The Increased Risk of Intimate Partner Violence for Women with Disabilities: A Systematic Review of Barriers and Obstacles to Safety

Abstract

The literature on intimate partner violence (IPV) identifies women with disabilities as being at a higher risk for experiencing abuse than non-disabled women. The current systematic review used both a critical disability lens and the social ecological model to classify the various barriers and obstacles that exist for disabled women attempting to navigate abusive relationships. Fourteen articles were selected for the analysis based on a set of criteria. The obstacles that are present for disabled victims on the individual, relationship, community, and societal levels are identified and discussed. The components that make up a woman’s abuse experience do not occur in a vacuum and are shown to interact both within and across levels of the model, making existing barriers more difficult to navigate. Identifying obstacles and barriers for disabled women will create more accessible violence prevention and intervention.