An Ecological Perspective on the Comorbidity of Childhood Violence Exposure and Disabilities: Focus on the Ecology of the School.

Abstract

Violence exposure and disabilities frequently co-occur. Rates of disabilities among children with violence exposure range from three to eleven times that of non-exposed children. Each can be causal in the development of the other both directly and through less direct pathways. In this paper both direct and indirect influences that can lead to a circular pattern of mutual reinforcement between violence and disabilities are identified. Childhood disability research has historically focused on the individual more than the ecological context. Within the field of childhood violence exposure, the focus is often on perpetrators within the family or community. In this paper the ecological framework is applied to violence and disabilities studies to help integrate the two different research literatures and to examine different levels of influence on the developmental course of both social problems. The experience of school is used as a framework for examining violence and disability transactions at each level of the ecological framework, including the role of bullying and school violence. Finally areas of intervention within the purview of schooling are identified, particularly those that empower students through mastery focused school climate and student involvement.