Abstract
Problem Significance
Sexual violence impacts more than 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men in the United States (CDC, 2021). Individuals with disability experience disproportionately higher rates of sexual violence and are less likely to report cases of sexual violence compared to the general population (Basile et al., 2016b; Shapiro, 2018).
Analysis and Objectives
Various factors increase a person with a disability's risk of being a victim of sexual violence. These include increased isolation time with the perpetrator, dependence on their caregiver to perform daily tasks, compliance, self-defense skills, and lack of sexual health knowledge (Barger et al., 2009; Kurz et al., 2021; Hollomotz, 2009).
Intervention (Solution) Proposal
The project goal of this intervention is to decrease the incidence of sexual violence among adults with disabilities living in Sacramento County. This intervention design has three primary strategies: a regulatory policy change to strengthen the enforcement and management of the sex offender registry in the State of California, organizational change in infrastructure at a residential care facility, and a health education curriculum targeted at individuals with disabilities and caregivers.
Recommendations and Conclusions
For successful implementation, clear expectations and communication must be established with all stakeholders. Collaboration and support from the stakeholders and priority population will increase the effectiveness of this intervention. A strength of this intervention design is addressing risk factors at each level of the social ecological model. A limitation of this intervention is the cost and maintenance of critical components to keep the intervention sustained.