Sexual violence victimization against men with disabilities.
BACKGROUND
Prior research has shown a high prevalence of sexual violence against women with disabilities. However, no previous population-based studies have examined such victimization against men with disabilities.


OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this paper is to document the prevalence of lifetime and past-year sexual violence victimization among a representative sample of men with disabilities in Massachusetts and to compare its prevalence among men with disabilities to that of men without disabilities and women with and without disabilities.


METHODS
Data from the Massachusetts Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2005-2009 were analyzed in 2010 using bivariate and multivariate logistic regression.


RESULTS
Among 25,756 survey respondents, approximately 21.1% of Massachusetts men and 21.0% of women reported a disability. The prevalence of lifetime sexual violence victimization was 13.9% (95% CI=10.7%, 17.1%) among men with disabilities; 3.7% (95% CI=2.9%, 4.5%) among men without disabilities; 26.6% (95% CI=23.4%, 29.7%) among women with disabilities; and 12.4% (95% CI=11.2%, 13.6%) among women without disabilities. Similarly, men with disabilities were more likely than men without disabilities to report lifetime completed and attempted rape and past-year sexual violence victimization. Multivariate analyses controlling for sociodemographic characteristics indicated that men with disabilities were more than four times more likely to report lifetime and past-year victimization than men without disabilities.


CONCLUSIONS
Men with disabilities are at a heightened risk for lifetime and current sexual violence victimization.
Center for Health Policy and Research, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Shrewsbury, 01545, USA. monika.mitra@umassmed.edu
Monika
M
Mitra
Vera E
VE
Mouradian
Marci
M
Diamond
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D040343:Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008404:Massachusetts; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012737:Sex Factors; D012742:Sex Offenses / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014754:Violence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult