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Alice Richard, Coordinator of the Special Needs Program at the Victoria Child Sexual Abuse Society, has developed two lists of indicators of particular relevance to young people with disabilities: one for individuals with moderate to severe communication difficulties, and another for individuals with more functional physical and verbal abilities. 

          Individuals with Moderate to Severe              
Communication Difficulties

•  Unusual or extreme fears of certain places in their home or towards certain caregivers with whom they were previously at ease 

• feces smearing

• frequent angry outburst-e.g., biting or destructive acts

• regressive behaviors

• venereal disease or frequent urinary tract infections

• vaginal or anal trauma

• frantic behavior during bathing or changing clothes

• noticeable changes in behavior such as suddenly avoiding a certain person, place or room, and/or obvious discomfort with physical contact

• self-abusive behaviors

• sleep and eating disturbances

• depression

• excessive masturbation (occurring with noticeable frequency) or other types of inappropriate sexual behavior

• dramatic mood swings

• uncharacteristic outbursts of anger or hostility  

Individuals with More Functional Physical
and Verbal Abilities

• comments or drawings which make sense only in a sexual context or which contain sexualized themes

• attempts at sexual behavior with others, particularly those in less powerful positions

• sexually abusive behavior toward others

• verbal and/or physical aggression toward others

• isolation from peers -- withdrawing from and/or avoiding contact with people with whom they had previously sought contact

• running away - not wanting to return home

• emotional dependency - more than previously demonstrated

• sexual experimentation with age inappropriate partners

• an alarming inability to distinguish between reality and fantasy

• somatic complaints

• performance deterioration

• expressions of guilt or shame

• accident proneness

• an expressed inability to trust others

• an inability to differentiate between platonic male-female relationships and those of a sexual nature

• a disregard or an inability to keep oneself "safe" (i.e., frequently puts self in potentially abusive situations)

Source: Alice Richard, Special needs Coordinator, Victoria Child Sexual Abuse Society, Victoria, B.C., 1994

Updated Monday June 27, 2005