times higher than that to non-disabled children.It is the duty of government and civil society to ensurethat such victimization is exposed and prevented."Proven and promising programmes to prevent violenceagainst non-disabled children and adults – reviewed inWHO’s Violence prevention: the evidence, preventingchild maltreatment, and preventing intimate partner andsexual violence against women – should be implementedfor children and adults with disabilities, and their effectivenessevaluated as a matter of priority.The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Personswith Disabilities reinforces the need to protect therights of children and adults with disabilities and ensuretheir full and equal participation in society. This includesavoiding the adverse experiences resulting from violence,which are known to have a wide range of detrimentalconsequences for health and well-being. When preventionfails, care and support for children and adults who are victimsof violence are vital to their recovery. The WHO/World Bank World report on disability outlines what worksin improving health and social participation of people withdisabilities and promotes deinstitutionalisation.Information: http://who.int/disabilities/violence/en/index.html.Inaugural Forum on the Global Partnershipon Children with DisabilitiesOn September 14 th to 15 th , UNICEF hosted the first Forumon the Global Partnership on Children with Disabilities.240 participants representing more than 100 organisationsfrom across the world participated. They discussedhow the rights and needs of children with disabilitiesshould be prioritised in development efforts.The Forum included a high-level panel discussion onhow to realise equity and inclusion for children with disabilitiesin the post-2015 development agenda, as the targetdate for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) isfast approaching.During the Forum partners identified concrete strategiesto include disability on global agendas, in areas suchas education, nutrition, and humanitarian action. Partnersfrom seven countries (Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Haiti, Malawi,Mozambique, Rwanda, Turkey) agreed on collaborationin the region covering Central and Eastern Europeand the Commonwealth of Independent States. Youth activistsalso made their voices heard. Abia Akram, the Coordinatorof the Global Network of Emerging Young WomenLeaders with Disabilities, spoke at the opening of theForum saying, “Girls and women with disabilities should34Behinderung und internationale Entwicklung 3/2012Disability and International Development