A study on sexual violence inflicted on individuals with intellectual developmental disorder

Rates of violence and abuse perpetrated on people with intellectual and developmental disability (IDD) have been reported to be significantly higher than on individuals without disability. However, rates of sexual violence against people with IDD in some less industrialized countries, such as Sri Lanka, have not been previously reported.

To describe characteristics of victims and perpetrators as well as the types of abuse found during medicolegal examinations of patients with IDD.

This is a cross-sectional study that utilized a convenience sample of individuals with IDD who presented after abuse at three hospitals in Sri Lanka from 2011 to 2015.

All subjects had mild or moderate IDD; 90.2% were females; 48.8% were between the ages of 11-20 years; and 47.56% lived with both parents. Most of the victims (48%) disclosed the abuse and 29% of the events were witnessed. The perpetrators were known to the victim 49% of the time, and 49% reported a single episode of abuse. Victims reported that the abuse had taken place in the victim's house 47% of the time. Vaginal intercourse and intercrural intercourse were the most common types of abuse, and 23% of patients were found to be pregnant.

In this study that relied on victim report and medicolegal investigation, parties close to the victim usually perpetrated the sexual abuse. Therefore, it is important to have more than one level of support and care for individuals with IDD so there is more opportunity for reporting.