Improving safety at home: responding to violence, abuse, and neglect of people with intellectual disabilities across environments and settings

Abstract

The Final Report of the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability has heightened national focus on the experiences of people with disabilities. The Commission made important progress in recognising that violence, abuse and neglect occurs in all the places that people live their lives. Attention is now on how governments and communities will prevent and respond to entrenched and difficult problems. The recommendations may not go far enough to dismantle the siloed approaches that cause abuse and make it difficult to respond effectively for people with intellectual disabilities, who face particular barriers. This article uses research on domestic and family violence experienced by children and young people with intellectual disabilities to illustrate this risk. Without transformative responses by governments and communities, the systems and structures that enable violence and abuse across sectors will not be adequately addressed.