Men With Disabilities Face Higher Sexual Assault Risk
Author: Elsevier Health Sciences
Published: 13 Oct 2011 - Updated: 11 Jul 2026
Publication Details: Peer-Reviewed | Research, Study, Analysis
Table of Contents:
Synopsis - Definition - Overview - FAQs - Insights, Updates - Related Content
Synopsis
This research, published in the peer-reviewed American Journal of Preventive Medicine, was the first population-based study to examine sexual violence against men with disabilities, drawing on responses from close to 22,000 adults in the 2005 Massachusetts Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System conducted with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Led by Monika Mitra, PhD, of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, the findings carry weight because they rest on a large, representative sample rather than a single clinical setting, and they extend the analysis beyond intimate partners to include caregivers, attendants, acquaintances, and strangers. For men with disabilities, their families, and the professionals who support them, the data offer a clear, evidence-based reason to recognize and address a risk that earlier work had largely overlooked.*At a Glance
- 1 - Among men with disabilities, 5.3 percent reported sexual violence in the past year, compared with 1.5 percent of men without disabilities.
- 2 - About 13.9 percent of men with disabilities reported lifetime sexual violence, versus 3.7 percent of men without disabilities.
- 3 - Past-year victimization rates for men with disabilities exceeded those reported by women without disabilities, a pattern not previously documented in population data.
Topic Definition
- Sexual Violence Against Men With Disabilities
Sexual violence against men with disabilities refers to non-consensual sexual contact, attempted or completed rape, and unwanted sexual exposure experienced by men who live with physical, mental, emotional, cognitive, or communication-related impairments that limit their activities. It is measured across a lifetime and within recent periods, and it can be perpetrated by intimate partners, family members, acquaintances, strangers, or the caregivers and personal attendants on whom many disabled men depend, making it a distinct public health concern rather than a subset of intimate partner violence alone.
Overview
Males with Disabilities 4 Times More Likely to be Sexually Abused
Men with disabilities 4 times more likely to be sexually abused than men without disabilities, according to new study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
Previous studies have documented that women with disabilities are more likely to be sexually assaulted than women without disabilities.
A new study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine is the first population-based investigation to examine sexual violence victimization against men with disabilities.
Researchers report that men with disabilities are more than four times more likely to be victimized by sexual assaults compared to men without disabilities.
"Men with disabilities are at a heightened risk for lifetime and current sexual violence victimization," according to lead investigator Monika Mitra, PhD, Research Scientist, Center for Health Policy and Research, and Assistant Professor, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Massachusetts Medical School.
"The most notable finding is that the prevalence of lifetime sexual violence, completed rape, and attempted rape against men with disabilities was comparable to that against women without disabilities, and past-year rates for men with disabilities exceeded those for women without disabilities."
Dr. Mitra adds that:
"This study also broadened research of such victimization against men with disabilities beyond the intimate partner context to acquaintances and strangers, as well as family members, intimate partners, and dates. This is particularly relevant for people with disabilities whom earlier studies have suggested are especially likely to experience abuse from caregivers and personal care and other attendants, in addition to intimate partners."
Investigators from the University of Massachusetts Medical School and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health used data from close to 22,000 respondents collected as part of the 2005 Massachusetts Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (MA-BRFSS), which is an annual health survey of non-institutionalized adults conducted in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Approximately 13.9% of men with disabilities reported lifetime sexual violence, compared to 3.7% of men without disabilities, 26.6% of women with disabilities, and 12.4% of women without disabilities.
Men with disabilities (5.3%) were more likely to report past-year sexual violence than men (1.5%) and women (2.4%) without disabilities and less likely than women with disabilities (6.3%).
Participants were asked:
- Whether anyone ever had or attempted to have sex with them without their consent.
- Whether in the past year anyone had touched them sexually without their consent - despite their objections or had exposed them to non-consensual sexual situations that did not involve physical touching.
To determine disability status, respondents were asked whether they had limitations because of physical, mental, or emotional problems, any health problem that required use of special equipment, trouble learning, remembering or concentrating because of a health problem or impairment, or a physical, mental, emotional, or communication-related disability.
Those responding yes to any of these questions and whose disability had limited their activities for at least one year were classified as having a disability.
The article is "Sexual Violence Victimization Against Men with Disabilities " by Monika Mitra, PhD, Vera E. Mouradian, PhD, and Marci Diamond, MPA. It appears in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, Volume 41, Issue 5 (November 2011) published by Elsevier.
Frequently Asked Questions
NOTE: Researched FAQ's by Disabled World (DW)
What counts as a disability in this type of research?
Disability status is typically based on self-reported limitations from physical, mental, emotional, or communication-related conditions, use of special equipment, or trouble learning, remembering, or concentrating, where the condition has limited activities for at least one year.
Why are men with disabilities at greater risk of sexual assault?
Contributing factors can include reliance on caregivers and personal attendants for daily needs, reduced ability to report or resist abuse, social isolation, and communication barriers that make disclosure harder.
Who can perpetrate sexual violence against men with disabilities?
Perpetrators may include intimate partners, dates, family members, acquaintances, and strangers, as well as paid caregivers and personal care attendants who have regular access to the person.
How does this risk compare between disabled men and disabled women?
Women with disabilities still report higher lifetime and past-year rates overall, but the past-year rate for disabled men can exceed that of women without disabilities, showing disability raises risk across genders.
Where can men with disabilities find help after sexual assault?
Support is available through local rape crisis centers, national sexual assault hotlines, disability advocacy organizations, and medical providers who can offer confidential care, counseling, and referrals.
What can caregivers and agencies do to reduce this risk?
Screening and training staff, running background checks, teaching consent and boundaries, creating clear reporting channels, and monitoring care relationships can all help lower the risk of abuse.
Insights, Analysis, and Developments
Editorial Note: The value of this study lies in how it reframes a problem long assumed to affect women almost exclusively, showing that disability itself, rather than gender alone, is a significant marker of vulnerability to sexual violence. By pulling the lens back to include the caregivers and attendants many disabled men rely on daily, the authors point to prevention strategies that clinics, support agencies, and families can act on directly, and they leave a standing challenge to researchers to keep male victims within the frame of future disability and abuse work.*Attribution/Source(s): This peer reviewed publication was selected for publishing by the editors of Disabled World (DW) due to its relevance to the disability community. Originally authored by Elsevier Health Sciences and published on 13 Oct 2011, this content may have been edited for style, clarity, or brevity.
* Editorial additions by Ian C. Langtree.