Feeling safe, avoiding harm: Safety priorities of children and young people with disability and high support needs

This study explored what helped and constrained children and young people with disability and high support needs, in feeling and being safe in institutional settings. Through adapted qualitative methods, 22 children and young people aged 7-25 years shared their conceptualizations of safety, along with facilitators and barriers to interpersonal safety in their everyday lives. Key themes were feeling safe and known in relationships, minimizing risk, having strategies and the opportunity to practice these, opportunities to learn about safety and supported transitions. The living patterns and environments of children and young people were different to their non-disabled peers, and they faced systemic barriers to activating safety strategies. Building meaningful prevention strategies for children and young people with disability requires specific skill in design and implementation. Without focused attention to their specific circumstances, measures promoting child safety may overlook the experiences of children and young people with intellectual disability.