Disabilities, Aging and Sexual Violence
The Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault works to bridge the gap between the systems that work with people with disabilities and older adults and those who are victims/survivors of sexual violence. This is achieved by:
- Encouraging Cross System Collaboration
- Providing Technical Assistance
- Creating Educational Resources
Contact WCASA's Disabilities and Aging Program Coordinator for more information.
Available Resources
WCASA has a number of resources available on sexual assault and people with disabilites and/or older adults:
Widening the Circle: Sexual Assault/Abuse and People with Disabilities and the Elderly (1998)
Contributions from national experts make this video and manual a valuable resource to sexual assault provider agencies, human services personnel, and other concerned individuals. This resource depicts and discusses the barriers that people with disabilities and the elderly face in accessing and receiving services as well as strategies to overcome these barriers.
Transcending Silence: A Series About Speaking Out and Taking Action in Our Communities (4-part series) (2001)
1: Focus on Sexual Assault and People with Developmental Disabilities
2: Focus on Sexual Assault and People with Physical and/or Sensory Disabilities
3: Focus on Sexual Assault and People with Psychiatric Disabilities
4: Focus on Sexual Assault and the Elderly
These booklets have valuable information for those who work with and care about people with disabilities and/or the elderly who have survived sexual violence. The series expounds upon specific populations mentioned in "Widening the Circle." Information shared in these booklets includes: factors contributing to increased risk, statistics, legal information, indicators of sexual assault, barriers to receiving services, and an extensive list of resources.
Creating a Balance: Promoting Healthy Relationships and Preventing Sexual Assault of People with Cognitive Disabilities (2003)
This booklet addresses:
1. Ways to prevent sexual assault of people with cognitive disabilities.
2. Ways to promote healthy relationships for people with cognitive disabilities.
3. Environmental factors leading to abuse.
4. Sexual assault offenders (including caregivers, those with cognitive disabilities, and others).
5. Consent issues and other legal considerations.
Accessible Justice: Preparing Sexual Assault Victims with Developmental Disabilities for the Criminal Court Process (2005)
This booklet explains the criminal court process and ways advocates can increase accessibility for victims/survivors with developmental disabilities. It includes information on navigating the system and overcoming a variety of barriers to accessibility in the hopes of achieving justice for all victims. Specific opportunities for advocate involvement are highlighted throughout the text.
To Live Without Fear and Violence: Sexual Assault and Domestic Abuse Against Older Individuals (Revised 2005)
Divided into 3 sections (Participants Manual, Model Protocols and Appendices), this manual was created in 2004 and updated in 2005. It is designed to help a multidisciplinary audience understand the dynamics of sexual assault and domestic violence against older individuals in order to best serve victims. The model protocol supplement identifies best practices for Law Enforcement officers that are investigating violence against older adults.
Sexual Assault and Sexuality Issues for People with Alzheimer's Disease or Related Dementias (Not Yet Available)
Handouts:
This pamphlet for family, friends, and caregivers of people with developmental disabilities includes statistics and information on sexually assualtive behaviors, prevention, indicators of abuse, signs of caregiver abuse, grooming, and what to do if you witness or suspect abuse.
Sexual Assault and Older Individuals: A Guide for Family, Friends and Caregivers
This pamphlet for family, friends, and caregivers of older individuals includes statistics and information on sexually assaultive behaviors, prevention, indicators of abuse, signs of caregiver abuse, grooming, and what to do if you witness or suspect abuse.
Touch and My Body: A Guide for Teens with Developmental Disabilities to Discuss with a Caring Adult (by Tri County Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault)
This guide provides information on “special” or “private” body parts as well as good, bad, and confusing touches and the feelings these touches might cause. It points out that sexual abuse is never the fault of the victim and provides tips on asking for help.
Elder Abuse in Facility Settings Report
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
To begin to address the needs of older victims/survivors of abuse and/or sexual assault, the Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault, Inc. (WCASA) and the Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence (WCADV) convened a Work Group in the fall of 1999. The mission of the Work Group was to define the problems faced by older victims of abuse and/or sexual assault and make recommendations for improvement in intervention. The Work Group consisted of representatives from the Wisconsin Department of Health & Family Services, WCASA, WCADV, Wisconsin Coalition for Advocacy, Wisconsin Alzheimer's Institute, Elder Law Center of the Coalition of Wisconsin Aging Groups and a number of local service providers.
The Work Group chose to focus on abuse of older persons (age 60+) who are in nursing homes, hospitals, community-based residential facilities (CBRF's), residential care apartment complexes (RCAC's) and licensed adult family homes. This report focuses on abuse in facility settings by family members or others with an ongoing relationship with the victim, and resident-to-resident abuse.
The Recommendations developed by the Work Group fall into three areas: training and development of educational materials; policy and protocol development and inter-organizational collaboration; and building service delivery capacity to respond appropriately to abuse.
Violence Against Women with Disabilities Project
Disability Rights Wisconsin (DRW), as lead agency, in partnership with the Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence (WCADV) and the Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault (WCASA) joined to implement a Wisconsin project focused on violence against women with disabilities.
As Project partners, we are committed to ensuring that the objectives and activities of this Project are centered around:
1. the distinctive dynamics of domestic violence (DV), sexual assault (SA) and stalking against women with disabilities,
2. the paramount importance of victim safety in all of its undertakings,
3. the necessity for appropriate and effective services to women victims with disabilities, and
4. equal access through compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
The Project’s roles are to support, foster and enhance collaborative and effective strategies in each community to address violence against women with disabilities. The overall strategies employed to increase collaboration, skill enhancement and response capacity will include a three stage process:
1. initiating relationships among DV, SA and disability programs within a region, county or community;
2. facilitating through training, technical assistance and ongoing support the identification of and response to regional needs; and,
3. working with communities to implement and sustain comprehensive strategies to positively effect services to women victims with disabilities.
How could we help?
* Team up with you to convene a meeting of community stakeholders.
* Project staff can assist with identifying, recruiting and organizing meetings.
* Initiate a discussion and a strategic planning exercise to intensify relationship building while identifying substantive needs of serving women with disabilities who experience violence.
* Offer ongoing education/training sessions and on-site and phone technical assistance to commence and sustain identified activities of that community.
* Assist with convening and/or facilitating regular action-oriented meetings among community stakeholders.
* Supplement collaborative efforts with ongoing consultation, support, resource development and training.
* Emphasize that throughout this process, community stakeholders forge relationships that foster commitment to programs working together to respond to victims with disabilities.
* This community-based approach helps to broaden working relationships that benefits consumers/survivors and enhances each community’s and each agency’s capacity to respond effectively and appropriately to clients.
Resources created as a part of this project:
Accessibility guide for Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Service Providers
A guide to assist sexual assault and domestic violence staff and agencies to emback on an action-oriented process to address more common accessibility barriers
Cross Training Workbook: Violence Against Women with Disabilities
A workbook that acknowledges and encourages you to individualize a process that you can use, on your own and as part of an organization, to address the needs of each person who might need your help.
This booklet provides a foundation for understanding Wisconsin laws and regulations in practical terms about confidentiality of information and records.
This paper provides information on service animals and gives best practice suggestions for working with victim/survivors that use service animals.
