Abuse and Violence Statistics

The last statistic is quite disturbing and may be due to many different causes. It could be the “code of silence” within a facility or institution or a lack of staff training. This kind of environment leads direct care workers to do what they are told without question, leading direct care workers to make choices that go against their better judgment. A lack of staff development can lead to caregivers’ not providing the best care to the people in their care.  There can also be some misconceptions that caregivers may have about the people in their care that may contribute to abuse of vulnerable adults:

• Thinking of people with disabilities as less than human
• Thinking of people with disabilities as not having feelings
• Thinking of people with disabilities as unable to make their own decisions

Additionally, vulnerable adults can be more susceptible to abuse, due to a lack of sexual education and/or isolation at their home or a care facility.
We will now make this a little more realistic as we will show a video call “End the Silence” where you will hear from a number of people with different disabilities talk about being victimized.