Memo: Report on Abuse & Neglect of Children with Disabilities

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Extent (Dublin Core)

3 Pages

Item Archival Status (Curation)

In American Congress Digital Archives Portal

File Name (Dublin Core)

c021_001_005_010

Title (Dublin Core)

Memo: Report on Abuse & Neglect of Children with Disabilities

Description (Dublin Core)

Includes articles from Washington Post and New York Times discussing how children with disabilities are more likely to be abused than other children.

Date (Dublin Core)

1993-10-07

Date Created (Dublin Core)

1993-10-07

Congress (Dublin Core)

103rd (1993-1995)

Topics (Dublin Core)

See all items with this valueChild abuse

See all items with this valuePeople with disabilities

See all items with this valueChildren with disabilities--Abuse of

See all items with this valueChildren with disabilities--Abuse of--Prevention

Policy Area (Curation)

Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues

Creator (Dublin Core)

Vachon, Alexander

Record Type (Dublin Core)

memorandum

Names (Dublin Core)

See all items with this valueDodd, Christopher J. (Christopher John), 1944-

See all items with this valueNational Council on the Aging

See all items with this valueNational Center on Child Abuse and Neglect (U.S.)

Rights (Dublin Core)

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/

Language (Dublin Core)

eng

Collection Finding Aid (Dublin Core)

https://dolearchivecollections.ku.edu/?p=collections/findingaid&id=54&q=

Physical Location (Dublin Core)

Collection 021, Box 1, Folder 5

Institution (Dublin Core)

Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS

Archival Collection (Dublin Core)

Alec Vachon Papers, 1969-2006

Full Text (Extract Text)

Memorandum

Date: October 7, 1993
To: Senator Dole
From: Alec Vachon (initialed)
Re: Report on Abuse & Neglect of Children w/ Disabilities

Attached clips from NY Times and Washington Post describe study requested by Senator Dodd that found children w/disabilities about twice as likely to be abused or neglected, usually by their mothers. Findings consistent with other research.

Apropos, you got language in Senate report on FY94 HHS/Labor/Education approps supporting Family Friends program of National Council on Aging, which trains senior citizens as volunteers to families with a disabled child. This program may help prevent abuse of children with disabilities.

Kansas has Family Friends project -- based in Kansas City, MO, with 1 senior volunteer/family in Johnson County, 2 in Wyandotte County. I have been promoting this program in Kansas, and hope more projects will be started.

Olaced (Placed) a call to Dodd's staff; will inquire if they have any legislative plans, express your interest.

(page 2)

The Washington Post, October 7, 1993 (Thursday), p. A16.

Disabled Children Are Abused Most

Children with disabilities are abused and neglected far more frequently than other children, according to a federal study.
The report underscores the "tremendous economic and social pressures that are crushing" many families with a disabled child and the need to help them, said Sen. Christopher J. Dodd (D-Conn.), who sponsored the 1988 legislation requiring the study.
The report, by the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect, found that children with physical, mental or emotional disabilities are physically abused at twice the rate of other children, sexually abused at nearly twice the rate and emotionally neglected at almost three times the rate.
Overall, children with disabilities are maltreated at 1.7 times the rate of other children. And in nearly half of those cases, the child's disability was at the root of the abuse or neglect, according to the report by the agency, a part of the Health and Human Services Department.
In all but 14 percent of cases studied involving a disabled child, the maltreatment was either committed or permitted by a child's primary caretaker, who is generally the mother, the study said.
The study was based on reports from 35 child welfare agencies involving 1,834 children.

-Associated Press

(page 3)

The New York Times, October 7, 1993 (Thursday), p. A. 21.

