Some examples of barriers that prevent victims with disabilities from reporting and/or seeking help include:
- Lack of accessibility to services (reliance on abusive caregivers to access resources, social isolation, communication barriers, etc.)
- Situational factors (lack of needed services, lack of information about available services, etc.)
- Fear of perceived consequences (retaliation by offenders, loss of independence, negative reactions by family, friends and professionals, etc.)
- Socialization and educational factors (e.g., socialized to be compliant and depend on others for protection, manipulated to feel blame or uneducated about sexuality)
For more information on this topic, see B1. Sexual Victimization of Persons with Disabilities: Prevalence and Risk Factors in the WV S.A.F.E. Training and Collaboration Toolkit—Serving Sexual Violence Victims with Disabilities.