The Association Between Nonlethal Violent Victimization, Police Reporting, and Sensory Disabilities Among Adolescents

Adolescents with sensory disabilities are disproportionately affected by nonlethal violent victimization (NVV) more than adolescents without sensory disabilities, but little is known about NVV in the United States. The purpose of the current study is to determine whether adolescents' sensory disability (SD) status (no disability, vision disability, hearing disability, both disabilities) are associated with NVV, the number of crime episodes reported, and police reporting of crime.

Data were analyzed from the 2016-2021 National Crime Victimization Survey. Logistic and linear regression was used to examine the association between SD status type of NVV, police reporting of the crime, and number of NVV episodes.

A sample of 1,953 adolescents were in the analysis. Of the sample, 43.4% of adolescents with no disability experienced NVV, 24.7% of adolescents with vision disability experienced NVV, and 44.4% of adolescents with hearing disability experienced NVV. Adolescents with vision disability had fewer episodic NVV than those without SDs, unlike those with hearing disability (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 0.42; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.41, 0.42; aOR: 1.09; 95%CI: 1.08, 1.11 respectively). Adolescents with vision disability are more likely to report their crime to police than adolescents without SD and similarly found among adolescents with hearing disability (aOR: 1.35; 95% CI: 1.33, 1.37; aOR: 1.17; 95% CI: 1.15, 1.19, respectively).

These findings can be used to enhance initiatives in reducing incidence of NVV among adolescents with hearing disability, vision disability, and both disabilities. To confirm results, agencies can collaborate and develop uniform terminology for data collection.