A Disabled Child Is Seen More Likely to Be Abused

WASHINGTON, Oct. 6 (AP) -- Disabled children are abused and neglected far more frequently than other children, according to a Federal study.
The report, by the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect, is the first nationwide look at the extent of maltreatment among children with a physical, mental or emotional disability.
Researchers found that disabled children are physically abused at twice the rate of other children, sexually abused at nearly twice the rate and emotionally neglected at almost three times the rate.
Overall, children with disabilities are maltreated at 1.7 times the rate of other children. And in nearly half of those abuse cases, the child's disability was at the root of the abuse or neglect, according to the report by the agency, a part of the Health and Human Services Department.
In all but 14 percent of the cases studied, the maltreatment was either committed or permitted by a child's primary caretaker, who is generally the mother, the study said.
The study was based on reports of maltreatment, substantiated by child welfare agencies, involving 1,834 children.
The report underscores both the "tremendous economic and social pressures that arc crushing" many families with a disabled child as well as the need to help them, said Senator Christopher J. Dodd, Democrat of Connecticut, who sponsored the 1988 legislation requiring the study.
"Children are vulnerable," Mr. Dodd said in an interview." But children with disabilities are the most vulnerable. It's terribly disturbing to realize that children with disabilities are being maltreated to such a high degree."
The researchers' findings are based on data collected from 35 child protective services agencies. Each agency provided information on all cases of substantiated maltreatment over a period of four to six weeks in early 1991.
Dr. Edward Schor, associate professor of pediatrics at Tufts Medical School, and Dr. James M. Perrin, associate professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, noted that caring for a disabled child can be expensive, stressful and physically exhausting.
Parents may also become isolated from friends, family and their community. "It just makes their situation and their ability to parent a little bit more fragile, a little bit more likely to take a direction that is not good for the child or good for their relationship with the child," Dr. Schor said.
For the study, children were considered disabled if they had one or more of a variety of mental or physical ailments and, because of the ailments, they were limited in mobility, self-care or expression.

Memorandum

Date: October 7, 1993
To: Senator Dole
From: Alec Vachon (initialed)
Re: Report on Abuse & Neglect of Children w/ Disabilities

Attached clips from NY Times and Washington Post describe study requested by Senator Dodd that found children w/disabilities about twice as likely to be abused or neglected, usually by their mothers. Findings consistent with other research.

Apropos, you got language in Senate report on FY94 HHS/Labor/Education approps supporting Family Friends program of National Council on Aging, which trains senior citizens as volunteers to families with a disabled child. This program may help prevent abuse of children with disabilities.

Kansas has Family Friends project -- based in Kansas City, MO, with 1 senior volunteer/family in Johnson County, 2 in Wyandotte County. I have been promoting this program in Kansas, and hope more projects will be started.

Olaced (Placed) a call to Dodd's staff; will inquire if they have any legislative plans, express your interest.

(page 2)

The Washington Post, October 7, 1993 (Thursday), p. A16.

Disabled Children Are Abused Most

Children with disabilities are abused and neglected far more frequently than other children, according to a federal study.
The report underscores the "tremendous economic and social pressures that are crushing" many families with a disabled child and the need to help them, said Sen. Christopher J. Dodd (D-Conn.), who sponsored the 1988 legislation requiring the study.
The report, by the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect, found that children with physical, mental or emotional disabilities are physically abused at twice the rate of other children, sexually abused at nearly twice the rate and emotionally neglected at almost three times the rate.
Overall, children with disabilities are maltreated at 1.7 times the rate of other children. And in nearly half of those cases, the child's disability was at the root of the abuse or neglect, according to the report by the agency, a part of the Health and Human Services Department.
In all but 14 percent of cases studied involving a disabled child, the maltreatment was either committed or permitted by a child's primary caretaker, who is generally the mother, the study said.
The study was based on reports from 35 child welfare agencies involving 1,834 children.

-Associated Press

(page 3)

The New York Times, October 7, 1993 (Thursday), p. A. 21.

A Disabled Child Is Seen More Likely to Be Abused

WASHINGTON, Oct. 6 (AP) -- Disabled children are abused and neglected far more frequently than other children, according to a Federal study.
The report, by the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect, is the first nationwide look at the extent of maltreatment among children with a physical, mental or emotional disability.
Researchers found that disabled children are physically abused at twice the rate of other children, sexually abused at nearly twice the rate and emotionally neglected at almost three times the rate.
Overall, children with disabilities are maltreated at 1.7 times the rate of other children. And in nearly half of those abuse cases, the child's disability was at the root of the abuse or neglect, according to the report by the agency, a part of the Health and Human Services Department.
In all but 14 percent of the cases studied, the maltreatment was either committed or permitted by a child's primary caretaker, who is generally the mother, the study said.
The study was based on reports of maltreatment, substantiated by child welfare agencies, involving 1,834 children.
The report underscores both the "tremendous economic and social pressures that arc crushing" many families with a disabled child as well as the need to help them, said Senator Christopher J. Dodd, Democrat of Connecticut, who sponsored the 1988 legislation requiring the study.
"Children are vulnerable," Mr. Dodd said in an interview." But children with disabilities are the most vulnerable. It's terribly disturbing to realize that children with disabilities are being maltreated to such a high degree."
The researchers' findings are based on data collected from 35 child protective services agencies. Each agency provided information on all cases of substantiated maltreatment over a period of four to six weeks in early 1991.
Dr. Edward Schor, associate professor of pediatrics at Tufts Medical School, and Dr. James M. Perrin, associate professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, noted that caring for a disabled child can be expensive, stressful and physically exhausting.
Parents may also become isolated from friends, family and their community. "It just makes their situation and their ability to parent a little bit more fragile, a little bit more likely to take a direction that is not good for the child or good for their relationship with the child," Dr. Schor said.
For the study, children were considered disabled if they had one or more of a variety of mental or physical ailments and, because of the ailments, they were limited in mobility, self-care or expression.

