In writing an article about the protection of children with special needs, I am aware that you will be reading not about the protection of, but the abuse of, children with disabilities. Few things can be more detestable. Just as any form of abuse is saddening, the abuse of our most vulnerable members of society is deplorable. There may even be a reluctance to believe that such abuse takes place.

Unfortunately research shows (Kennedy 1990, Westcott 1992, Russell 1994) that disabled children have an increased vulnerability to abuse due to multiple factors including poor communication skills, lack of opportunities to develop appropriate social skills and "street-wise" behaviour; greater dependency on others for intimate care and, as already suggested, a disbelief that anyone would wish to abuse disabled person.

Myths

Kennedy (1995) points out the myths concerning abuse and children with disabilities:

• Myth Disabled children are not vulnerable to sexual abuse – they simply would not be targeted.
• Myth Sexual abuse of disabled children is OK, or at least not so harmful as abuse of other children .
• Myth It is impossible to prevent abuse of disabled children.
• Myth Disabled children are even more likely to make false allegations of abuse.
• Myth If a disabled child has been abused, it is best to leave well alone once the child is safe.

Disabled children are at greater risk of sexual abuse than those children without a disability. There are a number of reasons why this may be so:

• Attitudes to a child with a disability may be devalued, or it is believed they can't be sexually abused because they are seen as asexual
• They have more physical contact that those without disabilities (ie by carers, therapists, etc) and this can include greater levels of personal care
• Isolation – they may not be in a position to be able to tell anyone, or have the capacity to go and do so
• Communication – a large number of disabled children use alternative forms of communication, such as British Sign Language and Makaton; others use technology such as touch talkers and light writers. The person communicating with the child may not possess the appropriate personal communication skills and understand what the child is saying.

We have taught our children to be wary of strangers, with whom they have very little contact, and now understand that most abuse occurs to children by those known to them. The disabled child is likely to be exposed to various strangers from volunteer drivers to assistants at school. We need to teach disabled children personal safety skills. We can do this by encouraging a child with a disability to take some control of his/her body and providing teaching on sex education and about feelings.
For a child who requires assistance with personal care we need to teach the difference between a good and bad touch.

Christ's example

Jesus loves children. In Mark 10 v 15-16 Christ welcomed children and placed his loving arms around them to bless them. In the preceding chapter Jesus ministered and healed a boy who was deaf and could not speak.

As Christians and the church we can help disabled children by integrating them fully into our homes and fellowships. To prevent isolation and assist in integration our church buildings need to be accessible with ramps, disabled toilets and loop systems. Some churches have large print Bibles and other materials and signers for the deaf.

We can help disabled children learn to protect themselves and to differentiate between good and bad touches, etc. We need to listen to children with disabilities. This may mean learning their language and ways of communicating.

To keep all children safe we have to provide them with the knowledge, skills and confidence to reject inappropriate behaviour. In assisting children to develop a positive, self-image and confidence we can equip them to protect themselves. Our teaching in churches affords us opportunities to assist children in this way.

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