Disability and Violent Victimization in a National Sample of Adolescents: A Longitudinal Study

In the victimization literature, a significant association has been consistently observed between disability and the victimization of children and adolescents. It is largely unknown, however, whether individuals with disabilities continue to suffer from a heightened risk of violent victimization when they reach young adulthood and adulthood. In addition, despite the close nexus between victimization and perpetration, prior studies have generally failed to control for violent acts perpetrated by individuals with disabilities. This study addresses these issues by drawing on the panel design nature of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. The results show that although physical disability is not linked to victimization risk, learning disability is significantly associated with an elevated risk of violent victimization.