Memorandum

Date: October 7, 1993
To: Senator Dole
From: Alec Vachon (initialed)
Re: Report on Abuse & Neglect of Children w/ Disabilities

Attached clips from NY Times and Washington Post describe study requested by Senator Dodd that found children w/disabilities about twice as likely to be abused or neglected, usually by their mothers. Findings consistent with other research.

Apropos, you got language in Senate report on FY94 HHS/Labor/Education approps supporting Family Friends program of National Council on Aging, which trains senior citizens as volunteers to families with a disabled child. This program may help prevent abuse of children with disabilities.

Kansas has Family Friends project -- based in Kansas City, MO, with 1 senior volunteer/family in Johnson County, 2 in Wyandotte County. I have been promoting this program in Kansas, and hope more projects will be started.

Olaced (Placed) a call to Dodd's staff; will inquire if they have any legislative plans, express your interest.

(page 2)

The Washington Post, October 7, 1993 (Thursday), p. A16.

Disabled Children Are Abused Most

Children with disabilities are abused and neglected far more frequently than other children, according to a federal study.
The report underscores the "tremendous economic and social pressures that are crushing" many families with a disabled child and the need to help them, said Sen. Christopher J. Dodd (D-Conn.), who sponsored the 1988 legislation requiring the study.
The report, by the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect, found that children with physical, mental or emotional disabilities are physically abused at twice the rate of other children, sexually abused at nearly twice the rate and emotionally neglected at almost three times the rate.
Overall, children with disabilities are maltreated at 1.7 times the rate of other children. And in nearly half of those cases, the child's disability was at the root of the abuse or neglect, according to the report by the agency, a part of the Health and Human Services Department.
In all but 14 percent of cases studied involving a disabled child, the maltreatment was either committed or permitted by a child's primary caretaker, who is generally the mother, the study said.
The study was based on reports from 35 child welfare agencies involving 1,834 children.

-Associated Press

(page 3)

The New York Times, October 7, 1993 (Thursday), p. A. 21.

A Disabled Child Is Seen More Likely to Be Abused

WASHINGTON, Oct. 6 (AP) -- Disabled children are abused and neglected far more frequently than other children, according to a Federal study.
The report, by the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect, is the first nationwide look at the extent of maltreatment among children with a physical, mental or emotional disability.
Researchers found that disabled children are physically abused at twice the rate of other children, sexually abused at nearly twice the rate and emotionally neglected at almost three times the rate.
Overall, children with disabilities are maltreated at 1.7 times the rate of other children. And in nearly half of those abuse cases, the child's disability was at the root of the abuse or neglect, according to the report by the agency, a part of the Health and Human Services Department.
In all but 14 percent of the cases studied, the maltreatment was either committed or permitted by a child's primary caretaker, who is generally the mother, the study said.
The study was based on reports of maltreatment, substantiated by child welfare agencies, involving 1,834 children.
The report underscores both the "tremendous economic and social pressures that arc crushing" many families with a disabled child as well as the need to help them, said Senator Christopher J. Dodd, Democrat of Connecticut, who sponsored the 1988 legislation requiring the study.
"Children are vulnerable," Mr. Dodd said in an interview." But children with disabilities are the most vulnerable. It's terribly disturbing to realize that children with disabilities are being maltreated to such a high degree."
The researchers' findings are based on data collected from 35 child protective services agencies. Each agency provided information on all cases of substantiated maltreatment over a period of four to six weeks in early 1991.
Dr. Edward Schor, associate professor of pediatrics at Tufts Medical School, and Dr. James M. Perrin, associate professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, noted that caring for a disabled child can be expensive, stressful and physically exhausting.
Parents may also become isolated from friends, family and their community. "It just makes their situation and their ability to parent a little bit more fragile, a little bit more likely to take a direction that is not good for the child or good for their relationship with the child," Dr. Schor said.
For the study, children were considered disabled if they had one or more of a variety of mental or physical ailments and, because of the ailments, they were limited in mobility, self-care or expression.